University Southern California Trojans
Players Mentioned
QB
/ Football
S
/ Football
ILB
/ Football
OLB
/ Football
ILB
/ Football
Photo by: John McGillen
A Model Leader
October 20, 2017 | Football, Features
By Carly Fasciglione
USC Sports Information Student Assistant
Senior safety and team captain Chris Hawkins is fully embracing his role as the old veteran in the Trojans' locker room. Alongside fellow captains Sam Darnold, Uchenna Nwosu, and Cameron Smith, Hawkins has patiently awaited his moment to lead this team since he stepped onto USC's campus in 2013.
Hawkins will be the first to tell you that the only thing that has changed about him since his freshman year is his move from cornerback to safety.
"I get along with almost 99 percent of my teammates just because I've never changed," Hawkins said. "I've always been myself. I'm still the same dude that makes jokes all the time."
Hawkins possesses every quality of a natural born leader. His energy is infectious as he cracks jokes with a wide gap-toothed smile. But, he also knows when he needs to make a serious statement, and he always delivers it with clarity, cohesion and passion.
Hawkins' charming personality makes him a leader other players can turn to for anything from an uplifting anecdote to advice on which classes to take. He may not be the loudest leader in the room, but when his leadership is needed, he'll be the first to speak up.
"I'm not one of those seniors that tries to take control of everything or tries to be the super loud guy," Hawkins acknowledged. "I'm just a guy that rose with the punches on the team."
Hawkins has surely risen with the punches since his redshirt season in 2013. Although he admits he wasn't pleased with redshirting at the time, he appreciates the chance he had to learn from veterans on the team, like cornerback Kevon Seymour. Hawkins also utilized this time to transform his body, put on muscle and slim down with the help of the Trojans' strength and conditioning and nutrition staff.
Hawkins has always been lauded for his strong football IQ and keen awareness on the field. These factors prompted coaches to approach him about switching from cornerback to safety in 2015. Instead of hesitating at the prospect of changing the position he's played his whole life, Hawkins jumped at the opportunity and became one of the Trojans' best defensive assets.
He now has close to 30 career starts to his credit and is among USC's top tacklers this year with 39 total tackles on the season and notching his fourth career interception. Among the highlight plays in his career was a 94-yard fumble return for a score at Arizona State in 2015.
Hawkins' awareness, communication skills, and athleticism catapulted him into a starting spot at a position he never thought he'd play. That's why his teammates and coaches admire him so much. His work ethic and willingness to push his boundaries and find success outside of his comfort zone are what make him an ideal leader.
The Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., resident has considered himself a leader since his early days playing youth sports. When you're eight, the leader of the team is likely the best player, but in college it's a whole different ball game.
"Are you doing well in class? Do the coaches and players respect you?" Hawkins noted. "It's more that goes into it than just being the best player. I've been on the team with such a mix of different people and I've been able to get along with everyone."
Hawkins learned a great deal from USC's previous team captains. He always knew he wanted to be a captain, especially as he watched the impact of the leadership skills of former linebacker Hayes Pullard. He also got the chance to watch one of his best friends fulfill both of their dreams of becoming a captain last season.
"Last year I watched one of my best friends, my brother, Michael Hutchings do it," Hawkins said. "I watched him embrace it and take on the role heavily. He's the same type of captain that I am. He speaks up when he has to, but he's still going to have fun and make jokes. He's cool with everybody."
Hawkins knows that as a student-athlete and a captain, he has responsibilities to maintain off the field as well. He has already completed his bachelor's degree in policy, planning and development, and is currently working on obtaining another degree in sociology.
Hawkins has always been encouraged to question the society around him, understand how it functions, and learn how he can help improve it. "I think you can never learn enough, especially when you're at a university like USC," Hawkins said. "I just want to expand myself and my horizons as much as I can."
The intersection of policy, politics, and sports is something that Hawkins has found of great interest and could be an avenue he explores after graduation.
