Official Site
Busy Day in Orlando Capped with All-America Honors
Cingular All-America show to air Saturday at 2 p.m. on ABC Sports
<!-- PHOTO TABLE BEGINS HERE --> <table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="155"> <tbody><tr> <td rowspan="2" width="5">
</td> <td width="150">
On Friday, Hawk enjoyed taping the Cingular All-America show, hosted by Notre Dame alum Regis Philbin.
</td> </tr> <tr> <td>
</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <!-- PHOTO TABLE ENDS HERE -->
<!-- remove this block --> <!-- end block -->
Dec. 10, 2005
Friday, Dec. 9
Today was similar to other days this week. I got up at 6:45 this morning and worked out like normal. The three of us began the day visiting the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. That was a good experience. We spent a couple of hours there. Me, Paul (Posluszny from Penn State) and DeMeco (Ryans from Alabama) walked around and saw the kids. We gave out hats and posters and stuff. A lot of people down here are not big Ohio State fans. They are Florida State, Florida and Miami fans. I ran into a kid and his mom who both are big Ohio State fans and I got to talk to their dad on the phone. They appreciated us being there. I got to give him a hat and a poster. There are Ohio State people everywhere it seems like.
After that we went to the Butkus Award Charity Golf Tournament and at lunch. I got to see some Ohio State alumni. Actually, there is a big Ohio State alumni group here in Orlando. I got to each lunch with some of them. We saw (former ESPN college football analyst) Trev Alberts. He was there because he is emceeing the banquet Saturday.
After that, we went to Universal Studios theme park. We were all over the place. We probably walked 15 miles. We had a VIP tour and got to go to the front of all the lines and get on the rides, but I have a hard time being impressed with theme parks because I grew up near Kings Island in Cincinnati and that place is unbelievable. There were a couple of good rides but nothing that really compares to Kings Island, for me at least.
Occasionally I have a little motion sickness. For some reason on rides it is either hit or miss for me. Sometimes I can go and spend the whole day at a theme park and be fine and ride every single ride. Other days, I'll puke after one or two rides. I didn't puke today, but after the first ride - a Spider-Man thing where you sit in cars and kind of spin around and there is 3-D - that just started me off wrong. I was hurting. I was sweating and pale and white after that. We went and rode a couple of rides with some flips and cork screws and stuff and that didn't help me, but I stayed the whole time. I didn't sit out of any rides and finished them and then went back to the hotel. <!-- STORY AD BEGINS HERE -->
<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr> <td>
</td> <td width="5">
</td> </tr> </tbody></table>
<!-- STORY AD ENDS HERE -->We came home and had about an hour and a half to change and get our tuxes on before heading off to film the Cingular ABC Sports All-American awards show hosted by Regis Philbin, a Notre Dame alum. We had to get there early and rehearse a couple of times and after that had dinner and filmed the show. I thought Regis was pretty funny throughout the whole show. I knew he would be big on the Notre Dame thing. My mom watches his show all the time and she tells me how much he mentions Notre Dame all the time. It was nice to be recognized with so many great players (by the Football Writers Association of America).
That went pretty well. You'll have to watch it Saturday afternoon to see how it turned out. I'll be at the Pop Warner National Championship Game at Disney's Wide World of Sports before the Butkus Award presentation tomorrow night.
This is the fifth journal entry by A.J. Hawk, the Buckeye linebacker, co-captain and team MVP. Hawk, also the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, began a six-day award tour Tuesday in Houston for the Lombardi Award he won Wednesday night. Thursday, he was named a Walter Camp All-American and Friday he was named an All-American by the Football Writers Association of America. The Cingular ABC Sport All-America Team can be seen on a tape-delayed basis Saturday at 2 p.m. on ABC. Also on Saturday, the Butkus Award will be presented at a banquet at 7:30 p.m. Hawk then will travel to Newport Beach, Calif., Sunday for the Lott Trophy presentation.
