Dominique Hawkins drawing NFL interest

Dominique Hawkins seems almost certain to get a shot to play pro basketball somewhere. But NFL teams could be asking him to give it up to play football instead.

Ben Roberts of the Lexington Herald-Leader recently published a story on Hawkins confirming that NFL teams have interest.

Roberts spoke to Jonathan Givony of Draft Express, and Givony first talked about Hawkins’ chances to play pro ball.

“He’s going to have a good market for himself in Europe, for sure,” said Givony, who spent some time with Hawkins earlier this month in Los Angeles, where he’s been working on his game for the past few weeks as he turns his attention to a pro career.

Later, Givony revealed that the NFL has been calling.

Givony said that he’s heard some NFL teams have been calling Hawkins about possibly trying out a career on the football field. Madison Central Coach Allen Feldhaus Jr. confirmed to the Herald-Leader that Hawkins has indeed heard from NFL teams in recent weeks — his football potential, particularly as a defensive back, has been mentioned before — but basketball is the long-term goal for the time being.

A 44.5-inch vertical would come in handy in pass defense. Hawkins’ dream is to play pro basketball, so don’t expect him to give it up for a sport he hasn’t played in four years. But it’s an intriguing idea, and he did play in high school.