"You can never be out of place when you're talking about sports, politics, and society," he said. "I just want to learn as much as I can about it all and hopefully in the future, I can push towards making a better America."
Hawkins put his studies to the test when he was selected as one of just two student-athletes to represent the Pac-12 at the 2017 NCAA Legislation Meetings. Hawkins said he capitalized on the unique opportunity, as he usually does, as he met with a variety of officials and even got to vote on certain proposals.
"I went there and I learned a lot from all of the athletic directors and the presidents of different conferences and it was pretty awesome to see how they work things around," Hawkins said. "We also got to vote on some things and my voice was heard. As one of the representatives, especially for the Pac-12, I had to make USC proud."
During the meetings, members and representatives discussed and voted on issues such as student-athlete academic tools, recruiting mandates, and athletic schedules.
Hawkins has a particular interest in the issue of student-athlete off days. The Pac-12 recently installed a new initiative to give student-athletes at least one day off a week during their sports season. The off-day prohibits student-athletes from any non-voluntary practice, training or media. The initiative was crafted in an effort to give student-athletes more time to focus on their studies and other activities for a healthy balance. As a leader for student-athletes, Hawkins recognized his responsibility to raise those questions at the legislation meeting.
"I've been a student-athlete for five years now and I understand exactly what we want," he said. "My voice was heard and a couple of other student-athletes and I were able to express our thoughts. I think we really moved forward in that meeting."
Hawkins understands his ability to use his platform as an athlete to inspire change in positive ways. He knows that he is so much more than just a football player and he can utilize his status as an athlete of one of the most popular sports in America to speak on issues he believes in and wants to improve upon.
Nearly anyone in the Trojans' locker room, in the classroom, and around the NCAA can assure you that Chris Hawkins is a man headed in the right direction. He's a leader ready and willing to take initiative in uncomfortable situations and he's always prepared to crack a joke when a good laugh is needed.
USC Sports Information Student Assistant
Senior safety and team captain Chris Hawkins is fully embracing his role as the old veteran in the Trojans' locker room. Alongside fellow captains Sam Darnold, Uchenna Nwosu, and Cameron Smith, Hawkins has patiently awaited his moment to lead this team since he stepped onto USC's campus in 2013.
Hawkins will be the first to tell you that the only thing that has changed about him since his freshman year is his move from cornerback to safety.
"I get along with almost 99 percent of my teammates just because I've never changed," Hawkins said. "I've always been myself. I'm still the same dude that makes jokes all the time."
Hawkins possesses every quality of a natural born leader. His energy is infectious as he cracks jokes with a wide gap-toothed smile. But, he also knows when he needs to make a serious statement, and he always delivers it with clarity, cohesion and passion.
Hawkins' charming personality makes him a leader other players can turn to for anything from an uplifting anecdote to advice on which classes to take. He may not be the loudest leader in the room, but when his leadership is needed, he'll be the first to speak up.
"I'm not one of those seniors that tries to take control of everything or tries to be the super loud guy," Hawkins acknowledged. "I'm just a guy that rose with the punches on the team."
Hawkins has surely risen with the punches since his redshirt season in 2013. Although he admits he wasn't pleased with redshirting at the time, he appreciates the chance he had to learn from veterans on the team, like cornerback Kevon Seymour. Hawkins also utilized this time to transform his body, put on muscle and slim down with the help of the Trojans' strength and conditioning and nutrition staff.
Hawkins has always been lauded for his strong football IQ and keen awareness on the field. These factors prompted coaches to approach him about switching from cornerback to safety in 2015. Instead of hesitating at the prospect of changing the position he's played his whole life, Hawkins jumped at the opportunity and became one of the Trojans' best defensive assets.
He now has close to 30 career starts to his credit and is among USC's top tacklers this year with 39 total tackles on the season and notching his fourth career interception. Among the highlight plays in his career was a 94-yard fumble return for a score at Arizona State in 2015.
