Troy University Athletics
Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 2017
A staple at Troy Athletic events and a man who loved Troy University until the day he passed away, Dr. Doug Hawkins was an “extraordinary” individual who was a “true Trojan.”
A 35-year veteran of the Troy University Board of Trustees, Dr. Hawkins dedicated his life to service and was a major administrative voice behind Troy’s move from NCAA Division II to Division I. Additionally, he served as the President Pro Tempore on the Troy University Board of Trustees from 1995 to 2011 after his appointment to the Board in 1980.
“Dr. Doug was a unique, extraordinary individual who knew how to pull people together for a common cause, especially those causes he valued,” Troy University Chancellor Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr., said. “He came to my office countless times over the 25 years I knew him. He always had an agenda, and it always cost money.”
It was Dr. Hawkins’ love for athletics and his belief that Troy could play at the highest level against the big boys, that led Troy towards greatness.
“He was always front and center,” Dr. Jack Hawkins said. “If we played, he wanted to be there. Most of the time he wanted to be on the sideline and if he had the opportunity, and coach (Larry) Blakeney had given him the opportunity, he would have been sending in plays.
“I remember when we played LSU and got ahead of them in the first half running up and down the field on them. Dr. Doug was so excited he couldn’t stand himself. When the game began to change in the second half and LSU came back, by the time we lost that game, Dr. Doug was as low as a living human being I’ve ever known. We walked outside and I was truly afraid he was going to jump off that six-story landing where we were – his knees were weak and he was the most despondent that I’ve ever seen him. As he said, ‘we snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.’”
Dr. Hawkins’ impact on Troy University was much more than his dedication towards Troy Athletics. Dr. Hawkins served as a guiding vision to many projects, including the first doctoral programs, the internationalization of the University and the creation of the Greek system on campus.
His impact on Troy Athletics was so resounding that the tower at Veterans Memorial Stadium that houses the press box, luxury suites, Stadium Club and athletic training facility bears his name.
The founder of the Pi Kappa Phi Chapter at Troy, he was named Greek Man of the Year in 1969 and Honorary Alumnus of the Year in 1996. In 2013, he wrote “Turning Points” a history of Troy University. Dr. Hawkins practiced veterinary medicine in Troy for 55 years and passed away on Sept. 5, 2015.
The Troy football team wore “Dr. Doug” stickers on their helmets for the remainder of the 2015 season in his honor.
“No one was prouder to see that Dr. Doug on the back of those helmets,” Dr. Jack Hawkins said. “I know he loved it and I know he was looking down because that was about the closest he ever got to getting into a game.
“Never say die, that was Doug Hawkins. He never saw a hill that was too steep to climb. He was the true Trojan. If you were part of Troy University or you lived in Troy, Alabama, he expected you to not only love this University, but also to be engaged. He didn’t accept anything less than a total commitment, and his best attribute was that he lived from the front – you didn’t have to worry about where he was and where his heart was.”
