San Diego State kick returner named Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week
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Jaylon Hawkins of the San Diego State Aztecs ran his way to history on Saturday night when he returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown in a season-opening 53-20 win against Portland State.
Hawkins was honored on Tuesday by being named the Pac-12 Conference Special Teams Player of the Week. It’s the first conference honor for SDSU in its inaugural season in the rebuilt league. It’s also the first career conference award for Hawkins, a redshirt freshman.
San Diego State kick returner named Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week
After Portland State scored early in the third quarter, Hawkins returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards to push the lead to 36-13.
Hawkins was playing in just his fifth game and showed off his talent by returning three kickoffs for 141 yards. The 100-yarder helped him post an average of 47 yards.
His TD runback was the first 100-yard return at Snapdragon Stadium, which opened in 2022, and his 141 yards were also a stadium record.
J-Hawk was FLYING 🦅
— San Diego State Football (@AztecFB) September 8, 2026
Congratulations to @jaylon3hawkins for being named San Diego State’s first ever Pac-12 award winner as the Special Teams Player of the Week!
📰: https://t.co/NVViaI2iPU#AztecFAST 🍢 x #BeTheA1pha 🐺 x #TheClimb 📈 pic.twitter.com/MmyMrHv3T8
It had been five seasons since SDSU had a 100-yard kickoff return, by Jordan Byrd on Sept. 18, 2021, against Utah. It had been four years since an Aztec had a kick return TD, again by Byrd on Nov. 12, 2022, against San Jose State.
Hawkins played in four games last year, when he was used as a running back and wide receiver. He had four catches for 49 yards and four rushes for 13 yards.
SDSU's special teams made a statement
Hawkins’ return helped give the Aztecs the distinction of being the first team in FBS to return a kickoff for a touchdown and block two punts since at least 2012.
The two blocked punts set up touchdown runs by Lucky Sutton, who had his first three-TD game.
SDSU has always prided itself on its special teams, and it now leads the FBS with 15 kick return touchdowns since 2015. It has six 100-yard returns to match Western Michigan.
SDSU's special teams made a statement
Hawkins and the Aztecs visit the UCLA Bruins at 4:15 p.m. Saturday at the Rose Bowl.
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