Greenon grad makes history in first start as place-kicker for Cincinnati

“I trust myself,” Hawks said in the postgame press conference. “I know what I’m capable of. I feel like the coaches putting me out there for my first field goal, being from that distance, that just shows that they trusted me also. That calmed me a little bit knowing that.”

Hawks then made a 50-yard field goal in the final minute of the fourth quarter to seal the victory. He also made 3 of 3 extra points and handled kickoff duties. It was his first start as a placekicker.

“That’s an incredible story — Nathan Hawks what he was able to accomplish today,” UC coach Scott Satterfield said. “I’m telling you, it just goes to show if you work hard, keep doing what you’re supposed to do, when you get your opportunity, you’re going to shine, and that’s what he did. He never said anything. He just kept kicking, kept kicking. All camp, he did a great job for us. He never knew when his number was going to get called. It got called today in a big-time way. He was able to make these two field goals. I’m really proud of him. It sets us up for the conference season that starts next week with Houston.”

Hawks was an all-state kicker at Greenon. He is tied for 22nd in state history with 71 straight extra points (2019-20). He made a career-long 50-yard field goal as a senior in 2020.

Greenon will retire Hawks’ number during a ceremony Oct. 4.

Hawks started his college career at Wittenberg in 2021. He appeared in four games as a freshman and made 3 of 3 field goals in 10 games in 2022 when he was Wittenberg’s kicker on field-goal attempts over 35 yards.

In a postgame press conference Saturday, Hawks said he entered the transfer portal after his freshman season but didn’t receive any interest. He tried the portal again after his sophomore year and decided to enroll at UC as a student.

Hawks then got in touch with UC special teams coordinator Kerry Coombs through his kicking coach Tim Williams. UC invited him to try out for the team. That tryout got pushed back to a week before fall camp in 2023 because of an injury Hawks suffered.

“Through that time, I was kind of like, ‘Maybe it’s time to just hang it up and let it go,’” Hawks said, “but thank God I stuck with it. My parents pushed me all the time. They wouldn’t let me give it up because they knew I’m kind of meant for this.”

Hawks served as the kickoff specialist for Cincinnati in the final six games last season, and he had that same job in the first two games this season, while competing with Carter Brown for the placekicking job. Brown made 3 of 5 field goals in the first two games.

Hawks didn’t find out until Friday from Coombs that he would kick field goals and extra points for the first time as a Bearcat on Saturday.

Hawks’ 55-yard field goal tied for the second longest in UC history and the longest since 2007.

“It was great to see it off the foot,” Hawks said. “I knew it came off well. There were a little bit of nerves. I felt the wind on my back, so I was like, ‘OK, this will be a little easier.’”

“When he puts his head down, you don’t even have to look at the ball,” Satterfield said. “You can hear it. When you hear that thump, you know it’s going in. He’s been very confident in his approach, which I which obviously love, and he didn’t waver today.”