AJ Hawk in NFL Draft and the AJ Hawk Jersey

Critics agree that one of the most spectacular linebackers in the 2006 draft is Aaron James Hawk, a.k.a. AJ Hawk.  He grew up in Centerville, Ohio and played for Ohio State in college.  His high school career was marred by an injury, but he still managed to record over 80 tackles in the year of his injury.  He measures in at nearly 250 pounds and 6'4" tall.  He can jump 40 inches and run the 40-yard dash in approximately 4.5 seconds.

While at Ohio State, AJ Hawk racked up some truly impressive stats.  He won the Defensive MVP award in both the 2006 and 2004 Fiesta Bowls, and he managed to stay focused enough to tackle his girlfriend's brother in the Notre Dame 2006 Fiesta Bowl.  Critics have compared him to other top Ohio State defensive players, such as Marcus Marek and Chris Spielman.

This player isn't just impressive because he's managed to win a spate of defensive player awards--he's impressive because he maintains a mental consistency play after play, managing somehow to "reset" himself to concentrate on the action at hand.  It's this preternatural intuition for the game that led the Green Bay Packers to draft him in the first round of the 2006 NFL Drafts (he was picked fifth overall).

Even before he made it into the NFL spotlight, AJ Hawk was making waves.  He was selected for the Walter Camp and Sporting News All-American teams as a junior at Ohio State (in 2004).  He has even earned the respect of the notoriously tough NFL.com commentator Gil Brandt.