Home-grown cornerback UC product makes case for starting spot Tuesday, May 5, 1998
BY CHRIS HAFT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
If Artrell Hawkins finds a home at cornerback the way he has settled into Cincinnati, the Bengals' revolving door at that position will spin much more slowly.
Artrell Hawkins was impressive in his first Bengals' workouts.
(Ernest Coleman photo)
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Hawkins, attempting to vault from the University of Cincinnati into the NFL, feels comfortable among the Queen City's seven hills and orange barrels. While some draftees hope to be selected by a team that will bring them closer to the beach or the big city, Hawkins was enthused last month when the Bengals took him in the second round.
"I'm from a small town (Johnstown, Pa.), and Cincinnati has a small-town effect to it," said Hawkins, who finished the rookies' stint Monday at the Bengals' mini-camp. "People are nice and courteous. It's easy to learn your way around. It's a good experience altogether."
"Cincinnati has been perfect for him from start to finish," said Hawkins' mother, Aletha Haselrig-Jones. "It couldn't be more perfect. Our minds think Pittsburgh (about 75 miles from Johnstown) would have been perfect, but our hearts say that this is the perfect thing."
The Bengals hope Hawkins, 22, can help them reclaim some of the near-perfect luck they enjoyed with their cornerbacks from 1970-89. Their starters at that position during that span can be counted with one hand and a thumb: Lemar Parrish, Ken Riley, Louis Breeden, Ray Horton, Lewis Billups and Eric Thomas.
Since then, impermanence has been the norm for Bengals corners. The only pair of starters who played together for as many as two seasons in a row in the 1990s was Mike Brim and Rod Jones (1993-94), who formed part of the unit that gave up the most points in the AFC in 1994.
Left cornerback Ashley Ambrose, a 1996 Pro Bowl starter who's approaching his third season as a regular, provides stability. But Ambrose becomes eligible for unrestricted free agency after this year.
As a rookie, Hawkins faces considerable competition from veterans Corey Sawyer, Thomas Randolph and Jimmy Spencer at right cornerback. But Hawkins' mini-camp performance indicated that he'll make his presence felt once training camp begins July 23 in Georgetown, Ky. Even if he doesn't start, he could receive frequent action as an extra cornerback in "nickel" or "dime" alignments, given the plethora of three- and four-wide receiver sets the Bengals face.
"He'll be a candidate to start. Whether it's this year, I don't know. That's up to him," coach Bruce Coslet said. "He definitely has the speed and the talent, and he's a sharp kid. But we have some other players who are pretty good, too. I think you could say that we're a lot stronger at that position with him and Thomas Randolph in the mix."
Said Horton, now the Bengals' defensive backs coach, "His big knock coming out of college was playing the ball in the air, and he (did) that well here. Not to put the cart before the horse, but he's looking pretty good so far."
Minicamp Notebook: Rookies hit the books next
