Bengals wide receiver Andrew Hawkins had to be carted off the field Thursday night at Paul Brown Stadium after suffering an apparent left ankle injury during training camp practice.
Hawkins dove to catch a pass and came down awkwardly on the ankle. He attempted to get up and walk off on his own but had to be helped off the field by trainers. He was taken off the field on a cart. The 5-7, 180-pound Hawkins has become a fan favorite the past two seasons, having caught 74 passes for 796 yards and four touchdowns.
Hawkins helped Montreal win consecutive CFL Grey Cup championships in 2009 and 2010. He was on the Bengals practice squad in 2011 but was signed to the 53-man roster after just two weeks to replace an injured Jordan Shipley.
The Bengals did not give an official diagnosis of the injury or how long Hawkins will be out of practice.
"Andrew is such a role model of hard work and energy and quickness," said head coach Marvin Lewis. "He understands football, he understands working away from leverage. He's a big plus that way."
The Bengals practiced inside PBS for the first time this training camp, hosting a "Family Night" for fans, which included the entire team signing autographs after the session. An estimated crowd of 6,500 showed up.
Defensive end Carlos Dunlap (concussion) and tight end Jermaine Gresham (hamstring) were among those that did not practice Thursday. The Bengals will practice Friday, have an off day on Saturday and then practice again on Sunday before departing for Atlanta. They will practice with the Falcons leading up to next Thursday night's preseason opener at the Georgia Dome.
