Tim Hawthorne has always known he would be a special football player.

The 6-foot-3, 205-pound wide receiver from Homewood, Ala., has received offers from 15 schools, including Tennessee, LSU, Georgia, Louisville and South Carolina. Hawthorne believes he has drawn interest because of his hard work.

"As a kid I always believed in myself," Hawthorne said. "Along the way, I've learned tips and gotten good advice from coaches from where I'm from and where I'm at right now. Along with my own individual hard work and extra effort, I just know that hard work pays off and that's exactly what it's doing right now."

Hawthorne said his spiritual life has played an important role in his development as a football player. When people began to doubt his abilities, Hawthorne said he relied on prayer to change his attitude.

"I wasn't being a vocal leader," Hawthorne said. "I was just being a leader by my actions. I think a lot of people saw that and saw a different side of me. Statistic-wise in my junior year, a lot of people said, 'Well, he's the real deal. We can tell his hard work paid off. It shows.' "

Another form of motivation came from Hawthorne's older brother. Champ Hawthorne was a Division I prospect but ended up attending a Division III school in Missouri because of grades. He has since given up football and earned a degree in Business Management from the University of Alabama.

"Just looking at him, he was a very good athlete and he inspired me," Hawthorne said. "Growing up, you always have that older brother teaching you intangibles on how to play the game. He's just basically my motivation. Just seeing him fail motivated me more to succeed and take it even more seriously."

Hawthorne has already seen the effects of his brother's influence.

"I can tell he's helped me," Hawthorne said. "Basically I'm just trying to pave the way and get this thing started for my whole family. I've got a little brother. I want to make things easy for him.

"I want expectations for him to be higher than what they were for me. I want him to be better than me also. I'm just trying to pave the way for the future for my family and my family's family."

One way Hawthorne hopes to pave the way for his family is through the NFL. Hawthorne said that has always been a goal.

"Besides getting a degree, something that nobody can take away from me, (the NFL) is the next best thing," Hawthorne said. "I set my goals real high and that's my ultimate goal. I just feel if I reach that goal I really did something in my life. I did something that I've been working for a number of years."

Hawthorne said he is looking for a school that makes him comfortable and can act as a second home. He knows his family will offer plenty of support.

"They really are going to have a big say-so in my decision," Hawthorne said. "I'll just ask them for advice because they've been there and done that as far as the academic side. I'll just pray about it and that'll take care of itself right there."