Louisville Football redshirt freshman RB Javian Hawkins was phenomenal this season. While many expected Hassan Hall to be the feature back, it was Hawkins who emerged from fall camp as the number 1 RB. The redshirt freshman delivered big time on the field and rewarded his coaches faith in him to be the featured RB.
The production Hawkins had for first year coach Scott Satterfield was enormous. He finished the season with 1525 yards on 264 attempts and 9 rushing TDs. His best game occurred against Syracuse on Senior Day at Cardinal Stadium when he rushed for 233 yards and a TD. Hawkins averaged a whopping 5.8 yards a carry for the season. His rushing yard total is the best in school history by a RB, breaking a record previously held by Howard Stevens.
These outstanding numbers led the Florida native nicknamed PlayStation to be named to the Football Writers Association of America’s Freshman All-American Team. The honor is very prestigious and only one other Cardinal was previously honored by the FWAA with this honor; former Louisville OL Jake Smith.
To read more about Javian Hawkins and the FWAA Freshman All-American Team honor, check out the UofL press release below.
PRESS RELEASE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT:
Louisville’s Hawkins Earns Freshman All-American Honors
Redshirt freshman Javian Hawkins set the school record for most yards by a running back this season.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Jan. 10, 2020
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – University of Louisville running back Javian Hawkins was named to the Football Writers Association of America Freshman All-America Team on Friday following his outstanding redshirt freshman season.
Hawkins finished seventh nationally in rushing with 1,520 yards and nine touchdowns in guiding the Cardinals to an 8-5 record after a 38-28 win over Mississippi State in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 30.
The Titusville, Fla., native set the school record for most rushing yards by a running back, breaking Howard Stevens’ previous mark of 1,429 yards set in 1971. It was the third-most yards in a season at Louisville, behind quarterback Lamar Jackson’s 1,601 yards in 2017 and 1,571 in 2016.
Hawkins collected second team all-Atlantic Coast Conference honors in December after finishing third in the league in rushing and tying for the league lead with eight 100-yard rushing games – the most in school history by a running back, and second-most behind Jackson’s school record of 10 set in 2017.
The 5-foot-9 running back started 12 games and grabbed ACC Rookie and Running Back of the Week honors twice during his first full season. He rushed for 233 yards – the second most in the ACC this season – in a win over Syracuse. It was the first 200-yard rushing game by a Cardinal since Lamar Jackson had 226 against Texas A&M on Dec. 30, 2015 and the most rushing yards by a Cardinal since Anthony Allen rushed for 275 against Middle Tennessee on Sept. 6, 2007.
The FWAA Freshman All-America Team is the most prestigious of the freshman All-America honors. A 13-person panel of nationally-prominent college football experts representing each of the FBS conferences along with independents selected the team.
Hawkins is the first Cardinal to collected FWAA Freshman All-America honors, which began in 2001, since offensive lineman Jake Smith was honored in 2011.
