Ask 100 fans to describe the ideal NFL linebacker and you’re likely to get 100 different answers. Ask a Green Bay Packers fan and the answer will almost certainly be A.J. Hawk. He moves like a safety, thinks like a coach and hits like a truck. A workout monster who loves practice as much as games, A.J. brought a load of talent and a tough new attitude to a Packers team that everyone thought was in transition. Turns out everyone was wrong—and that makes A.J. the right man at the right time in Green Bay. This is his story…

GROWING UP

Aaron James Hawk was born on January 6, 1984 in Kettering, Ohio. (Click here for a complete listing of today's sports birthdays.) The Hawks lived in Centrevillle, a suburb of Dayton. A.J.'s parents, Judy and Keith, were fans of auto racing—and A.J. Foyt in particular. The nickname A.J. was a natural for their third son.

Like his older brothers, Matt and Ryan, A.J. was big, fast, tough and strong-armed. All three Hawk boys played football. Ryan was a talented quarterback in high school who would later lead Ohio University. Eventually, he moved on to the Arena League Football.

A.J. and his brothers followed Ohio State as boys and idolized the school's great linebackers. Columbus was just an hour away, so the Hawks got to see the Buckeyes play on several occasions.

A.J.’s talent as an athlete was evident from the age of three. His parents knew it and so did his brothers. Matt and Ryan pounded A.J. mercilessly throughout his childhood, but this treatment only served humble their little brother and toughen him up. A.J. played football in the fall, basketball in the winter and baseball in the spring and summer. Football, however, was the family game and his favorite sport.

As his sons began to draw attention on the football field, Keith offered advice that A.J. remembers to this day. No matter what you hear or read, the elder Hawk said, keep your head level. Never buy into the praise and never believe the criticism. A.J. and his brothers kept those words of wisdom in mind as each moved through youth football and onto Centerville High School.

A.J. enrolled at Centerville in 1997 and made the varsity as a freshman. Over the next four years, he would play middle linebacker on defense and running back on offense. He was also the punter for the Elks and became the team's kicker after the graduation of Mike Nugent, who would go on to star in the NFL.

By the end of his sophomore season, A.J. was clearly the best player on Centerville. Even Ryan ranked behind him, and he was setting school passing records. Ever modest, A.J. did not like the attention accorded him as the varsity stud, He declined to wear a letterman’s jacket and insisted that his parents not cheer for him from the sidelines. A.J. was not a rah-rah guy. He led in a reserved way, either by quietly talking to his teammates or setting examples in practice and during games. A.J. also led in the weight room. His warrior-like workouts were legendary.

The Elks won their league championship in 1998 and 1999 (under coach Bob Gregg) and again in 2000 (under Ron Ullery). But it was linebackers coach Luke Fickell who had the greatest impact on A.J. Fickell had played at Ohio State and taught A.J. the tricks of the trade, including how to use his hands against blockers. That tip made a tremendous difference in his game. A.J. was named All-State as a junior and senior and established school records with 30 tackles in a game and 583 for his varsity career.

A knee injury hampered A.J. somewhat his senior year, keeping him out of the headlines and off the top of the recruiting charts. Ohio State knew about the senior star, however, and offered him a scholarship. He accepted. It was the 25th of 26 spots the Buckeyes had open for scholarships.

ON THE RISE

A.J. was an unheralded member of a heralded recruiting class that included Bobby Carpenter, Mike D’Andrea and Stan White. He had the lowest profile of any of the linebackers in the incoming class—if things didn’t pan out, the Buckeyes planned to turn him into a back-up fullback. As soon as practice began, A.J. began making an impression. He was a savage hitter and a smart player. Slowly but surely he moved up the depth charts as opening day drew near.

A.J. started the 2002 campaign as a reserve but saw significant playing time as the season progressed. He contributed with 26 tackles and a pair of interceptions, running one back for a TD (in just his second college game). A.J. got his one and only start of the season against Penn State and picked off a pass on the Nittany Lions’ first possession.

With A.J. part of a talented mix of youth and experience for Ohio State, it was a quite a year in Columbus. INdeed, the Buckeyes became the first team ever to run the table at 14–0. A.J. made a key tackle in the 14–9 win over Michigan that sent Ohio State to the BCS championship game in the Fiesta Bowl. In a thrilling overtime contest against Miami, the Buckeyes were crowned 2002 national champions.

