Former NFL player-turned-radio-host A.J. Hawk has taken a lot of hits, plus delivered plenty of hits, during a Super Bowl-winning career as an NFL linebacker. Hawk, however, perhaps endured his most gruesome injury yet.
What Happened to A.J. Hawk? Details Emerge on Eye Injury
Hawk, who starred at Ohio State and won Super Bowl XLV with the Green Bay Packers, wore an eye patch with sunglasses in his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show Monday.
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Here’s the reason: His son nearly took his eye out.
Hawk, who helps co-host the radio show, alongside the former NFL punter, detailed how graphic his injury became, which occurred at his son’s flag football game.
“Straight eye patch put on this morning. I bent down to pick up Axel, and he threw his arm up so fast, his thumb went six inches deep into my eyeball. And his nail chopped off a part of my eye, I guess,” Hawk described.
What did his doctor tell Hawk about how severe the injury was?
“When I went to the doctor, they said a third of your cornea is gone and is a big divet out of there,” Hawk said. “I can’t see. I can barely see anything now. I’m not sure of anything, but it should grow back and be good.”
HOLY SHIT @OfficialAJHawk..
"I was hoping you guys might not notice" 😂#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/WVcXif66rN
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 13, 2023
Hawk Once Revealed Another Gruesome Ailment
This isn’t Hawk’s first brutal injury he’s endured.
As a captain for the Green Bay Packers and veteran tackling machine, Hawk had to use his hands frequently to shed blockers before halting running backs.
But it’s led to mangled fingers. He revealed the state of his fingers back in 2020 while on the same radio show, which led to “disgusting” being overheard in the studio.
Hawk, however, jokingly said that while his fingers became out of place, he still finished the season.
Hawk was the fifth overall pick of the 2006 NFL Draft to the Packers and was part of a loaded class that saw Mario Williams, Reggie Bush, Vince Young, and D’Brickshaw Ferguson go ahead of him. Vernon Davis went behind Hawk. Even a future NFL head coach named DeMeco Ryans was a part of that draft class.
Hawk went on to play 11 seasons in the league, nine of which were with the Packers. He surpassed 100 tackles in five seasons, including 121 in his rookie season, which became his personal best. He also snatched three interceptions during that Super Bowl-winning run in 2010.
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