Western Colorado University Athletics

James "Jimmy" Hawkins travelled across the country to play football for the Crimson & Slate from 1968-71. The Orange, New Jersey native would start all four of those years for the Mountaineer football team and run track and field for the first two.
 
As a senior in 1971, Hawkins helped lead the Mountaineer football program to its first Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference title in five years. It would also be the first of eight RMAC Championships won by Western football in the 1970s.
 
In three of his four years at Western, Hawkins was named to the All-RMAC Football Team as a cornerback. However, Hawkins was much more than a defensive specialist. He returned punts and kickoffs for three years and played wide receiver for one year.
 
One of those games where Hawkins played both sides of the ball was in the 1970 Colorado Classic against Adams State University. Down 17-13 late in the game, Hawkins caught a touchdown pass to put Western ahead and then clinched the victory by intercepting an Adams State pass in the end zone.
 
"As memorable as that one event is; the character, sense of humor, and overall leadership of Jim Hawkins is by far the picture on the wall," Michael Busby said. "His contributions on the field and to the Mountaineer society as a whole, to this day, are among my most favored memories of my time at Western."
 
Hawkins currently resides in East Orange, New Jersey with wife Sandra. Hawkins retired in 2006 after 26 years as a senior parole officer within the New Jersey State Department of Corrections. He has two children, Courtney and Dana.