Terry Hawthorne

[BradshawsHairdresser]

What are your impressions? I don't know much about this one. He's big and physical, evidently. We needed to draft a CB...maybe Lake can coach him up?

[TD386Steel]

Four-year starter, but his durability is a red flag. Versatile athleticism with NFL aggressiveness and timing. Rangy and confident.
Good height and frame for the position. Excellent athlete with more than enough speed. Fluid footwork and smooth hip action to quickly change directions. Nice job reading and reacting in a flash.

[SidSmythe]

Anyone ever know of a player who was injury prone in college and then became an IronMan in the NFL?? at least play 13 games every season?

[winwithd]

What are your impressions? I don't know much about this one. He's big and physical, evidently. We needed to draft a CB...maybe Lake can coach him up?

I only watched two videos of him on Youtube from last season and he got flagged a personal foul in each one. (vs PennState and vs OhioState - a late hit and a blow to the head). One commentator said he was Illinois' best corner, although that may not be saying much. He looked like a decent open field tackler but that was about it to me. He only had one INT last year.

[hawaiiansteel]

Terry Hawthorne, CB, Illinois

Height: 6-0. Weight: 195.
40 Time: 4.44.
Projected Round (2013): 4-5.

4/24/13: Hawthorne was one of the best players on the field at the East-West Shrine. He did very well in man coverage and was physical. Hawthorne also showed more ball skills than previously thought. The strong week should help him on draft day.

Hawthorne followed that up with a good Combine and ran faster than expected. He is a sleeper corner who could turn into a steal.

http://www.walterfootball.com/draft2013CB.php

[hawaiiansteel]

Steelers select CB Terry Hawthorne in the fifth round of the NFL Draft

By Neal Coolong on Apr 27 2013

http://cdn1.sbnation.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/12294569/136296426.0_standard_500.0.jpg

Good size and athleticism, Hawthorne looks like a Steelers cornerback

The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Illinois cornerback Terry Hawthorne in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft.

This comes after a balanced approach to positional need to this point in the draft. They have selected three offensive players in the first four rounds, Hawthorne joins first round pick, OLB Jarvis Jones, as the second defensive player they've taken.

Hawthorne, a 6-foot-0, 195 pound cornerback, had a strong junior season, but fell off a bit in his senior campaign. SB Nation's Illinois site, The Champagne Room, spoke glowingly of Hawthorne's ability.

He did not live up to expectations in 2012 after a strong junior season, but the same can be said of the Illinois defense as a whole. As far as physical gifts and potential are concerned, Hawthorne may have the greatest upside of any Illinois player in this draft, as he has the ability to be a starter in the NFL, and possibly a very good one at that.

As far as his weaknesses go, the CR describes him in a similar way to a few other Steelers cornerbacks of the past.

While he has good instincts and often knows when and where the ball is going to be, he's a body-catcher rather than hands. This leads to a share of missed interceptions. While he's a willing tackler he could use work on his tackling form as he lowers his head too often, which could lead to injury to himself and penalties in the NFL.

The Steelers always are up for adding larger, tackle-friendly cornerbacks, and it seems, based on a very short film review, he's not afraid to step up and hit. He has good size and playmaking ability. It looks like he has good tools.

ESPN's Todd McShay said he has some stiffness in his hips but has quick feet. Mel Kiper said he's probably a third or a fourth cornerback.

Upon a closer look, too, he reminds me a lot of William Gay, physically. A little taller, but thin-looking and wry.

http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2013/4/27/4275452/steelers-draft-fifth-round-pick-terry-hawthorne-cornerback-illinois/in/4031321

[pittpete]

This comes after a balanced approach to positional need to this point in the draft. They have selected three offensive players in the first four rounds, Hawthorne joins first round pick, OLB Jarvis Jones, as the second defensive player they've taken.

Aaaa, didnt we draft Thomas?

[BradshawsHairdresser]

Aaaa, didnt we draft Thomas?
Maybe they're planning to move him to offense?:)

[thor75]

I think the AJ Klein selection two picks before this one left them for a loop. Just my opinion. They took a long time to make the selection. Micah Hyde was also available which was interesting.

[steelz09]

I think the AJ Klein selection two picks before this one left them for a loop. Just my opinion. They took a long time to make the selection. Micah Hyde was also available which was interesting.

