USC’s Ernest Hawkins hangs in there for big break

South Carolina linebacker Ernest Hawkins stayed positive when things didn’t go as planned after high school.

Hawkins, from Baltimore, originally signed with UTEP in 2012 and was set to grayshirt and enroll the following January. He backed away from those plans after the UTEP coaching staff was let go.

Hawkins was out of football for two years and worked the 4 p.m. to midnight shift in the warehouse at a local Wal-Mart while he waited for a chance.

“I just prayed on it and stayed positive,” he said. “I said, ‘I just need to get back on the field, I just need to get back on the field.’ When the opportunity presented itself, I took advantage of it.”

The opportunity came at Hartnell College in Salinas, Calif., where Hawkins played one season in 2014. He made a connection with USC linebackers coach Kirk Botkin and recruiter Joe Robinson, and signed with the Gamecocks over offers from Colorado and Hawaii, among others.

Hawkins enrolled at USC in January. He didn’t have to stay the normally required two years at junior college because he qualified academically out of high school.

“South Carolina was closer to home,” he said. “Coach Botkin reached out to me. I appreciated his words. Coach Joe Rob reached out, and I appreciated his words. I felt like I should come to South Carolina. It was a good fit for me.”

Despite being a sophomore, Hawkins is 21 years old and among the oldest of the linebackers. He has four years to play three at USC and has bonded off the field with freshman Jalen Henry, from Foley, Ala.

“We came in together in January,” Hawkins said. “We both play linebacker. He’s younger than me, but Jalen is real smart to be a freshman. He teaches me things, too.”

Hawkins is working at the strong side (SAM) and weak side (WILL) positions, usually running with the second team, he said.

He described the SAM, which is new in this year’s defensive alignment, as “a run stopper,” though he works in pass coverage as well.

The biggest change from the spring? The sense of urgency among the team has picked up, he said. While he doesn’t know how much he’ll play this season, he said he’s preparing for all scenarios.

“I’m trying to get better every day and just win the day,” he said. “I know that every day I go out there, I try to get more positives out of my day than negative and make sure I learn a lot from Coach Botkin and the other linebackers around me.”