Andrew Hawkins

Andrew Hawkins is a former NFL wide receiver, Emmy Award-nominated broadcaster, Oscar-winning producer, and sports technology entrepreneur. An undrafted free agent out of the University of Toledo, Hawkins amassed 2,419 receiving yards, 209 receptions, and nine receiving touchdowns during his NFL playing career. He began his professional career with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League, recording 41 receptions for 457 yards and five touchdowns while winning two Grey Cup championships. Hawkins then signed with the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent and spent three seasons there before joining the Cleveland Browns, where he served as team captain for both Ohio teams.

While competing at the highest level of professional football, Hawkins earned a master's degree from Columbia University with a 4.0 GPA and began preparing for a career in sports entertainment after retirement. He has made national news for his stances on social justice issues and has been invited to Capitol Hill to discuss law enforcement and community relations with members of Congress. His advocacy on and off the field established him as a credible voice before his broadcasting career began.

Following his retirement from professional football, Hawkins transitioned into sports broadcasting, leveraging his experience as a wide receiver to provide insider analysis. He began his media career at ESPN as one of the founding anchors of "SportsCenter on Snapchat," a program that earned two Sports Emmy Award nominations. Hawkins was personally nominated for Sports Emmys as both on-air talent and producer for outstanding emerging on-air personality in daily studio or sports news programs. He has continued appearing on shows like "NFL Live," "Get Up," "First Take," "SportsCenter," and various network digital properties. In addition to his work with ESPN, he has served as an on-air talent at Roku, Discovery, Amazon, and DraftKings Network.

Hawkins' creative ambitions extend beyond the broadcast desk. He has written and produced comedy content for NFL Media and was the executive producer of "Hair Love," which won the Oscar for Best Animated Short. He has also created and hosted series including "Granted," which showcases the stories of walk-on college student-athletes being awarded full scholarships. As co-founder and president of the sports technology and video game studio StatusPRO, Hawkins launched his production company Parks Tower Studios, focused on stories of sports and culture's unsung heroes.

As co-founder of StatusPRO, Hawkins leads a venture-backed entertainment-technology company supported by Disney, Google, LeBron James, and Maverick Carter, combining player data, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence to create training, gaming, and media products. As co-founder and chief business officer, he has led the development of NFL-licensed VR simulations, including the flagship "NFL PRO ERA" game, which enables users to experience authentic gameplay from a quarterback's perspective and supports immersive training tools for skill-building in football. Recognized for his impact, Hawkins was named to Sports Business Journal's Forty Under 40 list, highlighting his influence in the sports media and technology landscape.