Ohio Bred: Hawk grew up in Ohio and attended Ohio State, where he played in 51 games over the course of four seasons, registering 394 tackles, 15.5 sacks, seven interceptions and 13 fumble recoveries. He was a unanimous All-American in during his final two years with the Buckeyes; as a senior, he received the Lombardi Award, which is presented annually to college football’s best linebacker.
A Lauded Draft Pick: Hawk’s success at OSU made him one of the top prospects in the 2006 NFL Draft class. Considered a reliable athlete and speedy for a front-seven defender, experts regarded him as a top- 10 pick.