Hawk Watches Posluszny Capture Butkus Award
Big Ten defender of the year off to California for Lott Trophy presentation on Sunday
<!-- PHOTO TABLE BEGINS HERE --> <table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="155"> <tbody><tr> <td rowspan="2" width="5">
</td> <td width="150">
A.J. Hawk and his brother Ryan, formerly a quarterback at Ohio U., who came in for the Butkus Award on Saturday.
</td> </tr> <tr> <td>
</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <!-- PHOTO TABLE ENDS HERE -->
<!-- remove this block --> <!-- end block -->
Dec. 10, 2005
Saturday, Dec. 10
This morning we had some time off. We didn't have to be anywhere until noon. We drove over to the Boardwalk to the ESPN Club for lunch and then did a TV interview on ESPNews. From there, we went to the Pop Warner Super Bowl. We were ambushed from all these kids. There was a Columbus team (the Columbus Browns) playing in the Pop Warner tournament and they saw us getting out of the car. They all got off their bus and came out. Being from Columbus and with me in my jersey, they knew who I was. It was fun. They were excited to be here and to play in the tournament. It was fun to visit with them and their coaches for a little bit.
They weren't prepared to see the three of us (Butkus finalists). I think I signed a sugar packet, one kids hand and a dollar bill.
Once we finally got to the field, we went out for the coin toss and I served as the honorary captain for the Oak Grove Eagles from California. It was the Division I Midget national championship game. We did an interview with Larry Brown and Matt Adamlee who were broadcasting the game for ESPN2 (the game will be televised Dec. 25). After that we came back to the hotel and had a couple of hours of free time.
We got ready and went down to the awards show. There was a long dinner before it. At the award show, coach (Jim) Heacock, our defensive coordinator, was here and said some nice words about me. I appreciate him coming down here. Then they presented the award and Paul (Posluszny) from Penn State won it. I think he deserves it. He has played great this whole year.
It was good to see my brother Ryan come in for the day. I think he enjoyed it up until the banquet. He is a lot more mad with the results that I am. He has always supported me my whole life and I appreciate that. I always try to support him.
It hurts a little bit not to win this award, but I won another prestigious award this week (the Lombardi). I value the respect of my teammates and my coaches a lot more than I do anyone else throughout the country. I appreciate being a finalist here and am ready to get back home.
But tomorrow I'm supposed to go out to the Lott Award in Newport Beach, Calif. I'm a finalist for that award along with DeMeco Ryans (Alabama), who was here, and Darryl Tapp from Virginia Tech. I'll head back to Columbus on Monday and be back in practice Tuesday. I'll probably not update my journal again until I get back to campus.
This is the sixth journal entry by A.J. Hawk, the Buckeye linebacker, co-captain and team MVP. Hawk, also the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, began a six-day award tour Tuesday in Houston for the Lombardi Award he won Wednesday night. Thursday, he was named a Walter Camp All-American and Friday he was named an All-American by the Football Writers Association of America. From here, Hawk is scheduled to visit Newport Beach, Calif., for the Lott Trophy presentation Sunday night and return to Columbus midday Monday before rejoining his team Tuesday in practice.
<table align="center" bgcolor="#cccccc" border="2" bordercolor="#990000" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" width="450"> <tbody><tr><td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td></tr></tbody> </table>
), quite possibly the worst injustice in any major award; other losers that year were Boston College's Bill Romanowski and UCLA's Ken Norton, Jr. McGowan was a ninth round selection (#237 overall) during the following spring's NFL draft and ended up starring in the Arena Football League, while Spielman, Romo, and Norton all had long and productive NFL careers (not to mention great college careers). Paul McGowan is now a trivia question.
When I woke up this morning and saw that Poz won the Butkus and wanted to break my tv. The only thing that eases my anger is that Poz was a gracious winner and gave A.J. some props and that A.J. was a gracious loser and gave props to Poz. Fuck those pea brain voters! Excuse my language. 
