Javian Hawkins Resting Up After Vigorous Offseason Workouts
A consistent theme during the preseason for the Louisville football program heading into the 2020 season has been getting the newcomers as many reps as they can to get them acclimated to their new system.
This was even more obvious during the Cardinals' scrimmages over fall camp. Many of the high-profile veterans saw limited reps or sat on the sideline altogether, one of which was running back Javian Hawkins. After rushing for a single-season school record 1,525 yards in 2019, the coaching staff chose to sideline the redshirt sophomore during scrimmages.
"Physically that body needs a break, it's a lot of bumps a bruises," Hawkins said in a teleconference following practice Thursday. "It's a big help."
Fortunately, Hawkins has had plenty of opportunities to get better from a physical standpoint. Outside of the normal strength & conditioning program every player has gone through upon returning to campus, the redshirt sophomore also pushed his body over the summer.
While under quarantine in his home state of Florida, the Titusville native made the most of his time while in the Sunshine State. With the assistance of a personal trainer, he conducted several sand dune workouts during the hottest time of the year.
He wasn't alone though, as fellow running back Hassan Hall came down from his home state of Georgia and joined Hawkins for a few days. Together, they focused on building muscle memory, improving rushing angles pushing past their limits - even in a climate where the heat index regularly sailed past 100 degrees.
"We put that real-life Florida workout in us when we hit the sand dunes," Hawkins said. "We all about died, but we got it in."
This time period was a perfect example of the bond that Hawkins and Hall have forged with each other. The duo might be competing against each other for starting reps, but that didn't stop them from feeding into one another and pushing each other to continuously get better.
"We take advantage of every rep, and make sure each other is taking advantage of every rep," Hawkins said.
Louisville will return to the practice fields on Friday, and are set to kickoff the season against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at home on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 8:00pm on the ACC Network.
You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top righthand corner of the page. Also be sure to like us on Facebook & Twitter:
Facebook - @LouisvilleOnSI
Twitter - @LouisvilleOnSI and Matthew McGavic at @GeneralWasp
