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Rip Hawkins
Ross Cooper "Rip" Hawkins (April 21, 1939 – July 28, 2015) was an American professional football player who was a linebacker for five seasons with the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL), playing in one Pro Bowl. He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels, where he was twice selected a member of the All-Atlantic Coast Conference first team. He left the NFL at the peak of his career to attend law school.
Hawkins was born on April 21, 1939, in Winchester, Tennessee or Cowan, Tennessee. He lived in Cowan and attended Sewanee Military Academy, where he was outstanding in football, basketball and track. In football, he was an end and fullback on offense and linebacker on defense. He also played center on the school's basketball team, leading them to a 17–5 record in 1956-57. He once held the school record for points in a basketball game (34). He was all-conference in both football and basketball for Sewanee.
Hawkins attended the University of North Carolina on a football scholarship offered by head coach Jim Tatum. He had two basketball scholarship offers at other schools and an opportunity to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point; but he was successfully recruited to North Carolina by Ernie Williamson, who earlier had been at Sewanee College (now the University of the South).
Hawkins played both offense and defense (center and middle linebacker) for the Tar Heels football team, in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). He was a reserve linebacker as a sophomore in 1958, when given an opportunity to play in the third game of that season. He excelled, but suffered a serious knee injury, limiting his play the rest of the season.
As a junior during a mediocre 1959 season for the Tar Heels as a team, Hawkins was one of the team's few bright spots. He was the only Tar Heel selected first-team All-ACC that year. Tar Heels coach Jim Hickey said Hawkins stood out at both linebacker and center, and was the team's most consistent player in 1959.
He continued to excel during his senior year (1960). He was a team co-captain. In November 1960, the Associated Press (AP) named him national Lineman of the Week for his outstanding play in a November 19 upset win over Duke University. The AP also selected Hawkins as the ACC's Lineman of the Week for two consecutive weeks that season. Both the AP and United Press International (UPI) named Hawkins first-team All-ACC at center (middle linebacker) in 1960. Both the AP and the American Football Coaches Association made him an honorable mention All-American in 1960.
In 1961, he received the University's Joseph F. Patterson Medal (established in 1924), presented to a senior on the basis of athletic ability, sportsmanship, morale, and leadership (among other qualities).
He was selected to play in the 1961 Chicago College All-Star Game, but suffered a torn knee ligament in practice and missed the game and some of the Vikings preseason. Hawkins was also selected for three other college all-star games after his senior season, including the East-West Shrine Game.
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Rip Hawkins
Ross Cooper "Rip" Hawkins (April 21, 1939 – July 28, 2015) was an American professional football player who was a linebacker for five seasons with the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL), playing in one Pro Bowl. He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels, where he was twice selected a member of the All-Atlantic Coast Conference first team. He left the NFL at the peak of his career to attend law school.
Hawkins was born on April 21, 1939, in Winchester, Tennessee or Cowan, Tennessee. He lived in Cowan and attended Sewanee Military Academy, where he was outstanding in football, basketball and track. In football, he was an end and fullback on offense and linebacker on defense. He also played center on the school's basketball team, leading them to a 17–5 record in 1956-57. He once held the school record for points in a basketball game (34). He was all-conference in both football and basketball for Sewanee.
Hawkins attended the University of North Carolina on a football scholarship offered by head coach Jim Tatum. He had two basketball scholarship offers at other schools and an opportunity to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point; but he was successfully recruited to North Carolina by Ernie Williamson, who earlier had been at Sewanee College (now the University of the South).
Hawkins played both offense and defense (center and middle linebacker) for the Tar Heels football team, in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). He was a reserve linebacker as a sophomore in 1958, when given an opportunity to play in the third game of that season. He excelled, but suffered a serious knee injury, limiting his play the rest of the season.
As a junior during a mediocre 1959 season for the Tar Heels as a team, Hawkins was one of the team's few bright spots. He was the only Tar Heel selected first-team All-ACC that year. Tar Heels coach Jim Hickey said Hawkins stood out at both linebacker and center, and was the team's most consistent player in 1959.
He continued to excel during his senior year (1960). He was a team co-captain. In November 1960, the Associated Press (AP) named him national Lineman of the Week for his outstanding play in a November 19 upset win over Duke University. The AP also selected Hawkins as the ACC's Lineman of the Week for two consecutive weeks that season. Both the AP and United Press International (UPI) named Hawkins first-team All-ACC at center (middle linebacker) in 1960. Both the AP and the American Football Coaches Association made him an honorable mention All-American in 1960.
In 1961, he received the University's Joseph F. Patterson Medal (established in 1924), presented to a senior on the basis of athletic ability, sportsmanship, morale, and leadership (among other qualities).
He was selected to play in the 1961 Chicago College All-Star Game, but suffered a torn knee ligament in practice and missed the game and some of the Vikings preseason. Hawkins was also selected for three other college all-star games after his senior season, including the East-West Shrine Game.