- Ralph Hawkins
Ralph Hawkins (1934- Sept. 9th, 2004) was a former
American football coach. He worked thirty-five years in theNFL for nine teams [http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A17162-2004Sep12?language=printer] .Early years
Hawkins starred at St. John's High School in
Washington, D.C. , winning Catholic league championships inbaseball ,basketball and football. After high school Hawkins attended the University of Maryland on a football scholarship, where he playedquarterback ,running back anddefensive back [http://www.capegazette.com/pages/obitpagemorgue/obitpagemorg0904.html] . Hawkins played in the 1955Orange Bowl , and later graduated with a degree in physical education.College coaching
Ralph Hawkins had a brief playing stint with the New York Titans before beginning his coaching career at
Bishop O'Connell High School inArlington, Virginia in 1958. After serving as graduate assistant at the University of Maryland, Hawkins coached at several colleges:Southern Methodist University ,U.S. Military Academy at West Point , theUniversity of Kentucky and theUniversity of Cincinnati .NFL years
Hawkins began his coaching career in the National Football League with the
Buffalo Bills from 1969-71. He then served theWashington Redskins as defensive assistant under George Allen (1972-77). In his first year on the staff, the Redskins advanced toSuper Bowl VII , where they lost to the undefeated Miami Dolphins [http://www.hoffco-inc.com/sb/gms/07-rost.html] . During Hawkins' time in Washington, the Redskins posted a record of 58-26, making the playoffs four times. The defense ranked in the top five of the league three times [http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/was/] .After spending one year with the
Baltimore Colts , Hawkins moved on to theNew York Giants , where he was linebackers coach and defensive coordinator from 1979-81.From the Giants Hawkins went to coach for the
Buffalo Bills under head coachChuck Knox and followed him to theSeattle Seahawks . Hawkins coached the secondary from 1983-88, during which time his unit was one of the best in the league. In 1983 the Seahawks entered the playoffs as awildcard team and advanced to the conference championship game, losing to the eventual Super Bowl championLos Angeles Raiders . The 1984 team finished with a 12-4 record, losing in the divisional playoffs to theMiami Dolphins . The '84 Seahawks' secondary was second in the league with 38 interceptions, returning seven for touchdowns. The Seahawks intercepted 149 passes during Hawkins' six years in Seattle, second only to theSan Francisco 49ers [http://www.seahawks.com/ardisplay.aspx?ID=4472] . Hawkins contributed to Seahawk teams that had a combined record of 57-38 from 1983-88, including 4 playoff appearances and anAFC West Division title in 1988 [http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/sea/] .Hawkins coached one season for the
New York Jets in 1989, then spent the remainder of his career as a scout. He scouted for theArizona Cardinals ('91-93), theCarolina Panthers ('94-97), theIndianapolis Colts ('98-99) and theHouston Texans (2000-02).A resident of
Fenwick Island, Delaware , Hawkins diedSeptember 9 , 2004. He suffered fromPick's Disease , a neurological disorder that causesdementia [http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A17162-2004Sep12?language=printer] .References
* http://www.hoffco-inc.com/sb/gms/07-rost.html
* http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/was/
* http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/sea/External links
* http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A17162-2004Sep12?language=printer
* http://www.capegazette.com/pages/obitpagemorgue/obitpagemorg0904.html Ralph Hawkins' obituary
* http://www.seahawks.com/ardisplay.aspx?ID=4472
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.