Former South Charleston athlete honored for successful career

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- A former NFL player who grew up in the Kanawha Valley was honored for his success on Thursday.

The South Charleston class of 1955 and Mayor Frank Mullens retired the jersey of Alex Hawkins.

Hawkins was the first four-letter athlete to graduate from South Charleston High School. He lettered in football, basketball, baseball and track.

After graduating high school, Hawkins attended the University of South Carolina on a football scholarship. At South Carolina he played both offense and defense.

In 1959, Hawkins was a second round NFL draft pick by the Green Bay Packers.

After retiring from the NFL, Hawkins went on to work as a commentator for the Falcons radio. He now lives in Columbia, South Carolina.