MANSFIELD — All Angelo Grose and Anthony Hawkins are looking for is an opportunity.

Teammates on Mansfield Senior’s 2019 state runner-up team, both Grose and Hawkins could hear their names called during this weekend’s NFL Draft, which begins Thursday night in Green Bay, Wisc.

If not, they will likely sign as rookie free agents after the seven-round draft’s conclusion.

Either way, the former Tygers just want to get into an NFL training camp and prove to the world what Senior High fans have known for years.

“They are dawgs,” said new Mansfield Senior football coach Antonio Fletcher, who was on Chioke Bradley’s staff during that memorable run to the state championship game in 2019. “They play the game the right way and they are competitors.”

Both Grose and Hawkins had remarkably productive collegiate careers — Grose at Michigan State and Hawkins at Bowling Green. 

Grose appeared in 52 games and made 45 starts during his five-year stay in East Lansing. The defensive back made 281 career tackles, including 11.5 tackles for loss. He picked off four passes and registered 20 pass break-ups while seeing time at safety and nickelback.

“What sets Angelo apart is his tackling. He gets guys on the ground,” Fletcher said. “I think it goes back to when he was a wrestler. He was a great wrestler in middle school.”

A defensive tackle, Hawkins was a five-year starter and two-time captain for the Falcons. He finished with 155 career tackles and nine sacks, including career-highs of 45 tackles and five sacks last fall.

“‘Toot’ had a great career at Bowling Green,” Fletcher said. “If you are a two-year captain, you have earned the respect of your teammates.”

Neither Grose nor Hawkins was invited to the NFL Combine, but both performed admirably at their schools’ respective pro days.

Hawkins’ time of 7.06 seconds in the three-cone drill during BGSU’s pro day was faster than any of the defensive tackles invited to the combine. Grose’s times in the three-cone drill and the 20-yard shuttle drill would have ranked third among safeties invited to the combine.

While he is undersized by NFL standards, Grose said what distinguishes him from his peers is his willingness to do the dirty work.

“It doesn’t matter what’s in front of me, what’s the challenge or the obstacle,” Grose said. “I’m ready to attack it head-on.”

The same goes for Hawkins, who was a Mid-American Conference third-teamer last fall.

“I’m a very hard worker. I’ll come in and get the job done and I’m very detail-oriented and want to make sure things are done the right way,” Hawkins said. “I think I make plays and I always find a way to get to the football.”

Fletcher said Grose and Hawkins already have made an impact in their hometown whether they are drafted or not.

“Those are guys the kids in our program look up to,” Fletcher said. “The city should be proud of them.”