Former NFL Receiver Hankton Joins Coaching Staff

HANOVER, N.H. -- Dartmouth College’s Robert L. Blackman Head Football Coach Buddy Teevens today announced the hiring of Cortez Hankton to his coaching staff. Hankton, who played in the NFL for six years and most recently the United Football League (UFL), will coach the wide receivers, replacing Jarrail Jackson who departed after six years to join the staff at Washington State.

"If there is one thing I've learned in athletics is that you have to have fun doing your job, that you can't treat it simply as a job," Hankton said. "You have to have passion for what you do in order to be great at doing it. I'm really looking forward to working with the young men in this program and helping them develop both on and off the field."

Hankton comes to Hanover by way of the University of Central Florida, where he spent the past three months working as a volunteer assistant of player personnel for football. In that role, he helped formulate recruiting priorities and travel plans, plus evaluated prospective student-athletes and broke down film of recruits.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT HANKTON "On the field, Cortez was a terrific player with an outstanding knowledge of the game, great hands and good blocking skills. He never failed to be both mentally and physically prepared every time he stepped on the field. But what separates him from others is who he is off the field -- a dependable person who leads by example and is driven to succeed in all walks of life."   - Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator and former Florida Tuskers head coach Jay Gruden "Cortez was a consummate professional as a player and understands what hard work is, especially considering the road he had to take in the NFL as an undrafted free agent. He brings great core values to Dartmouth, and with his hard work and dedication, he will serve the Big Green football program with the utmost professionalism."   - Resdkins wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard

Hankton has spent time training draft-eligible athletes for NFL combines with Tom Shaw Performance Training Camps for the past five years, plus is a certified mental game coaching professional through Peak Performance Sports in Orlando. In the spring of 2010, Hankton also served as a volunteer wide receiver coach at Doctor Phillips High.

In 2002, Hankton received his bachelor's degree in business administration from Texas Southern University, where he set school season and career records for receiving yards. A four-year starter for the Tigers, he was a team captain in each of his final two seasons on the squad, earning team MVP and All-Southwestern Athletic Conference accolades in both years. Hankton culminated his collegiate career by being named to the Division I-AA All-America Third Team by the Associated Press.

The Jacksonville Jaguars then signed the undrafted Hankton in April of 2003, and he proceeded to play in all 16 games as a rookie, catching 17 passes for 166 yards. In his four years with the Jaguars, he caught 34 passes for 310 yards and a pair of touchdowns, both of which came in his sophomore campaign in 2004. Hankton signed with the Minnesota Vikings in 2007 and spent the entire 2008 season on the injured reserve with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

After being released at the conclusion of training camp in 2009, Hankton signed with the New York Sentinels of the UFL. The following year he played for the Florida Tuskers and head coach Jay Gruden, earning a nomination for the league's Offensive Player of the Year. The Tuskers then moved to Virginia as the Destroyers for the 2011 season, and Hankton was a part of head coach Marty Schottenheimer's squad that won the league championship.

Off the field, Hankton last year created Black Ice Concept, an organization that strives to increase minority presence in winter sports by obtaining sponsorships and funding to subsidize expenses for the athletes. He has demonstrated his commitment to academics many times over as well, including the creation of the Cortez Hankton Scholarship Fund for exemplary student-athletes in 2003 and his work with Read Across America through the NFL and the National Education Association.

Coach Teevens stated, "I've spoken with a number of people, including former coaches here, who have all recommended him for not only his football knowledge, but his character as well. It is a testament to our program to have coaches that have moved on from Dartmouth that still speak highly of their time in Hanover, which in turn can help us secure talented individuals like Cortez for our coaching staff. We are developing young men for life at Dartmouth, and Cortez will help us achieve our goals, both on and off the field."

The son of New Orleans police officers, Cortez Sr. and Sherome, Hankton is the oldest of three children with a brother, Cordae -- also a police officer -- and a sister, Cortney.