Hawkins has also spent much of his career in Cincinnati, as he played college football at the University of Cincinnati and was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft.  While in the NFL, he played cornerback and safety for the Bengals, Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots.  Hawkins retired from the NFL in 2008 and, in addition to his new FOX Sports Radio duties, is a contributor for the Bengals Radio Network.