Javian Hawkins Named Freshman All-American

Mark BlankenbakerJanuary 10, 2020

University of Louisville running back Javian Hawkins was named to the Football Writers Association of America Freshman All-America Team on Friday following his outstanding redshirt freshman season.

Hawkins finished seventh nationally in rushing with 1,520 yards and nine touchdowns in guiding the Cardinals to an 8-5 record after a 38-28 win over Mississippi State in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 30.

The Titusville, Fla., native set the school record for most rushing yards by a running back, breaking Howard Stevens’ previous mark of 1,429 yards set in 1971. It was the third-most yards in a season at Louisville, behind quarterback Lamar Jackson’s 1,601 yards in 2017 and 1,571 in 2016.

Hawkins collected second team all-Atlantic Coast Conference honors in December after finishing third in the league in rushing and tying for the league lead with eight 100-yard rushing games – the most in school history by a running back, and second-most behind Jackson’s school record of 10 set in 2017.

The 5-foot-9 running back started 12 games and grabbed ACC Rookie and Running Back of the Week honors twice during his first full season. He rushed for 233 yards – the second most in the ACC this season – in a win over Syracuse. It was the first 200-yard rushing game by a Cardinal since Lamar Jackson had 226 against Texas A&M on Dec. 30, 2015 and the most rushing yards by a Cardinal since Anthony Allen rushed for 275 against Middle Tennessee on Sept. 6, 2007.

The FWAA Freshman All-America Team is the most prestigious of the freshman All-America honors. A 13-person panel of nationally-prominent college football experts representing each of the FBS conferences along with independents selected the team.

Hawkins is the first Cardinal to collected FWAA Freshman All-America honors, which began in 2001, since offensive lineman Jake Smith was honored in 2011.