Friday’s Independence Bowl game between Louisiana and Houston produced an unlikely star in the form of the Cougars’ kicking tee retriever.
For the uninitiated, teams deploy tee retrievers to run onto the field and grab the tee used on kickoffs. It’s not meant to be a particularly big job, and some teams even used trained dogs to entertain the crowd while doing it.
The Cougars have gone one better than that. Meet Hawk, the Houston tee retriever who went viral after being spotlighted during Friday’s game.
Nobody picks up tees like Houston’s HAWK! pic.twitter.com/Nwv2SPYshg
— Grayson Weir (@GsonJW) December 23, 2022
ESPN loved it so much they even ran a slow-motion replay.
FOOTBALL GUY OF THE YEAR #HAWK pic.twitter.com/qmCRIazTAI
— no context college football (@nocontextcfb) December 23, 2022
Hawk’s schtick is nothing new. Houston posted a video of him doing the job in November 2021, and the act does not seem to have changed.
The most electric kicking tee retrieval you’ll ever see from the one and only @bighawk68
Early front runner for Football Guy of the Week @BarstoolBigCat @PFTCommenter @UHEquipment #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/zoxGjRXeHp
— Houston Football (@UHCougarFB) November 20, 2021
Hawk’s Twitter account describes him as the equipment manager for the football team and a “confirmed legend.” Based on the Twitter reaction, particularly to the mullet and the enthusiasm, the world seems to agree with that last bit.
WHO IS HAWK FOR HOUSTON AND WHY IS HE A LEGEND
— Chanluh (@chxnluh) December 23, 2022
https://twitter.com/mikechaaase9/status/1606423117500407808
The Hawk from Houston is the peak of human existence.
— Benjamin J Martone (@benjaminjames13) December 23, 2022
Hawk from Houston should have won the heisman. #IndependenceBowl #Ibowl
— Connor Thompson-Gardner (@ConConTweetin) December 23, 2022
It is important to note that Hawk’s act is not totally original. It is clearly directly inspired by longtime Houston Oilers equipment manager Bill “Mojo” Lackey, who did the exact same thing for over a decade, primarily in the 1980s. Hawk’s way of doing things is as good a tribute as you’re going to see.
Nobody ran to get the kicking tee like Bill “Mojo” Lackey assistant equipment manager with the #HoustonOilers
He was selected to the All-Madden team one year#LuvYaBlue pic.twitter.com/UGenCQtK90— Old Time Football 🏈 (@Ol_TimeFootball) February 13, 2019
Houston wound up winning 23-16 with a late touchdown, no doubt inspired by its equipment manager.
