Wayne Hawkins, one of the original members of the American Football League’s Oakland Raiders and a five-time AFL All-Star, has died at the age of 84.
Hawkins was known for his toughness, to the point of putting his health at risk to keep playing. A notable injury came when he took a hard hit that knocked him face-first into the goal post, in the old days when the goal posts were in the end zone. Hawkins stayed in that game despite a broken jaw, then continued playing the rest of the season with his jaw wired shut.
After starring as an offensive and defensive lineman at the College of the Pacific, Hawkins joined the Raiders in 1960, the first season of the franchise’s existence. He would end up as the starting right guard for the Raiders for all 10 of their seasons in the AFL.
Hawkins was an AFL All-Star every year from 1963 to 1967, and he played in Super Bowl II against the Packers.
