28 Year Old Fmr Pitcher to Compete for Grambling QB Job

[TexasTerror]

Wonder what kind of competition this will make for the Grambling QB position. Where's Nick Deriso when you need him? According to this article, Hawkins had been in touch with Temple, Western Michigan and North Carolina among other programs about returning to the gridiron. Best of luck to Hawkins! Always like stories like this...

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College Football: Hawkins competing for QB at Grambling
Sunday, August 06, 2006
BY MIKE GARAFOLO
Star-Ledger Staff

Al Hawkins is back to school again -- finally.

Hawkins, a former three-sport star at Elizabeth High who was a minor-league pitcher for eight years, has returned to college football for the second time in the past two years. He will participate in I-AA Grambling's football camp starting today and expects to compete for the team's starting quarterback job.

The 28-year-old Hawkins, the subject of a Star-Ledger feature article on June 4, said he filed the proper paperwork to enroll as a student at Grambling last week. Ryan McGinty, the school's sports information director, would not confirm Hawkins will be a member of the Tigers this season but said the coaching staff has mentioned Hawkins several times over the past week.

Hawkins arrived in Grambling, La., on Friday after driving from his home in Roselle Park, stopping for only two hours to rest. He said he then met with the coaching staff, received his No. 13 jersey and began preparing for his first live action since playing one season for Montclair in 2004.

http://www.nj.com/sports/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1154887816280380.xml&coll=1

[3rd Coast Tiger]

Ryan McGinty, the school's sports information director, would not confirm Hawkins will be a member of the Tigers this season but said the coaching staff has mentioned Hawkins several times over the past week.

McGinty? I think he roams this board every now and then. xlolx

[GAD]

tbfxlolx

[Jag4Life]

tbfxlolx
xlolx xlolx xlolx

[Jax]

:thumbsup:

[skinny_uncle]

SIU has a former minor leaguer named Byron Gettis (26 years old) who spent 8 years in the Royals organization competing for a TE spot. Have we discovered a new place to get recruits?
:D

[ISUMatt]

SIU has a former minor leaguer named Byron Gettis (26 years old) who spent 8 years in the Royals organization competing for a TE spot. Have we discovered a new place to get recruits?
:D

If he spent 8 years in the KC organization and couldnt make the team, he must not be that good :nod: xlolx

[bobcatfan06]

Texas State's #2 QB is a 25 or 26 year old freshman that was a pitcher in the Reds organization before coming to Texas State. He is originally from New Braunfels Canyon HS (about 15 miles from San Marcos) and had planned to go to LA Tech before switching and coming to San Marcos.

[TexasTerror]

From Nick Deriso...who is all over this "surprise" of day one. No SID confirmation needed now...

The surprise of Day 1 of Grambling's fall camp was like a plot from a movie script: A 28-year-old sophomore playing his first football in years.

Al Hawkins, a former three-sport star at Elizabeth (N.J.) High, has been pitching in minor-league baseball for the last eight seasons.

Even so, he was both smooth and collected on Monday - playing like a guy who could work his way into the backup spot. Hawkins, looking determined, said he'd like to move higher than that.

"If I'm not starting at the end of camp, I'll consider it a disappointment," said Hawkins, who used one year of football eligibility at Montclair. "I intend to work toward that goal."

Despite a long career in diamond, Hawkins said he never lost his passion for football. He attempted to catch on with Temple, Western Michigan and North Carolina, but the first coach to invite Hawkins to camp was GSU's Melvin Spears.

"I missed football," Hawkins said. "Baseball had become too much like a business for me."

If Hawkins can pick up the scheme, that would open the door to redshirt the talented Pittsburgh prepster Desmond Brentley. Brandon Landers and Larry Kerlegan are the presumptive Nos. 1 and 2.

"He's just got to work out some wrinkles and learn the system," Spears said. "It's a process."

http://www.thenewsstar.com/news/blogs/blog3/2006/08/old-school.html

[mikebigg]

That's good news...can never have too much talent. Makes for some serious talent at qb for Grambling. If he emerges as #2, look for Kerlegan to move to wide receiver. I think he would be good in the passing game. The freshman, Brantley would be red-shirted I would guess.

But I think it's gonna be Landers to open and barring injury keep the position. The competition should give us a good man under center. Spears gonna play the guy he feels is the guy.