He is best known for having called radio play-by-play for the LSU Tigers sports teams of Louisiana State University for over 36 years, from 1979 to 2016, earning the nickname, "Voice of the Tigers".

[1] Before LSU, he called radio play-by-play for his alma-mater Northwestern State and Centenary College, as well as Texas League baseball and in the short-lived World Football League (WFL).

[2] Hawthorne began calling LSU basketball games during the 1979–80 season.

[3][4] Overall, he was LSU's radio play-by-play announcer for two BCS National Championship titles in football, its first six of its College World Series championships in baseball, and three Final Four appearances in basketball.

[5][6] In 2015, Hawthorne was honored by the National Football Foundation with the Chris Schenkel Award as an individual with a "long, distinguished career in broadcasting with direct ties to a specific university.