Cougars' scout team leader ending WSU career

PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) — This week, Blair Hawkins does an impersonation of Washington running back Kenny James.

Over the years, Hawkins, a fifth-year senior and Washington State scout team leader, has ”played” Cedric Benson of Texas, Oklahoma's Quentin Griffin and even Maurice Clarett of Ohio State, among others.

As the Cougars prepare for their annual intrastate rival, Washington, Hawkins, 23, loves being WSU's longest-lived tackling dummy.

”I do have a role on this team,” Hawkins said. ”I'm not Will Derting, or Jason Hill, but during the week, I help the defense prepare as much as I can for the opposing offense.”

Washington State will dress 13 seniors for Saturday's Apple Cup game. Eight, like Hawkins, are playing their fifth season. He is the only nonscholarship walk-on in the group.

The 5-foot-6, 172 pound running back from Pendleton, Ore., lettered in football, wrestling and baseball in high school, but was considered too small and too slow for the Pacific-10 Conference.

An older brother, Adam, was a four-year letter winner at WSU before graduating in 2001, giving Hawkins a foot in the door as an invited walk-on by former coach Mike Price.

Walk-ons typically hope their play leads to a scholarship offer, but that wasn't to be for Hawkins, whose five-year career statistics look like this: four games played, three carries, 5 yards, including a 4-yard run against Montana State in 2002.

”I had an opportunity to earn a scholarship at one point, but it didn't work out,” Hawkins said.

”It became less and less important. I got to play with a team that was, perennially, a top 10 team in the country,” he said. ”Getting a scholarship was a big goal coming in, but looking back on it, it's not a big deal.

”I might feel a little bit different when I have to start repaying the student loans.”

Hawkins will graduate in December with a degree in management information systems, then plans to move to Portland, Ore., to look for a job.

His first year, when the Cougars finished 4-7 was perhaps his most treasured, because he was on the same team with his older brother, Adam, also a running back, Hawkins said.

Although his playing time was extremely limited, Hawkins watched from the sidelines at three consecutive bowl games, and has rings from the Sun, Rose and Holiday bowls, as well as a Pac-10 championship ring.

”My brother gives me grief, 'How did you fall into something like this? Some Cougars have gone for years and years and never gone to a bowl game,”' Hawkins said.

”For the first time in three years, I get to go home for Christmas,” he said. ”Don't get me wrong, I wish we were going this year.”

For the first time since 2000, the Cougars (4-6, 2-5 Pac-10) are not eligible for a bowl, but not for lack of effort from Hawkins.

”We've had several kids like that throughout the years, but Blair is really special,” WSU coach Bill Doba said. ”I think he has earned as much respect as any of our seniors. If you watch scout teams work when Blair's carrying the ball and somebody knocks him down, you'll see two or three guys try to help him up.”

For his part, Hawkins has become a leader of the practice squad, earning scout team player honors the last four years.

”This is such a family atmosphere, I have fun doing this,” Hawkins said. ”Football is fun to me. I love getting out there. I'll probably get into coaching. I love being around the game. I don't know what to do with myself when I'm not on the practice field.”

Hawkins hopes the Cougars' fortunes are such that his number — 41 — is called for a few plays on Saturday. If not, ”I'll do whatever I can do to help us win,” he said.

That means playing a Husky running back during practices this week and being gang tackled by the Cougars defensive starters, something that impresses his coach.

”He doesn't have to do this and he gets to play very little, but he just wants to be a part of the team,” Doba said. ”I really respect him and I think he means a lot to our team.”

AP-DS-11-19-04 0305EST