He was the most valuable player, and a captain, in his West Virginia high school football all-star game.

[5] He was voted the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) player of the year in 1958 as a senior, and was a third-team All-American.

[3][4][6] The Green Bay Packers selected Hawkins as the thirteenth player overall in the 1959 NFL draft, in the second round, but he was released in mid-September by first-year head coach Vince Lombardi.

[3] Hawkins played seven years for the Colts, where he was beloved by the Baltimore fans,[9] and was then selected in the expansion draft of 1966 by the newly created Atlanta Falcons.

[3][10] Former NFL player and college headcoach Bill Curry, both an opponent and teammate of Hawkins, described him as a great special teams player and "a great locker room guy, great for morale...."[3] Curry said Hawkins "'was the best open-field blocker I ever faced on special teams ...."[6] Hawkins was also well known for his antics off the field, which led to his quick trade back to the Colts by exasperated Atlanta coach Norb Hecker, among other colorful events during his career, such as sneaking out of his hotel rooms and gambling (though not on football).

He was similarly known for amusing, self-deprecating or irreverent quips about his own behavior, such as that he would be the only NFL player to pay more in fines than he ever received in salary; or "'I have learned that there is absolutely no evidence whatsoever that sports builds character.

During the 1968 season, the Colts had a record of 13–1 under head coach Don Shula, although Hawkins' playing time was limited.

In 1977, the NFC Championship Game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Dallas Cowboys was televised by CBS and covered by play-by-play announcer Vin Scully with Hawkins as color commentator.

[16] After battling dementia for several years, Hawkins died at HarborChase Assisted Living and Memory Care in Columbia, South Carolina on September 12, 2017, at the age of 80.