Initiated into his college football team, Travis Hawkins walked around the first week at Tuskegee University in 2011 with shaved eyebrows.
“That was definitely embarrassing,” said Hawkins of the experience shared by other freshman football players.
Now a senior wide receiver for the Golden Tigers, the 22-year-old Hawkins has grown into the team’s spiritual leader.
Tuskegee head coach Willie Slater said, “He tries to walk it every day. To me that is what being a Christian is all about, living your life rather than talking about it. He is the spiritual leader of our team. He is a great person. You can tell God has control of his life. We have a great group of young men who are trying to be a positive influence for this world.”
Along with leading team prayers, Hawkins also leads a Wednesday Bible study for Tuskegee students, not only football players.
He also speaks to youth groups and tells them about his life of sin and the mistakes he made before coming to Christ on Aug. 12, 2007.
“The sin I was in, I saw how it affected my family,” Hawkins said. “I wanted to turn my life around. I knew the Bible and I knew [accepting Christ] is what I needed to do if I was going to live righteously.”
Staying close to God
“God gave me enough grace to cover that. Now I try not to make the same mistakes. In college there is a lot of sin and it has taught me to try to stay away from that and follow God. I am trying to maintain purity. There are a lot of temptations,” he said. “Trying to stay close to Him has gotten me through a lot of struggles.
“Jesus means everything. He has given me another chance, another opportunity through His grace and mercy. I try to put Him first by the way I live my life.”
Tuskegee strength and conditioning coach Andre Brunson said, “He talks to the guys, along with Coach Slater, about being spiritual. Coach Slater (a member of Montgomery’s Bible Fellowship Apostolic Church) is a spiritual guy.”
Colossians 3:23 — “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord, not for men” — provides Hawkins’ on-field motivation.
“I try to give that — Colossians 3:23. I have learned to never give up and push myself and always rely on God. Football is a chance to honor Him on the field. That is what I want to do. I try to work harder than anybody possible in any sport.”
Hawkins’ work ethic, determination, passion for the game, skill and speed helped lead the Golden Tigers to Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships in 2012 and 2014.
During the 2014 season, Hawkins finished sixth on the team with 11 receptions and third with 320 receiving yards (29.1 yards per catch). He also plays on special teams and runs on the track team.
Brunson said, “Travis has great speed, great strength and is an all-around good player.”
Hawkins was recruited by the Golden Tigers after a stellar high school career at North Cobb High School in Acworth, Georgia, leading Cobb County in all-purpose yards. A quarterback, he passed for 1,800 yards, rushed for 750 yards and scored 22 touchdowns his senior season.
Hawkins said helping his teammates to “a lot of wins” last season was memorable. The Golden Tigers finished 9–3 and were in the NCAA Division 2 playoffs. They started this season with a 4–1 record.
His goals are to win another conference championship, a national championship and play in the NFL.
“I continue to work hard and trust God through it. I think His purpose for me is to be an athlete and use the talents He has given me and take it as far as He allows me to.”
And he knows that he is being watched.
“People look up to football players. People certainly expect football players to be a certain way. I think you are held to a higher standard when you claim to be a Christian because people are certainly watching you. They want to see if you are living the life you say you are.”
Baptized at Marietta Christian Church in Georgia, he now attends Auburn Tuskegee Christian Church, Auburn.
“The church I go to really holds me accountable. It has helped me become more genuine in my walk with God and tested me in ways I never knew that I could be pushed to grow in. It’s been a blessing,” he said.
“I am grateful that God has given me the opportunity to be able to play the game and I try to honor Him with everything that I do.”
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