My Lumberjack Life | Nigel Hawkins
6/25/2021 11:15:00 AM | Men's Basketball
My path to Stephen F. Austin was far from "normal," as I arrived to campus in the back end of summer 2020. I wasn't new to the college experience when I transferred to SFA, but I did know that there were going to be some challenges that I was not prepared for since I was coming into a new environment.
When I arrived to campus there was still so much uncertainty around COVID-19. We were at the point where we honestly didn't know if we would even get the opportunity to play. As excited and ready as I was to be here and hit the court, we knew that it could all be brought to a stop at any moment. Looking back on my first month on campus, I had no idea just how much we would all have to overcome. I tried my best to stay focused on the controllable situations. Now, almost a year removed from it all, I think it made me a better teammate, and ultimately was an opportunity for me to become a better player.
A lot of what challenged me was the lack of interaction that me and my teammates were able to have. When you lay it all out on the court every night with the guys around you, it is very important that you have a chance to build a great chemistry off the court. Just like we are doing now as we prepare for the 2021-2022 season, so much of the success that we want to have as team starts with chemistry. That was very limited with the protocols that were in place last year.
The social distancing and group sizes we were allowed to be in made it so hard for us to come together. As a player, I feed off the energy that I get from the people around me, so I craved the opportunities to strengthen those bonds. Just like I do when we are playing at home, I feed of the energy of our fans and students that come out and watch us play.
What drove me to come to SFA is the love that we all have for this school and this basketball program. The ability to interact with the student body and see the Coliseum sold out on game night was missed so much last year, and it is going to be so great to have that back. I can't wait to walk around campus in August and get the chance to meet my professors as well as other students and student-athletes. That is what I think makes this a great place to come to school and represent the name that is on the front of my jersey.
With that said, me and my teammates know that we still have work to do. There is still business to take care of. We are working daily to make Lumberjacks everywhere proud. My Life as a Lumberjack is far from over, but and I can't wait to share with 'Jack Nation what the next chapter is all about!
Axe 'Em!
Nigel Hawkins #0
Men's Basketball