A.J. was promoted to the starting squad in his sophomore season and immediately showed All-America potential. In a close, low-scoring game against San Diego State, he sacked the quarterback twice and dropped three other ball-carriers behind the line of scrimmage. A week later, he was all over the field against NC State in a dramatic triple-overtime victory.

Game after game, A.J. was in on almost every tackle. He raised the level of his play in the biggest Big Ten conference battles. Along with Carpenter and Anthony Schlegel, he gave the Buckeyes a formidable linebacking trio.

A.J. topped the Buckeyes in tackles and was named All-Big Ten at season’s end. In the Fiesta Bowl against eighth-ranked Kansas State, he had 10 stops. The Buckeyes won 35-28, and A.J. was named the game’s defensive MVP.

A.J. truly came into his own as a junior in 2004. He led the nation with 141 tackles. In three October games alone, he had 49 tackles. Against Michigan State in November, A.J. made a twisting midair interception to preserve an Ohio State victory. Later that month, he recorded 11 tackles as the Buckeyes upended #7 Michigan 37-21.

The Buckeyes had a good team, but lacked the swagger of a great one. In the season’s final game, they were paired with Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl and won 33-7. A.J. posted five tackles in the game.

After the victory over the Sooners, Ohio State fans kept their fingers crossed that A.J. Hawk would return for his senior year. Had he declared for the NFL Draft, he would have been a surefire first-rounder. But A.J. was having too much fun in college. He wanted his degree, and he could not imagine leaving his teammates high and dry. A.J. ended any conjecture by announcing he would stay in Columbus for another year.

The 2005 season looked to be a promising one for A.J. and the Buckeyes. He had begun dating Laura Quinn, whose brother, Brady, played for Notre Dame. Laura and A.J. would later marry. As for Ohio State, the receiving duo of Santonio Holmes and Ted Ginn Jr. gave the team some offensive oomph.

A.J. cemented his reputation as a big-game player in Ohio State’s early-season confrontation with Vince Young and the Texas Longhorns. In the first half, he stopped drives dead with an interception, a fumble recovery and a sack. In the fourth quarter, he nailed Young to force a fumble. Still, Texas rebounded to win 25-22, a loss that A.J. calls the low point of his college career. It was a home-field loss that practically guaranteed that the Buckeyes would not be part of the BCS championship picture.

A.J. turned the disappointment of the Texas loss into motivation. Against Michigan State game, he corralled Spartan runners 19 times in a 35-24 victory. Against Northwestern, he forced a fumble and returned a blocked punt for a touchdown in a 48–7 wipeout.

A.J.’s final college game came against Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl. He sacked Quinn twice (creating a fun atmosphere for the next family get-together) and was named defensive MVP in a 34-20 win.

A.J. was voted a consensus All-American for the second straight season, and earned the Lombardi Award, given to the nation’s top linebacker or lineman. He finished his college career with 394 tackles and 15.5 sacks.

MAKING HIS MARK

A.J. was a no-brainer first-round pick in the NFL draft. He was invited by the league to come to New York on draft day but politely declined. A.J. preferred to share the day with his friends and family back in Ohio. He wasn’t sure who would take him, but he secretly hoped it would be Green Bay. The Packers impressed him as having a winning focus, and Green Bay reminded him of Columbus, a football-obsessed city with a small-town feel.

The Packers wanted A.J. and believed they could land him with the fifth pick. They considered trading up—and were offered some interesting deals to trade down—but they stayed put and got their man. He was the first linebacker taken in a draft packed with excellent linebackers.

The Green Bay defense was a perfect for fir A.J. and vice-versa. The Packers liked their linebackers to create havoc with ultra-aggressive play. A.J. would be teamed with Nick Barnett and Brady Poppinga in the team's 4-3 set.

With veteran quarterback Brett Favre surrounded by a youngish offense, the Green Bay defense would be counted on for takeaways and clutch stops to deliver victories. In his first game, against the Chicago Bears, A.J. nailed Thomas Jones in the backfield on a screen pass and harassed Rex Grossman into a couple of bad passes. A week later, against the New Orleans Saints, he broke up a sure scoring pass to tight end Nate Lawrie.

