University of Georgia Athletics
A Quick Chat With ... DaQuan Hawkins-Muckle
September 01, 2016 | Football
By John Frierson
UGAAA Staff Writer
To describe DaQuan Hawkins-Muckle as big seems insufficient. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 320 pounds, the sophomore defensive tackle from Atlanta is massive, though he doesn't move like it.
Hawkins-Muckle played in 10 games as a freshman last season, starting two. His role and impact should be much greater this season. Hawkins-Muckle is quite fine with that, just as he is his size.
On Monday, Hawkins-Muckle sat down for a quick chat about being big, enjoying his quiet time and getting the scholarship offer that he really, really wanted. Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: Was there something really funny or interesting or weird that happened during preseason practice? Or any other time when you're out there with the guys.
Hawkins-Muckle: It was winter workouts and we were inside working out. We then went outside for that part of the workout and it started hailing. I was like, "What the heck? It's going to be a long practice."
It didn't matter to us, we still got the work in. We're always like, if you've got to play in it, you've got to practice in it.
Frierson: How challenging is life when you're as big as you are? Dealing with beds that are too small, getting clothes — it seems like it could be a real hassle.
Hawkins-Muckle: (Laughs) Some situations it's tough, but other situations you need a big person around. For instance, my sister is short and she can't reach on top of the refrigerator to get the cereal. She's got to say, "Can you get the cereal for me?"
That's the benefit of it, but sometimes, like coming over from classes and getting on the bus, I'm big and there may only be a small space left. I'll look in and I'll be like, "Aww, I've got to wait for the next bus."
Frierson: Do you ever look at someone like Isaiah McKenzie (5-8, 175) or Quincy Mauger (6-0, 206) and just think, man, I'd love to be that size. Everything's light, everything's going to fit easily.
Hawkins-Muckle: Me and Isaiah have a little fun and mess with each other all the time. He calls me "Big" and I call him "Short."
Frierson: When did you get big, or were you always the biggest guy in your classes?
Hawkins-Muckle: I think I hit my growth spurt in 10th grade, going into 11th grade. I went from about 5-11 to 6-2.
Frierson: Do you physically feel it when something like that's happening?
Hawkins-Muckle: I didn't feel it. I thought I was just the same 5-11 kid walking around, but when I came back to school everybody was like, "You grew!" I was like, "I didn't grow, I'm the same size, 5-11, that I've been all summer." I didn't know I was a lot bigger.
Frierson: What do you do during the quiet times in your day?
Hawkins-Muckle: I watch a little film, I catch up on school work and just relax and get some rest. I also like watching movies.
Frierson: What are a couple of the movies you have to stop and watch if you see them on, regardless of how many times you've seen them already?
Hawkins-Muckle: "Alvin and the Chipmunks," "The Blind Side," "Home Alone" and "Coach Carter."
Frierson: Is there one that's a guilty pleasure? You know it's bad but you still feel compelled to watch it.
Hawkins-Muckle: "Alvin and the Chipmunks."
Frierson: Say it's after a game and you can go anywhere and eat anything, what are you ordering?
Hawkins-Muckle: It might just be Subway or something like that. After a game I'm not really in the mood to eat something (big). ... When we win, I'll be overly excited about the win and I won't be hungry.
Now when I wake up in the morning time, I'll wake up starving.
Frierson: What's the greatest athletic feat of your life? It can be something you did in Sanford Stadium or something as random as a thing nobody saw you do in your backyard when you were 10.
Hawkins-Muckle: I think my best moment was when I saw (former defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt and former head coach Mark Richt) walk into my school (Westlake High School) and tell me they were offering me a scholarship. That was my best moment.
Frierson: What does a moment like that feel like or mean to a player?
Hawkins-Muckle: I remember the day they came. At my school we had (at the time) Nigel Warrior, who's at Tennessee now, and we had Julian Jones, that's at Illinois, so I'm in the weight room with my coach and we're working out. I saw (the coaches) walk in and I'm thinking they're here for Nigel or Julian, but then my head coach comes up and tells me Coach Richt and Coach Pruitt are there to see me.
I said, "Me?" And when I went out there I was just looking at them and smiling, like, you're really here for me? Coach Pruitt was like, "Man, you're big." He told me they were going to offer me a scholarship to the University of Georgia and I just so much joy build up inside of me.
Frierson: Do you act cool in that moment or do you let go like you just won the big prize on a game show or something?
Hawkins-Muckle: I didn't act cool. I let them know that I was excited about the offer.
Frierson: Did you say yes right away?
Hawkins-Muckle: I didn't commit right away. I came up for a visit and I was already in love because I always wanted to be at Georgia and when I came up here I even fell more in love. Then I made my decision.
John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
