50 greatest college football players this century, ranked

Ohio State Linebacker, A.J. Hawk, (Photo by Jamie Mullen/Getty Images)

• Lombardi Award (2005)
• Jack Lambert Trophy (2005)
• 2x Consensus All-American (2004, 2005)
• Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year (2005)
• 3x First-team All-Big Ten (2003, 2004, 2005)

AJ Hawk was another underrated three-star prospect. He was one of the least-heralded members of Ohio State’s highly-touted 2002 recruiting class but he impressed coaches and teammates immediately and solidified himself as a key reserve as a freshman. That season Hawk played in 13 games and made one start as Ohio State went 14-0 and beat Miami in the BCS National Title game.

Hawk became the starting middle linebacker as a sophomore and remained in that spot for 37 games over three seasons from 2003 to 2005. He led the Buckeyes in tackles all three seasons, was first-team all-conference three straight years and was twice named a consensus All-American. As a senior, he led the nation in tackles with 121 plus 9.5 sacks and 16.5 tackles behind the line. He won the Lombardi Award, Jack Lambert Trophy, and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.

Ohio State went 3-0 in bowl games with Hawk in the starting lineup and he was named the Defensive MVP in both the 2003 and 2005 Fiesta Bowls. During the 2005 season, he had 12 tackles, three for losses, two sacks, and an interception against Texas, the eventual national champions. Against Michigan State that same season, with both teams sitting at 4-2, he tallied a career-high 19 tackles in a close win to keep the Buckeye’s season on track.

In total, A.J. Hawk played 51 games, started 38, compiled 394 tackles (5th in school history), 41 tackles for a loss, 15.5 sacks, seven interceptions, three forced fumbles, and 13 fumble recoveries.

Key Stat: During his three years as a starter, he averaged 123 tackles per season and 9.9 per game.