A.J.’s first sack came the following week, against the Detroit Lions. It demonstrated just how quickly he was learning the NFL game. A.J. noticed that his pass-coverage assignment, tight end Dan Campbell, was staying in as a blocker. Without hesitation, he exploded through a hole in the protection and buried Jon Kitna. It was the kind of instinctive play that marked A.J.’s early career.

A.J. had a great game against the Miami Dolphins in late October. He registered 16 tackles, including a sack, in Green Bay’s 34-24 victory. A.J. was named Rookie of the Week for his effort. Three weeks later, he won the award again as he made 13 tackles and a forced fumble against the Vikings. He sacked quarterback Brad Johnson once and teamed with Nick Bennett for another sack. Minnesota had already seen enough of A.J.—in Green Bay’s first meeting with the Vikings, he amassed 17 tackles.

A.J. concluded his rookie season with his first two NFL interceptions in December games against the San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears. The Packers won both games but finished out of the playoff picture at 8–8. When the season ended, A.J. was the team’s 2006 leader with 155 tackles. His 112 solo stops as a rookie ranked third in the league behind Demeco Ryans and Lance Briggs.

As the 2007 season approached, the talk in Green Bay centered around Favre’s future. Would he retire, or would he stick around just to muddle through another mediocre year with a too-young crew? Favre decided to stay, telling reporters the Packers had as much talent as the teams he led into the Super Bowl.

Favre obviously saw something the experts did not, as Green Bay rolled to a 13–3 record and a second seed in the playoffs. A.J. was a big part of the team’s resurgence. He finished second on the Packers with 155 tackles, playing his best against playoff-bound teams, including the New York Giants and San Diego Chargers.

A.J. had a monster game against the Washington Redskins in October, culminated by a diving fumble recovery on which he was knocked unconscious. Against the Dallas Cowboys, he had a season-high 14 tackles.

As the regular season drew to a close, it looked as if the Packers would be facing the Cowboys for the NFC championship. After a first-round bye, Green Bay took on Seattle on a slushy Lambeau Field. The Seahawks started strong, and Green Bay fans started to fret that the team’s inexperience was being exposed. But after two early turnovers lead to two touchdowns, the Packers turned it around and humiliated Seattle, 42–20. A.J. racked up six tackles on the day.

Meanwhile, the Giants stunned the Cowboys, setting up an unexpected matchup in the NFC Championship Game. The weather for the contest provided classic playoff conditions—frigid temperatures with a slight wind. A.J. made a great defensive play to extinguish a scoring bid before the half, and the Packers took a 10–6 lead into locker room after 30 minutes.

The game continued to seesaw in the second half. Green Bay’s defense alternated between being jumpy and tentative, and the Giants were able to control the ball for long stretches. But the Packers held when they had to, and after 60 minutes, the game was tied 20–20. Green Bay won the overtime coin toss and started with the football. Favre, however, threw an interception, and the Giants kicked a field goal for the victory a short time later .

In the shadow of defeat, it was difficult for A.J. and his teammates to appreciate how much progress the Packers had made just two years after going 4–12. Coming within an OT field goal of a trip to the Super Bowl was a remarkable accomplishment for a young team. If Favre returns, Green Bay may find itself with a shot at the Super Bowl again in 2009.

A.J., meanwhile, has established himself as the leader of one of football's most physical and hardest-hitting defenses. As he did in college, he sets the tone with his attitude and hustle. In a hardworking city like Green Bay, he has quickly become a local hero. It won't be long before fans nationwide appreciate him, too.

A.J. THE PLAYER

A.J.’s is an every-down defensive player, able to shed blocks on rushing plays, chase down running backs from sideline to sideline, cover slot receivers and tight ends, and pressure the quarterback when he pass-rushes. Being a student of football, he is part of virtually every one of Green Bay’s defensive packages.

A.J. is one of the best young tacklers in the league. He can handle ball carriers one-on-one, rarely needing assistance even when he does not get a clean first shot. Though known for his quick, hard-hitting style, A.J. understands his role on every play and rarely blows an assignment. He is particularly good in the red zone, making big plays to kill drives.

A.J. has great instincts when it comes to knowing where he should be on the field. While he lacks explosive speed or over-the-top athleticism, he is capable of making game-changing plays. His value to the Packers is that his 10 teammates know he will take care of business if they gamble and lose.

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