Andrew Hawkins: Co-Founder, President at StatusPRO
Andrew Hawkins is a 37-year-old former American football wide receiver. He played with the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns for six seasons in total. Andrew also played in the Canadian Football League with the Montreal Alouettes for two seasons. In his off-season, he played for the New England Patriots. Andrew spoke on episode 43 of our Catch the Moment podcast discussing his time playing in the NFL and creating his business afterwards.
After Andrew’s NFL career, getting a job was a bit of a battle. “I was told as well as my peers, my family members, my teammates that if you weren't on the field there's no value for you in sports. You can't affect business, you can't affect technology, you can't be a decision-maker. And so I'm like how do I create something where all the value and the expertise comes from people who have been there? [...] That's why I created StatusPRO,” says Andrew. His ultimate goal is to share insights on life as a player outside the game and to make that experience better for those after him.
In the episode, Andrew shares his most impactful moment during his career saying “It was like a realization I had to look in the mirror and say okay I've devoted my life to this thing and I had to make a decision. Was I going to feel used up or was I going to get some get back? And I'm like, I feel like I've earned the right to be in this space and so I just made that decision. Like it doesn't matter what anybody says, I'm gonna blaze my own path, create opportunity for myself, and create opportunities for people that are also in this situation.” Hawkins started to see his own potential in the professional football industry and didn't let anyone around him stop that progress. “It's a mindset, it's a devotion. Your life's the longest relationship you got and that was the kind of pivotal moment because once you make the commitment then you're willing to make the necessary sacrifices.”
When describing how he overcame pushback from others, Hawkins says “The hell everybody says, I'm gonna make it happen and I made it happen. And what that did for me was set the blueprint for when I had to get from college to the league, when I had to transition to business, when I had to start my own company. It's this whole concept of, hey if I believe and I put the work in, it does not matter what anybody else does.” And he definitely put in the work. According to the StatusPRO website, their tech is the ultimate XR football training platform developed specifically for NFL clubs, coaches, and players. The platform allows players to gain a competitive edge while keeping health and safety at the forefront.
Andrew Hawkins has made great strides in the business world and shows that he has not let anyone stop him and will not in the future. He continues to build and grow his business while helping other athletes around him, and he is truly someone we can all learn from. Give our podcast with Andrew a listen to hear his full story.