I would have liked Klein but this kid is impressive as well. Good size and very athletic.

[hawaiiansteel]

2013 NFL Draft Grades: 5th Round Pick, Pittsburgh Steelers, Terry Hawthorne

Apr 27th, 2013 by Dominic Di TollaSteelers

http://cdn.fansided.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/58/files/2013/04/6717472-300x365.jpg

While it is not a pressing need at the moment, the Steelers could have issues at the cornerback position as early as next year. Thus, I totally understand why Colbert & Co. made Terry Hawthorne their 5th round pick.

Long-time starter Ike Taylor will be an Unrestricted Free Agent after the 2014 campaign, and Ike could be released next spring if Pittsburgh’s brass needs to shed payroll. Taylor might have to stick and stay through the duration of his contract though, because the depth behind him and Cortez Allen is suspect at best.

Veteran William Gay is a serviceable nickel-back, but is too often burned and manhandled by bigger slot receivers and tight ends. Behind Gay exists a glut of young, somewhat unproven, and inconsistent players in the forms of Curtis Brown, Josh Victorian, and DeMarcus Van Dyke. Brown and Victorian definitely had their issues over the final four weeks of the 2012 regular season, and Van Dyke was mostly a special teams performer until he sustained a shoulder injury against the Cowboys.

I for one believe that it was a smart move by Colbert & Co. to take a player like Hawthorne for depth and developmental purposes. He fits the prototypical mold (6′ 195 lbs., 4.44 speed) of a starting outside cornerback in Pittsburgh’s defense, and Terry will definitely stick his nose into the fray to tackle ball-carriers and wide receivers. Overall, the former Fighting Illini cornerback racked up 105 tackles over the last two seasons to go along with 9.0 tackles for loss, but he will likely need to add a little bit of weight to his overall frame and some added strength to fight off blocks. Hopefully though, Hawthorne can keep himself out of harm’s way, because he sustained a scary injury last year after an open-field hit.

While Hawthorne’s hands are not the greatest, he still recorded 6 over his four-year career including 3 during his productive junior campaign. But hey, it’s not like Ike, Gay, or Keenan Lewis possessed the most reliable hands either. While Terry can play press-coverage, he should be at his best on the outside in a zone-heavy scheme due to his speed and tenacity to react and make plays on the ball.

Outside of adding depth at the cornerback position, Terry also has the ability to chip in with kicks and punt returns. Last year, Hawthore returned 12 kickoffs for 255 yards, and the Steelers would definitely be wise to take their starting wide receivers off of the return units for injury-purposes.

Overall, this is a solid value pick made by Colbert & Co., because this team needs some insurance at the cornerback position. Hopefully Hawthorne can contribute on special teams early, then move to some sub-package work by the middle of his second year.

Final Grade: B

http://nicepickcowher.com/2013/04/27/2013-nfl-draft-grades-5th-round-pick-pittsburgh-steelers-terry-hawthorne/

[steel50]

I watch this guy a lot in college and I think he will get some playing time this year

[hawaiiansteel]

The Steel Mill

Instant analysis (TERRY HAWTHORNE)

April 27th, 2013

http://blog.triblive.com/steel-mill/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2013/04/terry-hawthorne.jpg

The Steelers addressed yet another need in the fifth round when they drafted Illinois cornerback Terry Hawthorne with the 150th overall pick.

The Steelers lost Keenan Lewis in free agency and Cortez Allen is expected to replace him. Even though they did add William Gay via free agency, the Steelers are kind of thin at the position and went into the draft looking to bolster the position.

Hawthorne is a big, physical corner who can play press coverage. He was high on everybody’s draft board before the season but fell back in part because of a poor defense he played on with Illinois along with what defensive backs coach Carnell Lake said was poor technique.

“I have a chip on my shoulder. I thought I was better than the fifth round,” Hawthorne said. “It is really nothing I can control. I just leave it up to God.”

Hawthorne played in 44 games at Illinois, making 26 starts and collecting 163 tackles. He is also able to return kicks and punts.

“What I like about him is that he has a lot of upside,” Lake said. “I like his ability and with some real work, he can even better.”

