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How Athens Academy RB Tre Hawkins is 'staying humble' while putting up crazy numbers - ABH
After another multi-touchdown evening, after the interviews and pictures on the field, Tre Hawkins makes his way up the hill in the corner of Slaughter Field at Athens Academy. On top of the hill, a small group of kids awaits Hawkins.
They want pictures with the junior running back. One of them wants an autograph. They also want to tackle him and get on his shoulders, as kids do.
He smiles big and obliges to their requests, while keeping an eye on the nearby locker room celebrating another region victory on Senior Night.
Moments prior, Hawkins was still on the grass field being interviewed. His classmates, still huddled up in the stands to fight the cold, shout his name out to try and break his concentration.
“Tre,” one girl yells.
“Jesse,” a boy behind her calls out, using Hawkins’ real name. He’s fine with either name and said he gets called both depending on the day and person.
In his position, the starting running back of the Spartans, he’s used to the attention and appreciation from students, fans and people around the school.
But for Hawkins, it’s more about getting better each day than it is about the records or praise.
“A lot of people tell me I’m a star, but I don’t look at it like that right now,” he said. “I just try to stay humble.”
Hawkins has surpassed well beyond 1,000 rushing yards this season and is one of the vocal leaders of an offense averaging more than 33 points per game. He’s well liked by his teammates and coaches, and respected by his opponents.
With a playoff run and another full year of high school football to play, he can worry about the possible college scholarship offers he may get later.
For now, it’s about staying consistent in the GHSA A-Private playoffs beginning with a home game next Saturday.
“I know I want to critique my film and analyze what I can get better upon before playoff time,” Hawkins said. “Rehab and get my body ready for playoffs so we can hopefully make a deep run when the time comes. I do want to chase a state championship.”
Along with Hawkins, junior Sam Bush and several weapons on the outside, the offense clicks from multiple angles.
But it’s Hawkins who most eyes focus on.
In his most-recent outing against George Walton Academy, he averaged nearly 14 yards per carry on six touches, scored twice and sat out the entire second half.
He’s listed at 5-foot-11, 185 pounds, but he says his vision is what sets him apart.
“I can see the field really well,” Hawkins said. “I can see blitzes coming off the end. If they’re in a 1-technique, a 4-technique, I can see where the holes are at and where they’re going to be before they snap the ball.”
It doesn’t come easy for Hawkins, the vision or the athleticism. He spends hours watching film, whether with his team or alone. He takes notes on things his team did well or could improve upon, as well as taking notes on tendencies his opponents show.
Hawkins works out with Ken Whitehead at Phenom Training, looking to improve his agility, cuts, spin moves and other things to “get better each day.”
Earlier this season, Hawkins talked with Whitehead’s nephew, Len’Neth, after a record-breaking performance against Providence Christian Academy.
In the 70-35 win against the Storm, Hawkins scored seven touchdowns and rushed for 301 yards. The outing set new Athens Academy records, which he previously held with a five-touchdown, 285-yard showing against Athens Christian in 2020.
“It was amazing,” Hawkins said when describing the win against Providence. “It was so cool. Len'Neth Whitehead hit me up and we just talked and he gave me advice.”
Hawkins started playing football when he was 7-years-old, but it wasn’t until a year later that he started playing on offense. He didn’t want to play flag football because he wanted to tackle.
“At first, they wouldn’t allow me to play running back because of my weight, but I ended up going to running back when I was eight or so,” he said. “When I was good enough and weighed enough to take the hits and play offense.”
Nearly 10 years later he’s playing offense and doing it well.
He hears from a couple college coaches wishing him luck, but now he’s focused on a championship run and doing it with his brothers, using momentum from the last three games.
“It always feels good to be able to play with my teammates and my brothers and it was senior night, so we wanted to win for them and we did,” Hawkins said. “It shows up a lot in practices and games how we’re developing, day-by-day and getting better. Not only on the practice field, but in the classroom we’re getting better and in the weight room.”
Athens Academy
Athens Academy is an independent, co-educational school for students in K3 through 12th grade, located on a beautiful 152-acre campus in Northeast Georgia. For over 50 years, Athens Academy has pursued its mission of Excellence with Honor through academics, athletics, fine arts, and service and leadership.
