Where He Leads, Marcus Allen Likely to Follow : Raiders’ Frank Hawkins Can Do the Job, and He’d Like to Show the Broncos

There was a time when 5-9, 220-pound Frank Hawkins was a small fullback, but that was before William Perry.

Now, Frank Hawkins is a tiny fullback.

There was a time when Hawkins got to carry the ball. But that was before the Raiders promoted him to first string . . . and went to a one-back offense with two backs on the field.

The other back is Marcus Allen. Now, Hawkins is a tiny blocking back.

There was a time when Hawkins at least got to be anonymous. But with the Broncos coming to town, Raider management invited him to the weekly media breakfast.

What does he remember about last year’s game?

Hawkins, grinning: “Nothing.”

A year ago in the Coliseum, Hawkins fumbled in overtime at the Denver 11, while trying just to move the ball to the middle of the field for the chip-shot field goal. It was the season’s ninth game and his first fumble.

The strategy is standard--Denver’s Dan Reeves did the same thing before kicking the winning field goal--but in the NFL as in life, nothing fails like failure. There was a flurry of second-guessing that shouldn’t last much longer than the ‘80s.

“The situation came about due to the fact that I never fumble the football,” Hawkins said Wednesday. “And I fumbled it. They stripped it. They did a good job.

“My worst moment? I’d say it’s my most memorable. Everybody says, ‘Oh yeah, that’s the guy that fumbled the ball against Denver on the one-yard line.’ ”

Raider official Mike Ornstein, sitting next to him: “I only said it once.”

“Yeah,” said Hawkins, laughing. “They started carrying a picture of it in Gameday (the program). I saw that and I almost croaked.”

And those were the good old days. Kenny King was the starting fullback, but Hawkins used to take over shortly after the coin toss. As a blocker, King was a pretty good runner.

This season, the Raiders moved King to No. 2 halfback, where he figured to get more carries. So far, he has had 11 and has asked to be traded.

Hawkins moved to No. 1 fullback, but with the offensive line struggling, there was a premium on blocking. Hawkins became Allen’s forerunner.

Allen has had 76% of the carries this season, but some days, it was higher. Of the backs’ first 28 carries in the Saints game, Allen had 28.

“That’s led some people to say the Raiders need a bigger fullback,” Hawkins said. “. . . I can live with it as long as we’re winning. As long as you win, then everything can be overlooked. But once you start to lose, that’s when the questions come up--do we give the ball to Marcus too much? Have we not utilized Dokie (Williams), Todd Christensen, Frank Hawkins and all these other guys?

“Do I ever get angry? Of course. Every game. Every day.

“Every running back wants to carry the ball 30 times a game. But you don’t find that many backs who want to block 30 times. You don’t mind 4-5-6-7 but when you have to do it play after play, pretty soon you start wondering if you’re a battering ram. But I have to do what’s going to keep me here.”

Last summer, the Raiders took a long look at a bigger fullback named Dan Reeder. Reeder led the team in rushing in pre-season and only then was cut.

Hawkins says he wasn’t waiting up nights.

“One thing about me: I don’t worry about anyone else,” he said. “I know how good I am. And I know how good I can be. Now whether the opportunity is given is something else.

“My peers understand. It’s not important to me if anybody else understands.”

“I tried to help Reeder, same as Strachan (Steve, another rookie fullback) and all those guys. It doesn’t do you any good to hinder somebody. You want to help everybody be the best.”

It’s not true that there’s no place for small players in the NFL. There is, provided you run 4.4, or that you’re 220 and all heart.

And they can’t find anyone 225 and all heart.

“The standard in the National Football League for a fullback is about 6-3, 235 pounds,” Hawkins said. “Some guy that runs--now we’re dreaming--4.4. Someone who’s got moves like Gale Sayers had and the power of Jim Brown.

“That’s what they would like. You’ve got to want the best. But until they find what they want, I guess I’ll have to do.”

Raider Notes Jim Plunkett, out since the third game with a separated left shoulder, returned to practice this week. But Wednesday, for the first time, Tom Flores suggested that this won’t be like last season, when Plunkett returned and got the starting job back. . . . Flores: “Right now, Marc Wilson is our quarterback. I know Marc’s stats (48.8% completion average 9 TDs, 12 interceptions) haven’t set the world on fire but since he’s started, we’ve won all but two games. That isn’t too bad. And there was only one game (at Seattle) that we really got beat. One, the San Diego game certainly wasn’t due to the quarterbacking. . . . At this point, it’s a lot different than last year. Marc is playing better. Jim’s injury wasn’t as severe last year. I don’t want Marc looking over his shoulder. He’s got to lead us.” . . . With the plays coming in from the sideline, Frank Hawkins was asked if players still come back to the huddle and tell the quarterback that such-and-such is open to him: “Sure. There’s Todd (Christensen).”