Instant analysis: He does have a lot of upside giving Hawthorne a chance to make the team with the likes of Ike Taylor, Allen, Gay, Curtis Brown, DeMarcus VanDyke and Josh Victorian, but he isn’t going to be an impact player.

http://blog.triblive.com/steel-mill/2013/04/27/instant-analyis-terry-hawthorne/

[papillon]

Would love to see him displace Gay as the nickle back by the end of the year, not because I don't like Willie Gay, but because the Steelers are going to need cornerbacks starting next year.

Pappy

[thor75]

The last line states "he isn't going to be an impact player." We'll see, but I think Lake is more than able to coach him up and turn him into Ike's replacement.

[Big Ern McCracken]

The last line states "he isn't going to be an impact player." We'll see, but I think Lake is more than able to coach him up and turn him into Ike's replacement.

Agreed. If Lake thinks he's got a big upside, that's what I'm going with..lol

[focosteeler]

The Steel Mill

Instant analysis (TERRY HAWTHORNE)

April 27th, 2013

http://blog.triblive.com/steel-mill/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2013/04/terry-hawthorne.jpg

The Steelers addressed yet another need in the fifth round when they drafted Illinois cornerback Terry Hawthorne with the 150th overall pick.

The Steelers lost Keenan Lewis in free agency and Cortez Allen is expected to replace him. Even though they did add William Gay via free agency, the Steelers are kind of thin at the position and went into the draft looking to bolster the position.

Hawthorne is a big, physical corner who can play press coverage. He was high on everybody’s draft board before the season but fell back in part because of a poor defense he played on with Illinois along with what defensive backs coach Carnell Lake said was poor technique.

“I have a chip on my shoulder. I thought I was better than the fifth round,” Hawthorne said. “It is really nothing I can control. I just leave it up to God.”

Hawthorne played in 44 games at Illinois, making 26 starts and collecting 163 tackles. He is also able to return kicks and punts.

“What I like about him is that he has a lot of upside,” Lake said. “I like his ability and with some real work, he can even better.”

Instant analysis: He does have a lot of upside giving Hawthorne a chance to make the team with the likes of Ike Taylor, Allen, Gay, Curtis Brown, DeMarcus VanDyke and Josh Victorian, but he isn’t going to be an impact player.

http://blog.triblive.com/steel-mill/2013/04/27/instant-analyis-terry-hawthorne/


I'm not sure he wears enough gear with Nike symbols......

[flippy]

Is he sponsored by Nike? He's got 6 swooshes below each knee in the giant picture. WTF, he's wearing 3 pairs of socks?

[flippy]

I'm not sure he wears enough gear with Nike symbols......

Holy moly. I just notice the 12 below his knees, but not the other 10 above. Good grief.

He's got 22 swooshes.

[Chadman]

Holy moly. I just notice the 12 below his knees, but not the other 10 above. Good grief.

He's got 22 swooshes.

Well, there you go- his new nickname is Swooshy.

[Rara]

Love this pick...I'd say with this year's defensive class...we have a helluva future! Jarvis Jones at ROLB, Shamarko Thomas at SS, Terry Hawthorne at CB, Vince Williams at MLB..potential nose tackles in Nicholas Williams and that one UDFA out of Michigan State. LOTS of potential. I am liking the future for our defense!

[RuthlessBurgher]

I think the AJ Klein selection two picks before this one left them for a loop. Just my opinion. They took a long time to make the selection. Micah Hyde was also available which was interesting.

When we were two picks away from our choice, I turned to my son and said, "Wait, has A.J. Klein been taken yet" and then his name flashes across the screen seconds later. Grrrr.

[hawaiiansteel]

Steelers rookie Hawthorne looking to turn the corner

May 6, 2013
By Ray Fittipaldo / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

http://db66abc2c256b763aaef-ce5d943d4869ae027976e5ad085dd9b0.r76.cf2.rackcdn.c om/2013/125/214/hawthorne_420.jpg

Steelers rookie cornerback Terry Hawthorne: "I'll do whatever I can to help the team."

Terry Hawthorne was a Parade All-America receiver as a high school senior in East St. Louis, Ill. At the University of Illinois, he was converted to cornerback and developed into a top NFL prospect by the time his junior season ended.

But after a senior season that some termed disappointing, Hawthorne was downgraded from a potential high-round to a low-round draft choice.

