• Loading stock data...
Sunday, June 1, 2025

Andrew Hawkins Using ‘The Last Dance’ To Stretch Comedic Wings

  • Former NFL player Hawkins finding traction on social media with sketch comedy.
  • Hawkins’s parodies of Dennis Rodman, Michael Jordan, and NFL players have drawn millions of views.
Andrew Hawkins
NFL Network

ESPN Films’ 10-part documentary “The Last Dance” has shone a spotlight on Michael Jordan and the cast of characters from the 1990s Chicago Bulls. On social media, Andrew “Hawk” Hawkins of NFL Network is taking that one step further.

The former NFL player turned sketch comic was already turning heads with his viral videos parodying life in pro football. But Hawkins exploded to another level with his impersonation of Dennis Rodman in Episode 3 of “The Last Dance.”

Hawkins’s Rodman tweet has drawn 1.5 million views and counting. Everyone from LeBron James and ESPN’s Randy Moss to rapper Wale and comedian Gary Owen talked up the sketch on Twitter.

On May 11, he struck again with more quarantine content lampooning everyone from Jordan and Magic Johnson to Isiah Thomas and Larry Bird. Hawkins enlisted other rising talents such as impressionist Joey Mulinaro of Barstool Sports to pull off his parody of Episodes 5-6. 

Under current pandemic quarantine rules, Hawkins is mostly a one-man-band. He writes his sketches himself, shoots them in his garage, does the editing. He put together the Rodman sketch, start to finish, in a few hours. The downtime of the pandemic has enabled him to tap into his “creative side,” said Hawkins.

“At a time when I think people need to laugh, I was just like, ‘Hey, I’m going to commit to spending the time to do funny stuff.’ And you know, so far, the reception has been awesome,” he said.

The former wide receiver played six seasons in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals before joining ESPN and then heading to NFL Network in a multi-platform role in 2019. 

He appears on shows such as “Good Morning Football” and “NFL Total Access,” while co-hosting Uninterrupted’s “ThomaHawk” podcast with former Browns teammate Joe Thomas. Hawkins also serves as director of business development and branding for James and Maverick Carter’s Uninterrupted athlete empowerment brand.

Since finding his niche in sketch comedy, the Emmy Award-winning producer has been on a roll. He won a Shorty Award for his skit on “The Different Types of NFL Players Arriving To the Stadium.” 

Hawkins also scored with a new video mocking ESPN’s tragic history of NFL Draft prospects. But given the popularity of “Last Dance,” the Rodman parody put him over the top. Now he’s getting inundated with calls by everybody from directors, producers, and talent agents to TV networks, studios, and production companies. 

The NFL Network, according to Hawkins, has been great about letting him expand beyond pro football to cultural events like “The Last Dance.” Every Sunday night, when the docu-series comes on, “it feels like a watch party that involves millions of people,” he said.

The father of three kids with wife Markisha also has a master’s degree in sports management from Columbia Business School.

Hawkins ultimately wants to move into acting and have a sketch comedy TV show, something he hopes is made possible by the viral videos he is creating during the quarantine.

READ MORE: Q&A: Last Dance Executive Producer John Dahl on Jordan from UNC to Chicago

“I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing, which is trying to create cool content and put my creativity on display. I hope it will work out in the end,” he said.

And, yes, Hawkins has some sketch ideas for “Last Dance” before the series concludes on May 17. But he doesn’t want to spoil the surprise: “I like to keep people on their toes. I want to make sure people don’t know what to expect from me. Once you start giving them a shtick, it runs stale.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Panthers-Oilers Rematch Could Be Big in Canada. Will U.S. Ratings Dip?

Likely viewership declines in the U.S. are countered by robust Canadian audiences.
Oct 26, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) injures left shoulder whilte attempt to steal second base in the seventh inning against the New York Yankees during game two of the 2024 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium.

Yankees-Dodgers Clash Draws TV Spotlight, Sky-High Prices

The teams’ lone regular-season series features three nationally aired games.

NBA East Finals Delivers Strong TV Ratings, but West Is Struggling

The Pacers and Thunder are both up 3–1 in their conference finals series.

Featured Today

PSG and the City of Paris Can Join European Soccer’s Elite

What a maiden Champions League title would mean for the French club.
May 30, 2025

How the Champions League Anthem Took on a Life of Its Own

The composer didn’t know he wrote a timeless hit three decades ago.
May 25, 2025

How Rolex Paved the Way for Luxury’s Love Affair With Tennis

“It’s almost impossible to think about tennis without thinking about Rolex.”
Mar 23, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Alexandra Eala (PHI) reacts after winning a point against Madison Keys (USA)(not pictured) on day six of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium.
May 24, 2025

Alex Eala Is Defying Her Country’s Odds to Make French Open History

The Philippines native has overcome a unique set of financial odds.
Around the Horn
May 23, 2025

Behind the Scenes of Around the Horn’s Final Days

FOS followed Tony Reali at the penultimate taping of the ESPN icon.
May 30, 2025

French Open Scheduling Sparks Backlash Over Women’s Time Slots

Coco Gauff has also said the French Open schedule could be improved.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

In Episode 7 of Portfolio Players, go inside the boardroom with Avenue Capital CEO and former Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry on Giannis’s future, women’s sports, and upstart leagues like TGL and Unrivaled. 
Around the Horn - October 26, 2020
May 23, 2025

‘Quirky, Nutty, Bombastic’: 10 ‘Around the Horn’ Faces on Their Top Moments

“A quirky, nutty, bombastic, mostly wrong, sometimes right, crazy sports family.”
May 22, 2025

NBC Eyes MLB Rights, Looks to Own Sunday Nights Year-Round

The league continues to shop media rights being forfeited by ESPN.
May 21, 2025

Paige Bueckers’s WNBA Debut Delivers 121% Ratings Bump on Ion

Friday’s doubleheader averaged 612,000 viewers.
Dec 9, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) watches as center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) celebrates after making a three point basket to clinch a win against the Toronto Raptors near the end of the fourth quarter at Scotiabank Arena.
May 20, 2025

NBA Playoff TV Ratings Up 3% Ahead of Late-Round Test

Games are averaging 4.17 million viewers across ABC, ESPN, and TNT.