University of Memphis Athletics
Memphis Quarterback Martin Hankins Hooking Receivers in Large Numbers
Oct 07, 2007 | Football
Oct. 7, 2007
The following article about senior quarterback Martin Hankins was featured in the Tiger Gameday Program for the October 2 game with Marshall. It was written by assistant athletic media relations director Brandon Kolditz.
Growing up in central Mississippi, a young Martin Hankins spent a lot of time fishing on the five-mile lake next to his home. Although his patience prevented the development of a desire for bass fishing, Hankins did grow a liking to catching bluegill. Large pools of the brim fish were common in the lake and, when a hot spot was found, dozens of the small fish could be caught in the same time period it would take to catch one bass.
"Brim fishing is a little bit more active to me," Hankins said. "I'm not a guy who likes to sit there waiting all day."
Fast forward a few years and the Hattiesburg, Miss., native is now a senior quarterback for the University of Memphis football team. Although he has given up brim fishing for now, his childhood logic has remained the same. He still enjoys the quick and easy catches. But instead of bluegill, Hankins has his aim set on one of the most talented wide receiving units Memphis has ever fielded as he looks to help guide the Tigers back into the spotlight.
The 2007 season opener against Ole Miss provided evidence of Hankins' makeup when he set a Memphis record for completions with 41 and tied the school record in attempts with 60. He is a quarterback who can move the ball with amazing ease at times using quick passes to his wideouts mixed in with the occasional hand off. An average career completion rate of 11.2 yards measures up to big offensive numbers for the Tigers. Through the first two games of the season, Hankins ranked 13th in the nation in passing yards per game and eighth in completions.
"He is full of confidence," West said. "He worked his tail off all summer with our wideouts. There is chemistry there. They know where each other is. They've thrown enough balls that they trust each other that he puts it in the right places.
"He understands this offense as good as any quarterback that we've had since I've been here, including Danny (Wimprine). He understands what we are trying to get done and where the ball should go."
Guiding the Way
Before Hankins was born, his father, Danny Hankins, coached high school football. So it was only natural the father taught his son on the essentials of the game. From the time he started playing tackle football in the fourth grade until he entered the junior high ranks, Hankins' father coached his only son's football teams. In his first year, Hankins' team finished as the city champs.
At this beginning level, Hankins' father put his son at quarterback. Hankins excelled at the position, although he did not mind the occasional series on the defensive side playing linebacker.
"I just wanted to be out there so I would always tell my dad to put me in at linebacker and slide me out there every once in awhile," Hankins said.
The credit of developing Hankins into the quarterback he is today during the early stages can be taken by the father. But it was the mother who paved the way for her son to attend a high school with a football system favoring a quarterback like Hankins.
His mother, Judy Hankins, is now retired for the second time from teaching elementary age children. She came out of retirement the first time after Hankins freshman year at Oak Grove High School. Up until this time, Hankins had gone through kindergarten to ninth grade in the Oak Grove school system. But prior to the start of Hankins' 10th grade, Judy Hankins came out of retirement to teach in the Hattiesburg school district. This allowed her son, even though they lived outside of the school boundaries, to attend Hattiesburg High School.
"It was a better deal for me going over there," Hankins said. "I was happy I made that decision, and I am glad I did. It just prepared me better for college."
At Hattiesburg High, Hankins set career passing and touchdown records for the 5A level. As a senior, he threw for 3,245 yards and 26 touchdowns. Following his final prep year, he was named as an all-state selection and the Hattiesburg American's Male Athlete of the Year.
Playing the Waiting Game
The 2005 Motor City Bowl championship will be remembered by the Tigers not only for the bowl win but also because it was the year of the quarterback curse. In his first career start in the opening season game against Ole Miss, Patrick Byrne broke his right leg on the Tigers' third play from scrimmage. Two games later, Memphis loses its second QB for the season when Will Hudgens broke his right leg against Tulsa. After a brief stint using true freshman Billy Barefield, the U of M turned to one of its wide receivers, Maurice Avery, to guide the offense as quarterback.
But what many might not know is during this QB shuffle, Memphis had a talented signal caller sitting on its bench who was itching to get into a game. Hankins sat out the entire 2005 season due to transfer rules after coming from Southeastern Louisiana University but spent the entire season practicing with the team.
"It was really hard," Hankins said. "I knew it was going to be hard, but I didn't realize how hard it would be. When we had Pat go down and Will go down, I'm sitting over there thinking to myself, `Golly, I could be playing right now.'" Since he couldn't play in any games, Hankins focused on preparing the Tigers for its opponents and helping Avery along in his transition. The team went on to its third-straight bowl game and will be remembered by the Memphis faithful as a squad that overcame insurmountable obstacles in its rise to the top.
"Mo Avery did a great job that year," Hankins said. "He was able to get the two wins we needed at the end of the season down at Southern Miss and then here against Marshall to get us bowl eligible. That is what we needed."
The Fallback
Besides football, Hankins has another love and that is for baseball. He lettered four years in baseball in high school as a pitcher and third baseman. While at Hattiesburg High, Hankins' baseball teams consistently excelled in the postseason. In his junior season, the 5A team ranked as high as number four in the Baseball American/High School Baseball Coaches Association's poll.
"I enjoyed playing baseball," Hankins said. "It kept me active in the spring."
When Hankins arrived at Memphis, he developed a friendly rivalry with junior quarterback Will Hudgens who also had pitched on his high school baseball team. As the two were competing for the starting quarterback position before the start of last season, they joked about walking on to the Tiger baseball team.
"We always joked around and said which ever one of us didn't start was going to go out for baseball in the spring time," Hankins said. "And sure enough he did it. Congrats to him."
However, Hankins holds no regrets about the sport he has chosen.
"It's a fun sport to play, but football is where my heart is right now," Hankins said. "I think football is a great team sport, whereas in baseball it can be a little bit more of an individual sport. In football, you have 11 guys out there at the same time, and you have to all be on the same page or else it's not going to work."
A Season of Strong Possibilities
Hankins' first year at quarterback in 2006 ended in a disappointing season for the Tigers. Although his passing numbers rank up at the top in the school record books, the outcome could not have been foreseen due to injuries and unpredictable events shaping the year.
"It was a tough and frustrating year," Hankins said. "It took its toll on me through the year. But you learn from it. You have to learn from it as a player. We had a really great summer and spring."
But a new season means a fresh start and with a veteran quarterback and a talented and deep group of wide receivers, the Tigers hope to be "Roaring Back" in 2007. The wideouts possessed by Memphis this year are ideal for a passing quarterback like Hankins. The height of the group make them large targets looming above the opponent's defenders.
"It's unreal how talented these guys are," Hankins said. "They are just a hard working group of receivers. They really worked hard this offseason. They want to win. When they're not getting the ball, they're blocking as hard as they can. That's what makes you like these guys even more. They're just team guys. But I tell you what, when you've got guys to throw to like that, it does make it easier for you for sure."
Although the 2007 season did not start the way the team had hoped after falling to Ole Miss in the season opener by a two-point conversion, Hankins believes the team will put itself in situations to win several games this year and showed its potential when the team outscored the Rebels 21-3 in the second half.
"We finally showed all that we could do, and that was just in a quarter and a half of play," Hankins said. "If we don't make those mistakes to dig ourselves in a hole in the first half, it's amazing to see how many points we could put up and what we could do offensively when we are clicking. If we can put ourselves in position to win the game, I think we're going to win a lot of games this year."
Note: Hankins was injured late in the Arkansas State game and did not play in the win over Marshall.