Hawkins' awareness, communication skills, and athleticism catapulted him into a starting spot at a position he never thought he'd play. That's why his teammates and coaches admire him so much. His work ethic and willingness to push his boundaries and find success outside of his comfort zone are what make him an ideal leader.
The Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., resident has considered himself a leader since his early days playing youth sports. When you're eight, the leader of the team is likely the best player, but in college it's a whole different ball game.
"Are you doing well in class? Do the coaches and players respect you?" Hawkins noted. "It's more that goes into it than just being the best player. I've been on the team with such a mix of different people and I've been able to get along with everyone."
Hawkins learned a great deal from USC's previous team captains. He always knew he wanted to be a captain, especially as he watched the impact of the leadership skills of former linebacker Hayes Pullard. He also got the chance to watch one of his best friends fulfill both of their dreams of becoming a captain last season.
"Last year I watched one of my best friends, my brother, Michael Hutchings do it," Hawkins said. "I watched him embrace it and take on the role heavily. He's the same type of captain that I am. He speaks up when he has to, but he's still going to have fun and make jokes. He's cool with everybody."
Hawkins knows that as a student-athlete and a captain, he has responsibilities to maintain off the field as well. He has already completed his bachelor's degree in policy, planning and development, and is currently working on obtaining another degree in sociology.
Hawkins has always been encouraged to question the society around him, understand how it functions, and learn how he can help improve it. "I think you can never learn enough, especially when you're at a university like USC," Hawkins said. "I just want to expand myself and my horizons as much as I can."
The intersection of policy, politics, and sports is something that Hawkins has found of great interest and could be an avenue he explores after graduation.
"You can never be out of place when you're talking about sports, politics, and society," he said. "I just want to learn as much as I can about it all and hopefully in the future, I can push towards making a better America."
Hawkins put his studies to the test when he was selected as one of just two student-athletes to represent the Pac-12 at the 2017 NCAA Legislation Meetings. Hawkins said he capitalized on the unique opportunity, as he usually does, as he met with a variety of officials and even got to vote on certain proposals.
"I went there and I learned a lot from all of the athletic directors and the presidents of different conferences and it was pretty awesome to see how they work things around," Hawkins said. "We also got to vote on some things and my voice was heard. As one of the representatives, especially for the Pac-12, I had to make USC proud."
During the meetings, members and representatives discussed and voted on issues such as student-athlete academic tools, recruiting mandates, and athletic schedules.
Hawkins has a particular interest in the issue of student-athlete off days. The Pac-12 recently installed a new initiative to give student-athletes at least one day off a week during their sports season. The off-day prohibits student-athletes from any non-voluntary practice, training or media. The initiative was crafted in an effort to give student-athletes more time to focus on their studies and other activities for a healthy balance. As a leader for student-athletes, Hawkins recognized his responsibility to raise those questions at the legislation meeting.
"I've been a student-athlete for five years now and I understand exactly what we want," he said. "My voice was heard and a couple of other student-athletes and I were able to express our thoughts. I think we really moved forward in that meeting."
Hawkins understands his ability to use his platform as an athlete to inspire change in positive ways. He knows that he is so much more than just a football player and he can utilize his status as an athlete of one of the most popular sports in America to speak on issues he believes in and wants to improve upon.
Nearly anyone in the Trojans' locker room, in the classroom, and around the NCAA can assure you that Chris Hawkins is a man headed in the right direction. He's a leader ready and willing to take initiative in uncomfortable situations and he's always prepared to crack a joke when a good laugh is needed.
USC Football vs Oregon Highlights | Trojans lose 42-27
Saturday, November 22
USC HC Lincoln Riley | Thursday of Oregon Week
Thursday, November 20
USC vs Oregon Preview: Cody Kessler on the Trojans' Important Trip to Eugene | The Victory Podcast
Thursday, November 20
USC DT Devan Thompkins | Wednesday of Oregon Week
Wednesday, November 19
