EDITOR’S NOTE: I chose to do a Black History Month feature in 2016 on Anthony “Andy” Hawkins mainly because I believed he was an outstanding native son who excelled in many sports - beyond his impressive professioonal football career - and made a lasting mark on the people he worked with at Celanese and the people he served in so many civic activities.
Hawkins died in October 2015, at the age of 57.
Mike Reddell
When Andy Hawkins first ran for Bay City council in the spring of 1998, he told a reporter asking about his campaign that he wanted openess in city government.
Hawkins also noted a fundamental campaign point was asking why - often if need be - to get at a problem.
A cousin of the Hawkins family, Vera Petteway-Nyormoi noted the long roots Andy’s family has in Matagorda County.
“The Hawkins family are cousins. Fred Hawkins and my father, Otis Petteway, were first cousins...the children of Petteway siblings,” Petteway-Nyormoi said.
“Andy Hawkins was the son of Bessie Hawkins Times, who was the daughter of Fred Douglas Hawkins, who was the son of Shadrach (mostly called Shed or Shedrick) Hawkins and Bettie Petteway Hawkins.
Shedrick was the son of Mollie Boone and Cary Hawkins, born in 1856 in Texas.
The 1880 Census shows that Cary was born in Texas and his mother and father were born in NC.
“My oldest known ancestor John Petteway came from NC with James B. Hawkins in November,1846 (Slave Manifest from New Orleans to Galveston) as an enslaved person as probably did the ancestor of Andy Hawkins,” Petteway-Nyormoi noted.
“John Petteway and Phoebe Brown had six children, two of whom were my grandfather David Petteway and Andy Hawkins' great grandmother Bettie Petteway Hawkins, a midwife, who delivered many infants born in Cedar Lake, Sargent and around the area.Andy Hawkins was the son of Bessie Hawkins Times, who was the daughter of Fred Douglas Hawkins, who was the son of Shadrach (mostly called Shed or Shedrick) Hawkins and Bettie Petteway Hawkins.
Shedrick was the son of Mollie Boone and Cary Hawkins, born in 1856 in Texas.
“The 1880 Census shows that Cary was born in Texas and his mother and father were born in NC.
“I can't be sure, but I think it is safe to assume Cary's father, whose name I do not know, was living on the Hawkins Plantation,” said Petteway-Nyormoi.
Andy Hawkins was born: March 31, 1958, in Bay City.
Hawkins grew up in Live Oak Community. He was baptized at an early age, by Rev. Caldwell Brown, at Vine Grove Christian Church.
He attended public schools in Van Vleck, where he graduated as class president of the Class of 1976.
Standout is a term that could be applied to Hawkins throughout his life.
His fame in athletics is well documented by a tremendous football career.
Family life also is an important part of Andy’s life to note.
Andy married Sherry Smith, on Nov. 30, 1991, and they had two daughters, April Smith of Lake Jackson, and Andrea Hawkins, who attends the University of Alabama, where she was a star softball player.
After graduating high school he attended Texas A&I-Kingsville and Wharton County Junior College, graduating in 1991.
His stellar football career at Texas A&I is appropriately honored by his induction to the school’s Hall of Fame in 1992.
At A&I, Hawkins played on the Javelinas NAIA Division I national championship team in 1979.
He was first team NAIA Division All-America linebacker and AP Little All-America first team selection in 1979.
Hawkins was one of three brothers to play football for the Javelinas,
He played with brother, Mike, on the 1976 and 1977 Javelina teams, and brother, Tim, joined the Javelinas in the early 1980s.
After A&I (now Texas A&M -Kingsville) Hawkins played four seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, two years with the San Diego Chargers, two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs and two years with the Houston Gamblers of the USFL.
As a Buccaneer rookie, Hawkins set a team record for most tackles on a kickoff coverage (23) and was described as an, “extremely fast and agile linebacker.”
After football, Hawkins went to work at Celanese in Bay City.
He was the face of the chemical company for years whenever anyone drove onto the site.
There was a large lifesize photo of 6-foot, 2-inch tall Andy, accompanied by co-worker Sheri Law - both with welcoming smiles to all entering traffic.
He was employed with Celanese for 25 years, until his health failed.
Hawkins also made an impression by taking an interest and staying involved in many groups and activities in Bay City.
He was on the city council from 1998-2012 and was a board member and chairman of the Bay City Community Development Corporation.
He played a key role with BCCDC in the creation of the Center for Energy Development.
In addition, he belonged to the Bay City Lions Club, served on the EAC Board of Directors, was president of Bay City Youth Football Association and a member of Texas Association Sports Officials.
City council named the Hardeman Park Youth Football Field after Anthony “Andy” J. Hawkins at council’s meeting Feb. 11.
There were many friends and relvatives at the session to see the field named for Hawkins, who told former city councilman Joe Enoch of his dream of seeing a place for youth football.
“He was a man of few words,” said Enoch who served with Hawkins on city council.
“But we listened when he did speak.”