Ralph Hawkins
Encyclopedia
Ralph Hawkins was a former American football
coach. He worked 35 years in the National Football League
(NFL) for nine teams. In addition to a long career as a college coach, Hawkins coached some of the top defensive units in the NFL.
, winning Catholic league championships in baseball
, basketball
and football. During the '52-'53 school year, Hawkins was 1st team POST All Met in both Football and Basketball. After high school Hawkins attended the University of Maryland
on a football scholarship
, where he played quarterback
, running back
and defensive back
. Hawkins played in the 1955 Orange Bowl, and later graduated with a degree in physical education.
before beginning his coaching career at Bishop Denis J. O'Connell High School
in Arlington, Virginia in 1958. At O'Connell , Hawkins signed on with AD Jack Whitcomb to be the Head Football coach and Asst Basketball coach. In June, 1959, he was replaced as Head football Coach at DJO by his St John's and Maryland teammate Bob Rusevlyan to return to College Park to complete his studies and help coach the Freshman football team.. After serving as graduate assistant at the University of Maryland, Hawkins coached at several colleges: Southern Methodist University
, U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the University of Kentucky
and the University of Cincinnati
.
from 1969–71. He then served the Washington Redskins
as defensive assistant under George Allen (1972–77). In his first year on the staff, the Redskins advanced to Super Bowl VII
, where they lost to the undefeated Miami Dolphins. During Hawkins' time in Washington, the Redskins posted a record of 58–26, making the playoffs four times. The defense ranked in the top five of the league three times.
After spending one year with the Baltimore Colts
, Hawkins moved on to the New York Giants
, where he was linebackers coach and defensive coordinator from 1979–81.
From the Giants, Hawkins went to coach for the Buffalo Bills
under head coach Chuck Knox
and followed him to the Seattle Seahawks
. Hawkins coached the secondary from 1983–88, during which time his unit was one of the best in the league. In 1983
, the Seahawks entered the playoffs as a wildcard
team and advanced to the conference championship game, losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Raiders. The 1984
team finished with a 12–4 record, losing in the divisional playoffs to the Miami Dolphins
. The 1984 Seahawks' secondary was second in the league with 38 interceptions, returning seven for touchdowns. The Seahawks intercepted 149 passes during Hawkins' six years in Seattle, second only to the San Francisco 49ers
. Hawkins contributed to Seahawk teams that had a combined record of 57–38 from 1983–88, including four playoff appearances and an AFC West
Division title in 1988
.
Hawkins coached one season as defensive coordinator
for the New York Jets
in 1989, then spent the remainder of his career as a scout
. He scouted for the Arizona Cardinals
(1991–93), the Carolina Panthers
(1994–97), the Indianapolis Colts
(1998–99) and the Houston Texans
(2000–02).
A resident of Fenwick Island, Delaware
, Hawkins died September 9, 2004 in Berlin, Maryland
. He suffered from Pick's Disease
, a neurological disorder that causes dementia
.
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...
coach. He worked 35 years in the National Football League
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...
(NFL) for nine teams. In addition to a long career as a college coach, Hawkins coached some of the top defensive units in the NFL.
Early years
Ralph Hawkins starred at St. John's High School in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, winning Catholic league championships in baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and football. During the '52-'53 school year, Hawkins was 1st team POST All Met in both Football and Basketball. After high school Hawkins attended the University of Maryland
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
on a football 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...
, where he played quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
, 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...
and defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
. Hawkins played in the 1955 Orange Bowl, and later graduated with a degree in physical education.
College coaching
Hawkins had a brief playing stint with the New York TitansNew York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
before beginning his coaching career at Bishop Denis J. O'Connell High School
Bishop Denis J. O'Connell High School
Bishop Denis J. O'Connell High School was founded in 1957 in Arlington County, Virginia. It was operated by the Catholic Diocese of Richmond, but has been under the direction of the Diocese of Arlington since 1974. The school is named for Bishop Denis J...
in Arlington, Virginia in 1958. At O'Connell , Hawkins signed on with AD Jack Whitcomb to be the Head Football coach and Asst Basketball coach. In June, 1959, he was replaced as Head football Coach at DJO by his St John's and Maryland teammate Bob Rusevlyan to return to College Park to complete his studies and help coach the Freshman football team.. After serving as graduate assistant at the University of Maryland, Hawkins coached at several colleges: Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
, U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
and the University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
.
