Andrew Hawkins Speaks on Road to NFL in the Players' Tribune Exclusive

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Andrew Hawkins stopped at nothing to achieve his dream of playing in the NFL.  

From posing as a college assistant coach and landing an agent to many hours in secretive solitude, working to pack on as much weight to his previous 161-pound frame as possible, Hawkins did whatever it took.

Hawkins wrote a two-part series for The Players' Tribune documenting his journey to the NFL, the first part of which was published Wednesday.

The memoir, titled "Coming Up Short," reveals the arduous path Hawkins took to the highest level of pro football, which makes him cry upon reflection before every game.

It's true: The way Hawkins and his agent, Craig Schaeffer, joined forces came from an email Hawkins sent out. Hawkins advocated his NFL pedigree, since his father and brother played in the league, and he highlighted the skill set that made him an eventual steal as an undrafted free agent.

Kevin Jones, a reporter for the Browns' official website, captured the full email authored by Hawkins on Twitter:

Once Schaeffer was aboard, though, Hawkins still needed to perform in front of scouts at his alma mater Toledo's pro day.

Check out the lengths Hawkins describes going to for his one shot to impress NFL personnel:

"

Before my Pro Day, I made a pit-stop at Michael’s — you know, the craft store — to pick up some clay. I bought clay that matched my skin tone, molded it to the heels of my feet and taped my feet up all the way past the ankle, like I would for a game. When it came time to measure me, it gave me about another inch and a half. Then, when I weighed in, I dropped a two-and-a-half pound weight in each of my pockets, which gave me an extra five pounds.

"

Hawkins ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash that day, posted a 3.84-second 20-yard shuttle and had a 38-inch vertical leap. He tipped the scales at 182 pounds and measured 5'8"—considerably bigger than he was in actuality.

Failed tryouts in the CFL, the AFL and the NFL with the Browns—an audition he landed thanks to an ex-Toledo assistant being on the Cleveland staff at the time—caused Hawkins to sit out of football for 2008.

When he landed an internship to scout wide receivers for the Detroit Lions, Hawkins noticed how everyone he was evaluating, save for Calvin Johnson, wasn't as good as him.

Then, Hawkins came across a list of potential NFL players Toledo's coaches sent out after he'd left the school. He wasn't included, leading to a career crossroads with two distinct paths:

"

That was a big blow. I don't know if I was hurt or angry or both, but it lit a fire in me.

The Lions offered to extend my internship with the promise of a possible full-time position down the road but there was a catch: you had to be 100 percent done playing football. You had to be totally committed. I had a choice— I could get my foot in the door as a scout and start what could be a great career, or make another run at the leagues that had already rejected me.

"

The next inglorious stop for Hawkins was crashing on his friends' couch and paying the electric bill as he pondered what his future would entail.

To make ends meet and to give himself hope for a future that might not include professional football, Hawkins worked part time as a caddy, coached at Toledo and attended school on a full-time basis.

Dallas Cowboys legend Michael Irvin hosted a reality television show that Hawkins partook in, thanks in part to his persistence at the 2009 NFL Scouting Combine, which he attended as a Toledo coach.

Tom Pennington/Associated Press

Hawkins tracked down Cowboys owner Jerry Jones at the combine and told him of his impending tryout for Irvin's show.

"Alright, son, I'll make sure I tell Mike to look out for you," Jones said.

Just to get that TV tryout opportunity in Los Angeles, Hawkins made sure he was noticed, sending in 30 copies of his prior tryout with the Browns. Although he made the show, Hawkins didn't win, primarily because of his diminutive size.

The Montreal Alouettes of the CFL had taken an interest in Hawkins, though, which was also explained toward the conclusion of the article:

"

I was on the Montreal Alouettes' radar even before I competed on the show. I was sending packages to all 32 NFL teams and all eight CFL teams every two weeks, so they already had my film and all my information. I signed a future contract with them before the show as a backup plan, but my strong showing on the show made me a shoo-in to make the Alouettes' final roster.

"

It will be fascinating to see what happens when Hawkins chronicles the period in which he finally reaches the NFL.

The Alouettes won the Grey Cup in 2009 and 2010—the CFL's version of the Super Bowl—but Hawkins recorded just 41 total receptions in that span, per CFL.ca. This is quite an amazing fact considering Hawkins led the Browns in 2014 with 63 catches and 824 receiving yards.

Before Hawkins was rewarded by Cleveland last offseason with a four-year, $13.6 million free-agent contract, per Spotrac.com, he starred for the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC North. His break in Cincinnati didn't come until the 2011 campaign, so there are still a number of seasons to account for before Hawkins arrives at the conclusion of his writing in The Players' Tribune.

Hawkins will be hard-pressed to top the stranger-than-fiction stories he wove in part one just to have a faint chance at the NFL. 

Bill Wippert/Associated Press

"I don't take one second for granted," writes Hawkins in his opening paragraph.

Perhaps this is wisdom Hawkins can use to more directly inspire the Browns' two first-round draft picks from a year ago in cornerback Justin Gilbert and quarterback Johnny Manziel, both of whom had embattled rookie seasons.

Manziel was meant to be the savior under center, but his first year in the pros was a wash, and now, he's in rehab. Someone like Hawkins has the type of story to make Manziel and other young players realize the gravity of a golden NFL opportunity.

If Cleveland can learn from last year's tough first round and have Hawkins mentor its two prospective selections in the 2015 NFL draft, the Browns' culture should change for the better.

As much as Hawkins has overcome his size to be an effective slot receiver, though, whoever throws passes for the Browns needs bigger targets on the outside. This ought to be addressed in the draft and in free agency, and if it is, Hawkins figures to only continue thriving with more space underneath in which to operate.

Hawkins hasn't let any chance to play football go to waste. He's not about to start now despite a turbulent situation in Cleveland—the franchise he's rewarding for giving him his first real NFL shot.