USC Sports Information Student Assistant
The first test of will came in 2014. Chris Hawkins, then a cornerback, found himself buried on the depth chart after a mistake-ridden first four games of the season. After a redshirt freshman year in which he wasn’t yet deemed ready for playing time, the four-star high school recruit had hit rock bottom on the bench.
“There was a lot of frustration in myself. I got way too many penalties. But going through that experience helped me a lot,” said Hawkins, now a USC co-starter at free safety, in hindsight.