NFL years
Hawkins began his NFL coaching career with the Buffalo BillsBuffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
from 1969–71. He then served the 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,...
as defensive assistant under George Allen (1972–77). In his first year on the staff, the Redskins advanced to Super Bowl VII
Super Bowl VII
Super Bowl VII was an American football game played on January 14, 1973, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California, to decide the National Football League champion following the 1972 regular season...
, where they lost to the undefeated Miami Dolphins. During Hawkins' time in Washington, the Redskins posted a record of 58–26, making the playoffs four times. The defense ranked in the top five of the league three times.
After spending one year with the Baltimore Colts
History of the Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....
, Hawkins moved on to the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, where he was linebackers coach and defensive coordinator from 1979–81.
From the Giants, Hawkins went to coach for the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
under head coach Chuck Knox
Chuck Knox
Charles Robert "Chuck" Knox is a former American football coach at the high school, collegiate and professional levels. He is best remembered as head coach of three National Football League teams, the Seattle Seahawks, the Buffalo Bills, and the Los Angeles Rams, serving two separate stints with...
and followed him to the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
. Hawkins coached the secondary from 1983–88, during which time his unit was one of the best in the league. In 1983
1983 Seattle Seahawks season
The 1983 Seattle Seahawks season was the team's eighth season with the National Football League. The 1983 season was the first season head coach Chuck Knox coached the team.-NFL Draft:-Staff:-Schedule:-Playoffs:-External links:* *...
, the Seahawks entered the playoffs as a wildcard
Wild card (sports)
The term wild card refers broadly to a tournament or playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal play.-International sports:...
team and advanced to the conference championship game, losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Raiders. The 1984
1984 Seattle Seahawks season
The 1984 Seattle Seahawks season was the team's ninth season with the National Football League.-1984 NFL Draft:-Staff:-Schedule:-Standings:-Playoffs:-External links:* *...
team finished with a 12–4 record, losing in the divisional playoffs to the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The 1984 Seahawks' secondary was second in the league with 38 interceptions, returning seven for touchdowns. The Seahawks intercepted 149 passes during Hawkins' six years in Seattle, second only to the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
. Hawkins contributed to Seahawk teams that had a combined record of 57–38 from 1983–88, including four playoff appearances and an AFC West
AFC West
The AFC West is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference, currently comprising the Denver Broncos, San Diego Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs, and the Oakland Raiders.-History:...
Division title in 1988
1988 Seattle Seahawks season
The 1988 Seattle Seahawks season was the team's 13th season with the National Football League.-1988 NFL Draft:-Staff:-Schedule:-Standings:-Playoffs:-External links:* *...
.
Hawkins coached one season as defensive coordinator
Defensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
for the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 1989, then spent the remainder of his career as a scout
Scout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
. He scouted for the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
(1991–93), the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
(1994–97), the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
(1998–99) and the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(2000–02).
A resident of Fenwick Island, Delaware
Fenwick Island, Delaware
As of the census of 2000, there were 342 people, 178 households, and 126 families residing in the town. The population density was 994.5 people per square mile . There were 666 housing units at an average density of 1,936.7 per square mile . The racial makeup of the town was 99.42% White, and 0.58%...
, Hawkins died September 9, 2004 in Berlin, Maryland
Berlin, Maryland
Berlin is a town in Worcester County, Maryland, United States. The population was 3,491 at the 2000 census.-History:The town of Berlin had its start around the 1790s, part of the Burley Plantation, a land grant dating back to 1677...
. He suffered from Pick's Disease
Pick's disease
Pick's disease, is a rare neurodegenerative disease that causes progressive destruction of nerve cells in the brain. Symptoms include loss of speech , and dementia. While some of the symptoms can initially be alleviated, the disease progresses and patients often die within two to ten years...
, a neurological disorder that causes dementia
Dementia
Dementia is a serious loss of cognitive ability in a previously unimpaired person, beyond what might be expected from normal aging...
.