Game by game
A.J. Hawk was a beast against NFC North opponents, collecting four of his five double-digit tackle days in 2010.
Date Opp. Tackles
Sept. 12 at Eagles 1
Sept. 19 Bills 9
Sept. 27 at Bears 5
Oct. 3 Lions 12
Oct. 10 at Redskins 9
Oct. 17 Dolphins 13
Oct. 24 Vikings 11
Oct. 31 at Jets 5
Nov. 7 Cowboys 3
Nov. 21 at Vikings 3
Nov. 28 at Falcons 6
Dec. 5 49ers 4
Dec. 12 at Lions 10
Dec. 19 at Patriots 3
Dec. 26 Giants 6
Jan. 2 Bears 11
Postseason
Jan. 9 at Eagles 3
Jan. 15 at Falcons 2
Jan. 23 at Bears 6
GREEN BAY, Wis. — A.J. Hawk took a swig from his bottled water and adjusted the Green Bay Packers stocking cap (including a stitched “50,” his number with the team) that covered his famously long blond hair.
He stood in a quiet hallway inside the sprawling Lambeau Field complex made busier Saturday afternoon by giant inflatable play areas for kids, a regular rotation of stadium tours and dozens flowing through the franchise’s merchandise shop.
The Packers were eight days away from appearing in Super Bowl XLV, and the defense’s leading tackler who played a major role in getting them to the matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers was talking about the voice in his head.
“There’s no volume control,” Hawk, the 6-foot-1, 247-pound Centerville High School and Ohio State linebacking product, said of the in-helmet earphone through which coaches communicate the defensive calls to him.
“During practice it’s really loud, but it’s set that way so in a game crowd you can still hear it. Sometimes you have to take your helmet off because it’s so loud, but I’ve gotten used to it.”
This isn’t the first season, after all, that Hawk has been responsible for making the defensive calls on the field. But, as he prepares for an unprecedented turn in his fifth NFL season, the former first-round draft pick also carries the perspective of an unusual season.
After not playing a defensive snap (appearing only on special teams) in the Packers’ 2010 opener against the Philadelphia Eagles because he wasn’t part of the team’s nickel defense, Hawk went on to lead the Packers in tackles (111) while continuing his full-effort style that makes him a fan favorite. He’s back to starting at left inside linebacker, taking the calls relayed from defensive coordinator Dom Capers in the press box to inside linebackers coach Winston Moss on the sidelines. He was also voted postseason defensive captain by his teammates.
The responsibility comes after that admittedly strange afternoon on Sept. 12, 2010, when he stood most of the day on the sidelines.
“It wasn’t a whole lot of fun,” Hawk said. “I’m glad because we won the game, obviously, but it was unique, it was weird.
“I knew I just ... the cliche is to stay the course. I knew at the time me being a problem wasn’t going to help the team, and it wasn’t going to help me personally, so I tried not to change things.”
The only change has been in the results, as the Packers advanced to their first Super Bowl since the 1997 season. Hawk has maintained his usual calm demeanor on the field, which he said helps in making the calls.
“My goal is to stay constant,” Hawk said. “A great example is Dom Capers. That guy’s the exact same guy every day of the year. That’s what I try to be as the guy calling the defense. Say I don’t have a call coming in right away, the defense gets kind of antsy because they want to line up. I have to keep everybody calm.
“If the guy in front is freaking out, it’s a trickle-down effect.”
There has been wide speculation among the Green Bay fan base about Hawk’s future. He is due a $10 million salary next season, the last of his contract, which usually forces a restructuring or a change.
Hawk said he handles the business side of the sport as he does his playing duties, with a focus on what he can control.
“Me and my wife, we don’t worry about it because anything can happen,” he said. “They can cut me before the Super Bowl if they feel like it. I’m not guaranteed to be on the team.
“I would love to be here, I would love to stay here, but once you let go of it to know that anything’s possible, I just want a chance to play.”
Contact this reporter at
(937) 225-7389 or
knagel@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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