Trevor Hankins was all set to end his football career just a few short years ago.
After spending one season at Glendale Community College and suffering an injury at Northern Arizona, Hankins thought he was out of moves. The former tight end’s dreams of playing big time college football appeared to be over.
Luckily for Hankins, he had a close friend that had his best interests in mind.
Former ASU wide receiver, Kyle Williams, teammates with Hankins at Chaparral High School, got Hankins a tryout to walk-on with the Sun Devils.
“I was over at Glendale Community College and I didn’t know what I was going to do,” Hankins said. “I thought I might be done for my career.”
Even when he earned a spot on the ASU roster as a walk-on punter, Hankins still had a lot of work to do to ever see the field. New to the position, Hankins dedicated himself to his craft.
“He came out with us; we worked in the spring and summer almost every day during the offseason,” ASU junior long snapper Thomas Ohmart. “He was a little hit or miss — inconsistent in the beginning but he came out and worked with us in the offseason and got up to the best in the nation. He really grew as an individual and really shined.”
Ohmart not only shares a lot of time on the practice field with Hankins, but the two are close off the field, something Ohmart thinks has helped the pair become a successful snapper and punter combination.
“A lot of people don’t realize it but it is really, really important,” Ohmart said. “It is almost as important as a center and a quarterback. The thing is, he is not only my punter, but he’s my holder. It is important that we have that connection on every level so we both feel comfortable on the field so we can get the job done.”
At one point this season, Hankins was leading the nation in punting average, but after being suspended for a team rules violation for one game and a game in which he averaged just 37.9 yards per punt, he fell to ninth in the nation with a 45.5 average.
Nonetheless, Hankins has a chance in the final two games to set the ASU single season record, which is currently held by Stephen Baker’s 1998 average of 45.7 yards per punt.
“It is definitely great to leave my mark here at ASU,” Hankins said. “It has been a dream come true to be a Sun Devil with all the different tenure my family has here. Having the success is really the trophy that you look for at the end as far as why I’ve worked so hard to get where I’m at. It is nice to see it pay off.”
The slight drop might have cost Hankins a chance at the Ray Guy Award, but he found out that when he paid attention to his stats and where he stood in the nation, he ended up struggling.
“It is all political,” Hankins said of being left off the Ray Guy Award list. “The numbers will speak for themselves. Award or no award, everyone knows what I can do and where I can go.”
In the game that Hankins was unavailable to the Sun Devils, ASU certainly felt his loss in the field position battle.
ASU fought the same battle before Hankins emerged, lacking a punter that could change the game and field position, something ASU coach Dennis Erickson hasn’t taken for granted.
"He has come a long way,” Erickson said. “He spent a lot of time becoming better in the off-season. He has punted extremely well for us and has made a difference in the field position and what has happened the last couple years. He walked on and earned a scholarship and has done really well."
Seeing how far he has progressed in just a few years punting, Ohmart feels the sky is the limit for Hankins.
“Hopefully he goes to the NFL,” Ohmart said. “That’s what I really want, I want to see him go to the NFL. I am rooting for him, but at the same time I’m really going to miss him when he leaves.”
For Hankins, playing professionally is what has fueled his work ethic. If the professional dreams don’t work out, he will graduate with a bachelor of individual studies degree, with a focus in family studies and communication, the 12th member of his family to graduate from ASU.
“[I will] just work hard and see if I can get picked up by a team somewhere in the NFL,” Hankins said. “That is why I’ve been here for three years and put my body, my family and everyone through the stuff that I’ve been through, so I can have an opportunity to do something that I love. If not, I’ll go and put my degree to work.”
Reach the reporter at andrew.gruman@asu.edu