The Steelers selected him in the fifth round recently in the NFL draft, and they believe they have a talented player who can grow into a quality NFL corner.

"He is fast," Steelers defensive backs coach Carnell Lake said. "What I like about Terry is that he has a lot of upside potential that I see in him. I think he has all the physical tools. He is big. He is fast. He doesn't mind tackling, and he can play press coverage well, kind of in the same way as an Ike Taylor."

Hawthorne, who is 6 feet, 190 pounds, was a full-time starter for two seasons with the Fighting Illini, earning All-Big Ten Conference honorable mention both seasons. In 26 starts, he had six career interceptions, including two that were returned for touchdowns.

Hawthorne went through rookie camp with the Steelers' other draft picks and free agents over the weekend. He said he is relearning how to play the position after Lake discovered he had been getting by in college with improper technique.

"I'm just trying to get my technique down," Hawthorne said. "They've been correcting me on my technique. I had bad technique. As I'm getting my technique better, they're starting to get a little more comfortable with me."

Once Hawthorne fine-tunes his technique, Lake envisions him competing with other young and unproven players in the secondary.

Veteran Taylor and third-year pro Cortez Allen are expected to be the starting corners this fall after Keenan Lewis signed with the New Orleans Saints in the offseason. The Steelers signed veteran William Gay to be their third corner, and Hawthorne will be competing to add depth.

"Just watching it, from my perspective, I think that if there is anything I can help him with, it will probably be his technique," said Lake, who played safety and cornerback for the Steelers from 1989 to 1998. "I think he has maybe got himself a little bit out of position, and it is partly due to some of the things that I saw with him that I can help clean up. That is kind of where I see the potential in him. Right now, he is just raw.

"I would like to hone those skills and get him in the lab and really work with him on those things."

Hawthorne said he will work on his shortcomings in the coming weeks, and he hopes to hit the ground running later this month when the Steelers veterans convene for organized team activities.

"It gives me a great advantage for them to correct my technique now," Hawthorne said. "When I leave and go back home, I can work on the things they want me to work on."

Hawthorne also has a chance to make an impact on special teams. He has some experience returning punts and kicks at Illinois and has the physical abilities to excel in other roles on special teams as well.

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/steelers/steelers-rookie-hawthorne-looking-to-turn-the-corner-686459/#ixzz2STxtiSLh

[hawaiiansteel]

CB Terry Hawthorne may be Steal of Pittsburgh Steelers 2013 Draft

By Kyle Curry on May 8, 2013

The Pittsburgh Steelers lost three young starters during the 2013 off-season and possibly the most important departure may have been corner Keenan Lewis. Lewis, 26, finally turned the corner in 2011 and became a full-time starter for the Steelers in 2012. It took Lewis a few years to get a hold of the Steelers defense, but once he did he became an important part of the defense. Lewis’ turn around could also have something to do with new defensive back Carnell Lake.

Lake played for the Steelers from 1989-1999 and retired from football as a player in 2001. During his career he played both safety positions and corner as well. In 2009, Lake served for one year as the UCLA Bruins corner-backs coach, but left for family reasons. In 2011, he took over as the Steelers defensive backs coach and since being with the team multiple players have turned their careers around and the Steelers have been first in pass defense the past two years.

In 2010, with a similar group of defensive backs as the last two seasons, the Steelers ranked 12th in the league on defense against the pass. Then in 2011 William Gay, who had been an inconsistent player throughout his career, had the best year of his career in his first year under Lake. 2011 was also the first season in which Lewis started to turn things around and in 2012, after Gay left as a free agent, Lewis took over as the starter and played very well.

During the Steelers first draft with Lake as the team’s defensive back’s coach they drafted corners in the third and fourth round. Those two players were Curtis Brown and Cortez Allen. Allen is expected to take over for Lewis as one of the Steelers starting corners and Lake still has very high hopes for Brown. ”We’re hoping that Curtis can turn the corner right now,” said Lake after the 2013 NFL Draft. Brown was considered the better of the two prospects between he and Allen when drafted, but their NFL careers have taken very different paths to this point.

The Steelers re-signed Gay to a new deal, who along with Taylor and Allen gives the Steelers a solid first three corners on the depth chart. However, behind those three there are a lot of question marks. Brown, as mentioned, has yet to put it all together at the pro level. Unless Brown plays very well during training camp and the pre-season he may lose the spot as the Steelers fourth corner.

