When David Hawthorne first appeared on the field as an undrafted free agent out of TCU standing barely over 6 feet tall and weighing barely more than 240 pounds, nobody thought he would last. "Then he started playing," said one observer of the second-year pro who has flourished since becoming the team's starting middle linebacker in place of Lofa Tatupu, who was lost for the season after tearing his left pectoral muscle. With nonstop prepping under Tatupu, who affectionately nicknamed him "The Heater," Hawthorne has established himself as quite the playmaking force. In his first start replacing Tatupu in Week Three, he registered an eye-popping 16 tackles. In his second start in Week Eight, he had two sacks. And in his third start in Week Nine, he had twof interceptions. "The one thing about him is he really studies," the observer said. "He'll make a mistake in practice, and then he'll study film for hours that night to make sure he doesn't ever repeat it."

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