Standing at 5’5″ and 110 pounds, Sherman Hawkins is a wide receiver and cornerback for Ferriday Junior High School out in Ferriday, Louisiana and will be going to Ferriday High School. In our Gridiron Football Junior High All-American Bowl Game this past December, Hawkins played for Team Central and kept his side of the field locked up while amassing a tackle. Hawkins is a very serious player, making sure his teammates are keeping their eyes on the ball and standing on business. This past week, I had the good fortune of talking with Sherman.
Q: Why do you play the game of football?
“I love it. My whole family plays football. I’ve got a passion for it.”
Q: Where do you see football going in your life?
“I see myself going… to the pros. My brother is playing college football, so the goal is to become a college ball player and then go pro.”
Q: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned through playing football?
“You can’t go out there scared. You have to be ready to play, or else you may get hurt. You have to be ready to play, and you can’t let anybody run over you.”
Q: What does football mean to you, on a personal level?
“It means a lot. I watch everything, from old college to NFL to current college. I watch players like Randy Moss, Deion Sanders, and Jalen Ramsey. I watch it every day before school and after football practice.”
Q: What challenges have you overcome on the field?
“When I first started playing, I used to be really nervous before the game. When I was nervous, I would go out there scared. I believe in myself, so now when I go out there, I’m ready. Having a goal in mind really helped me.”
Q: What motivated you to overcome those challenges?
“I manned up. I got tougher. I come out ready every game now.”
Q: How do you balance sports with your other responsibilities in life?
“Sports is a deep thing in my life. I don’t play games. When I get bored, I play catch with my little brother, run a couple laps, do some pushups… I keep everything as balanced as I can.”
Q: Do you have a favorite football memory?
“This one game, we played against Franklin Parish. I defended the ball for the first time after the quarterback had thrown on me. I was really proud of myself, because the receiver was way bigger than me and I managed to stop the ball. They later tried to throw on me for a touchdown, but I defended it again and I stopped their drive.
Q: How do you stay trained and in football-shape during the off-season?
“I drink a lot of shakes. I have a blender and put different fruits in there to make healthy shakes and the like. Fruits are my candy. I also work out a lot, including doing 50 pushups every morning.”
Q: How are you looking to improve?
“Every day, I go to the weight room. I’m trying to get bigger, stronger, faster, more agile… I always work on everything. I want to be the best. I want to be perfect.”
Q: On the other hand, what do you think is your biggest strength?
“I love a challenge and competitions [so I have to say my drive].”
Q: What are some goals you’ve set for yourself?
“I’m trying to get bigger and stronger, than go to a championship and win a ring.”
Q: Do you try to model your game after any players, pro or collegiate?
“I really want to be like my brother. He’s a cornerback too. He knows how to catch picks and to hit hard. I study a lot of his and Jalen Ramsey’s film specifically.”
Q: Do you consider football to be more physically challenging, mentally challenging, or both?
“It matters who your matchup is. I don’t want an easy game, I want it to be a challenge. But it really can be both.”
Q: What is an interesting fact about you that the readers should know?
“I work very hard. I’m a very hard-working person. I love fruits and doing my work-out. I’m a challenge. I’m not easy to go up against.”
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