Hawthorne attended Ladue Horton Watkins High School, where he was a two-way player.
Hawthorne was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Dallas Cowboys after the 1999 NFL draft on April 23.
[1] He surprised observers by making the team, taking advantage of opportunities created by injuries to cornerbacks Kevin Smith and Deion Sanders.
He had a strong showing there, including being named NFL Europe co-defensive MVP, All-NFL Europe, helped his team reach World Bowl 2000, while making 38 tackles, 18 passes defensed and tying for the league lead with 4 interceptions.
[4] In 2001, he was named the starter at left cornerback over Izell Reese in the seventh game of the season against the Arizona Cardinals.
In 2002, he started 5 games, but hamstring and knee injuries opened the door for rookie Derek Ross to replace him.