Strong Core Values Help LSU Receivers Coach Cortez Hankton Create Special Bond With Tigers

Hankton talks about his "why" for coaching and what he's learned about championship building

Every coach always has their "why" when it comes to getting into the coaching profession. The hours are long as recruiting trips, time at the office, practice, relationship building and the games all cut into family time.

For LSU receivers coach Cortez Hankton, he discovered his "why" fairly early on in his career as wanting to help other young players like himself fulfill their dreams. Hankton grew up in inner city New Orleans and saw his parents work extremely hard to get him out of that environment, setting the blueprint for Hankton in how hard he wanted to work.

Hankton didn't start playing competitive football until his junior year of high school at St. Augustine and took a little longer for him to develop as a player. Every step of the way from his days at Texas Southern to walking in as an undrafted free agent with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Hankton embraced every opportunity.

"When you feel entitled to something you feel like you're supposed to have it. But when you're grateful for it you embrace it and make sure you do everything to hold onto it," Hankton said. 

He'd go on to have an eight year career in professional football but the lessons and values he learned during that time are traits he hopes to instill in players as a coach. Hankton understands the sacrifices that comes with this job which is why he makes sure to get the most out of every opportunity. 

When he first started dating his now wife, Hankton remembers having a conversation about not ever wanting to get into coaching because of how much time it takes away from the people closest to you. But for him, getting into coaching was something he simply couldn't fight. 

"I love the game of football but I love pouring into young men even more. When there's an opportunity to give back and you're able to combine two of your passions there's nothing better," Hankton said. "I use the game of football as a platform to develop young men. I always try to teach lessons of life as opposed to just X's and O's on film and that's helped in my relationship with the players I've coached."

Having the opportunity to return to Louisiana and coach in a place an hour and a half away from his hometown and family made it a very enticing opportunity. But on the field Hankton couldn't be more excited to work with the talent in this room.

Headlined by junior Kayshon Boutte and some young, exciting talent with experience in Jack Bech, Brian Thomas, Malik Nabers, Chris Hilton, with the right development LSU can certainly return as one of the marquee groups in the SEC in 2022. The part Hankton raved about most was the group's collective effort to learn and get back to being a winning program. 

"What I was pleasantly surprised by with this group is their hunger to learn," Hankton said. "They really have embraced coming up and just talking and just wanting to be better. You look at what happened here a couple of years ago, they want to do everything in their power to get back there.

"I would say roughly 85-90% of the guys in our room I've recruited. That part really helps when you get into the room because you already have some relationships, there's excitement. When you have that rapport they're more willing to listen to what you're saying."

Getting back to that championship caliber is step one but Hankton views it in taking a step even further than that. It's not just about getting back to a championship but sustaining it and making sure the foundation is set for future generations of LSU football players.

It's a lesson he learned in his four-year coaching journey at Georgia, where the Bulldogs won a lot of games and finally were able to get over the hump last season and capture a national championship. Hankton said initially it's all about "taking your lumps" as the Bulldogs would lose to Alabama three times during that four year span before finally getting over that hump.

"It's all based on recruiting, that's the bloodline. But then there's a mindset you have to have, physicality, discipline and that's really built in the offseason," Hankton said. "That connection you have with your team, the system that's in place and holding a team standard of wanting to be a national champion every single year."