Hawk Watches Posluszny Capture Butkus Award – Ohio State Buckeyes
12/10/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 10, 2005
Saturday, Dec. 10
This morning we had some time off. We didn’t have to be anywhere until noon. We drove over to the Boardwalk to the ESPN Club for lunch and then did a TV interview on ESPNews.
From there, we went to the Pop Warner Super Bowl. We were ambushed from all these kids. There was a Columbus team (the Columbus Browns) playing in the Pop Warner tournament and they saw us getting out of the car. They all got off their bus and came out. Being from Columbus and with me in my jersey, they knew who I was. It was fun. They were excited to be here and to play in the tournament. It was fun to visit with them and their coaches for a little bit.
They weren’t prepared to see the three of us (Butkus finalists). I think I signed a sugar packet, one kids hand and a dollar bill.
Once we finally got to the field, we went out for the coin toss and I served as the honorary captain for the Oak Grove Eagles from California. It was the Division I Midget national championship game. We did an interview with Larry Brown and Matt Adamlee who were broadcasting the game for ESPN2 (the game will be televised Dec. 25). After that we came back to the hotel and had a couple of hours of free time.
We got ready and went down to the awards show. There was a long dinner before it. At the award show, coach (Jim) Heacock, our defensive coordinator, was here and said some nice words about me. I appreciate him coming down here. Then they presented the award and Paul (Posluszny) from Penn State won it. I think he deserves it. He has played great this whole year.
It was good to see my brother Ryan come in for the day. I think he enjoyed it up until the banquet. He is a lot more mad with the results that I am. He has always supported me my whole life and I appreciate that. I always try to support him.
It hurts a little bit not to win this award, but I won another prestigious award this week (the Lombardi). I value the respect of my teammates and my coaches a lot more than I do anyone else throughout the country. I appreciate being a finalist here and am ready to get back home.
But tomorrow I’m supposed to go out to the Lott Award in Newport Beach, Calif. I’m a finalist for that award along with DeMeco Ryans (Alabama), who was here, and Darryl Tapp from Virginia Tech. I’ll head back to Columbus on Monday and be back in practice Tuesday. I’ll probably not update my journal again until I get back to campus.
This is the sixth journal entry by A.J. Hawk, the Buckeye linebacker, co-captain and team MVP. Hawk, also the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, began a six-day award tour Tuesday in Houston for the Lombardi Award he won Wednesday night. Thursday, he was named a Walter Camp All-American and Friday he was named an All-American by the Football Writers Association of America. From here, Hawk is scheduled to visit Newport Beach, Calif., for the Lott Trophy presentation Sunday night and return to Columbus midday Monday before rejoining his team Tuesday in practice.
