Former Browns WR Named to Exclusive NFL "50 Under 40" List

As a wide receiver, Andrew Hawkins churned out a six-year NFL career despite going undrafted in 2008. His life after football may revolutionize the way the game is played forever.

Hawkins spent three years with the Bengals and three with the Browns — including a career-best 63-catch, 824-yard season in 2014 — before retiring in 2017.

Since then, Hawkins has mainly appeared on ESPN as an analyst, but it's his work in the digital space that earned him a spot on The Athletic's "NFL 50 Under 40" list. The article is comprised of "rising coaches, executives, personalities and other personnel who significantly impact the NFL and will continue to do so in the coming decades."

"In 2020, Hawkins and former college quarterback Troy Jones started sports software company StatusPro and two years later launched Pro Era, a first-person virtual reality video game that uses player data to create simulations of NFL action," The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue and Mike Jones wrote Thursday. "Now licensed with the NFL and NFLPA, the game has more than one million users and last year raised $20 million in funding to expand its reach and capabilities."

The idea for the game was initially to be a training program for athletes, but it is now worth over $25 million. StatusPro's $20 million raised in 2024 is one of the largest rounds of Series A funding for a virtual reality gaming company ever.

NFL Pro Era has already made its beyond entertainment gaming. On ESPN's "NFL Live" show, Hawkins and former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky used the VR system to break down important plays throughout the 2024 season from the perspective of a quarterback reading a defense.

Virtual reality is also currently being used by NFL players. Much of Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels' early success has been attributed to the use of virtual reality to experience significantly more "game reps" and learn to go through his progressions quicker. Daniels began using VR technology while at LSU with German company "Cognilize."

Hawkins scored five touchdowns during his time in Cleveland. Thanks to his contributions off of the field, he'll certainly lead to a lot more.

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