The players with a chance to supplant Brown are DeMarcus Van Dyke and 2013 fifth round pick Terry Hawthorne.

The Steelers signed Van Dyke in September after he was released by the Oakland Raiders. What some people may not know is there was a good reason why the Steelers snatched up Van Dyke quickly once he was released. During the 2011 NFL Draft the Steelers were planning on adding multiple corner backs. In the third round they were targeting a corner out of Miami, who just so happened to run the fastest time at the combine with a 4.28 forty yard dash, that player was Van Dyke. However, before the Steelers got a chance to draft him the Raiders selected him and the Steelers drafted Brown out of Texas.

Fifth round pick Terry Hawthorne will also have a chance to see playing time on defense even as a rookie if he continues to impress. During the Steelers rookie camp last week Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review said that Hawthorne’s smoothness at corner was impressive.

“He is fast,” Steelers defensive backs coach Carnell Lake said. “What I like about Terry is that he has a lot of upside potential that I see in him. I think he has all the physical tools. He is big. He is fast. He doesn’t mind tackling, and he can play press coverage well, kind of in the same way as an Ike Taylor.”

Hawthorne was a very good corner for Illinois during his Junior season, but he, and the rest of the team, struggled during the 2012 season. With some coaching from Lake he could become a contributor for the Steelers as a rookie. Hawthorne may also become a long-term starter alongside Allen; especially as Taylor is 33 and only has two years left on his current contract.

If Hawthorne has an impact as a rookie on the Steelers defense and becomes a future starter he will have been a huge steal in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft.

http://network.yardbarker.com/author/article_external/13576613?widget=true

[BigRob]

Keeping my fingers crossed on this guy.

[Brendon77]

Terry Hawthorne is a good football corner back, steelers 5th round injury his knee.


turnitin (http://plagiarismdetector.net/)

[Oviedo]

It's highly likely that Hawthorne's knee injury prevents him from showing anything at training camp that would justify putting him on the Final 53. Hopefully he can get stashed on the PS or they just give him a "redshirt" year and stash him on the IR.

[RuthlessBurgher]

It's highly likely that Hawthorne's knee injury prevents him from showing anything at training camp that would justify putting him on the Final 53. Hopefully he can get stashed on the PS or they just give him a "redshirt" year and stash him on the IR.

I doubt that removing bone chips from his knee in May will hinder him in August.

[flippy]

CB is probably going to be our toughest competition in camp. I see only Ike, Tez, and Gay as locks. Beyond that everything is up in the air.

What do you guys think is the fate of Brown, Van Dyke, Victorian, Hawthorne? Only 2 or 3 of those guys make the roster. Could Curtis Brown get cut? I thought he's look awful. Van Dyke is a superb athlete, but I'm not sure if he's mentally tough enough. Victorian, I like, but he's small and seems like the easiest to let go. We're all praying Hawthorne is good because these other 3 have their red flags.

[Shoe]

Terry Hawthorne is a good football corner back, steelers 5th round injury his knee.

Is this one of those jumbles that we are supposed to unscramble? I'll give it a shot!

"Good Steelers 5th round corner Terry Hawthorne, his back injury is a. . . "

D@mn, that's not it.

[Iron City Inc.]

CB is probably going to be our toughest competition in camp. I see only Ike, Tez, and Gay as locks. Beyond that everything is up in the air.

What do you guys think is the fate of Brown, Van Dyke, Victorian, Hawthorne? Only 2 or 3 of those guys make the roster. Could Curtis Brown get cut? I thought he's look awful. Van Dyke is a superb athlete, but I'm not sure if he's mentally tough enough. Victorian, I like, but he's small and seems like the easiest to let go. We're all praying Hawthorne is good because these other 3 have their red flags.

I'm not sure anyone is safe past ike n Tez. Since there are so many question marks with the rest of the group I'm giving the Fresno St corner Green who ran a 4.29 a shot.For all these corners they will be pressured by Thomas who proved against USC he can cover and may get playing time in nickel and dime packages. We likely will have a very young second team of db's who are super quick but have almost no experience. That said I do think the upside of this group is extremely good.