Frank Hawkins
Encyclopedia
Frank Hawkins, Jr. is a former professional football
player, a running back
who played seven seasons in the NFL
with the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders
, from 1981 to 1987.
system and continued through Western High School
, where he was a star running back. After graduation in 1977, he earned a full athletic scholarship
to the University of Nevada, Reno
, where he played for four seasons and was a three-time All-American (Division I-AA) at running back, and twice the I-AA rushing leader. His jersey #27 was retired by the Wolf Pack.
In the 1981 NFL Draft
, Hawkins was selected at the end of the tenth round (276th overall) by the champion Oakland Raiders. With the Raiders in Oakland and Los Angeles, he also wore number 27 and played in Super Bowl XVIII
in January 1984. During that 1983 NFL season
, Hawkins and running back Kenny King
combined for 1,119 total rushing and receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, winning the final game 38-9 over the favored Washington Redskins
. During his seven seasons with the Raiders, Hawkins was the second-leading rusher for three straight seasons, 1983-85.
Nicknamed "The Hawk," his 5,333 career rushing yards at Nevada ranks fourth all-time in NCAA history behind Ricky Williams
(Texas
), Tony Dorsett
(Pittsburgh
) and Charles White
(Southern California). In 1997, Hawkins was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
.
Hawkins lost to former police office Michael McDonald in 1995 after the Nevada Commission on Ethics
found that Hawkins breached ethics laws by profiting from a golf tournament whose participants included individuals who did business with the city.
He now builds affordable houses, through federal Housing and Urban Development grants, in low-income, inner city neighborhoods in the same community he grew up in.
Hawkins is the current president of the NAACP Las Vegas Branch 1111.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player, a running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
who played seven seasons in the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
with the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, from 1981 to 1987.
Football career
Hawkins' football career began in Las Vegas' Pop WarnerPop Warner Little Scholars
Pop Warner Little Scholars is a non-profit organization that provides youth football, cheerleading, and dance programs for participants in 43 U.S. states and several countries around the world. It is headquartered in Langhorne, Pennsylvania...
system and continued through Western High School
Western High School (Las Vegas, Nevada)
Western High School was the third high school built in Las Vegas, Nevada, after Las Vegas High School and Rancho High School . In March 2011 Western was identified as one of five "persistently" low-performing schools in Clark County, Nevada, eligible for federal School Improvement grants...
, where he was a star running back. After graduation in 1977, he earned a full athletic scholarship
Athletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
to the University of Nevada, Reno
University of Nevada, Reno
The University of Nevada, Reno , is a teaching and research university established in 1874 and located in Reno, Nevada, USA...
, where he played for four seasons and was a three-time All-American (Division I-AA) at running back, and twice the I-AA rushing leader. His jersey #27 was retired by the Wolf Pack.
In the 1981 NFL Draft
1981 NFL Draft
The 1981 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 28–29, 1981...
, Hawkins was selected at the end of the tenth round (276th overall) by the champion Oakland Raiders. With the Raiders in Oakland and Los Angeles, he also wore number 27 and played in Super Bowl XVIII
Super Bowl XVIII
Super Bowl XVIII was an American football game played on January 22, 1984, at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida, deciding the National Football League champion following the 1983 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Los Angeles Raiders defeated the National Football Conference...
in January 1984. During that 1983 NFL season
1983 NFL season
The 1983 NFL season was the 64th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVIII when the Los Angeles Raiders defeated the Washington Redskins.-Major rule changes:...
, Hawkins and running back Kenny King
Kenny King (running back)
Kenneth Leon King is a former American football running back who played seven seasons in the National Football League, mainly with the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders. He was a starter for the Raiders in Super Bowl XV and Super Bowl XVIII....
combined for 1,119 total rushing and receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, winning the final game 38-9 over the favored Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
. During his seven seasons with the Raiders, Hawkins was the second-leading rusher for three straight seasons, 1983-85.
Nicknamed "The Hawk," his 5,333 career rushing yards at Nevada ranks fourth all-time in NCAA history behind Ricky Williams
Ricky Williams
Errick Lynne "Ricky" Williams, Jr. is an American football running back for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints fifth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft...
(Texas
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
), Tony Dorsett
Tony Dorsett
Anthony "Tony" Drew Dorsett is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos.-Early years:...
(Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
) and Charles White
Charles White (American football)
Charles White is a former professional American football running back. He had a distinguished college career and later played in the National Football League for the Cleveland Browns and the Los Angeles Rams.-College football:...
(Southern California). In 1997, Hawkins was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
.
Business career
Upon his retirement from football, Frank Hawkins served on the Las Vegas City Council and was the first elected black official in the city. He served one four-year term, beginning in 1991. While in office, he was also a board member for the Las Vegas Housing Authority.Hawkins lost to former police office Michael McDonald in 1995 after the Nevada Commission on Ethics
Nevada commission on ethics
Nevada Commission on Ethics is a commission that investigates ethics violations by government officials or employees in the state of Nevada in the United States....
found that Hawkins breached ethics laws by profiting from a golf tournament whose participants included individuals who did business with the city.
He now builds affordable houses, through federal Housing and Urban Development grants, in low-income, inner city neighborhoods in the same community he grew up in.
Hawkins is the current president of the NAACP Las Vegas Branch 1111.