Shortly after Pulaski Robinson senior running back T.J. Hammonds signed a national letter of intent on Wednesday to play football for the Arkansas Razorbacks, he led a gymnasium full of Robinson classmates, faculty and staff as they called the Hogs.
Hammonds, 5-11, 201, will likely hear the call frequently for the next several seasons. He chose Arkansas' scholarship offer over many others, including those from Alabama, Arizona State, Boise State, and TCU. He starred primarily as a wide receiver during his junior season, but switched to running back with similar results last fall. He said Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema told him he would probably begin his Razorbacks career as a running back.
"I really don't care where I play," Hammonds said. "I just want to get on the field with the ball."
"They're really good coaches up there," Robinson Coach Todd Escola said. "They'll figure that all out. He can play running back. He can play receiver. He needs the ball in space, and he can do great things with it."
During his junior and senior seasons, Hammonds rushed for a total of 2,210 yards, scored 28 touchdowns, and averaged 13.1 yards a carry. He caught 65 passes for 1,770 yards and 17 touchdowns. He gained an average of 27.2 yards with each reception.
Perhaps his best game at Robinson came in the first round of last season's Class 4A state playoffs against Gravette on Nov. 13, when Robinson won, 58-18. He only played in the first half, when Hammonds rushed 13 times for 224 yards and 2 touchdowns and caught a 66-yard pass for another score.
Gravette Coach Bill Harrelson laughed as he recalled Hammonds' game.
"He caught a pass out of the backfield and just made a couple of kids miss and just outran everyone else down their sideline, but that wasn't the only play he made," Harrelson said. "That wasn't an isolated play."
Harrelson remembered that Robinson led by two scores late in the first half, but had possession at its 13. "We were still kind of in the game," he said. "We thought if we could stop them and get the ball back and score, we'd still really have a chance. We were going to get the second-half kickoff."
But Hammonds followed blockers on a sweep and broke free for an 87-yard touchdown run.
"That was kind of a backbreaker for us," Harrelson said. "He's a great player. He's very explosive and elusive."
Harrelson said he thinks Hammonds will continue to excel at Arkansas. "I don't see anything about him that makes me think he wouldn't be a great help to the Razorbacks," he said. "I don't know exactly what position he'll play. He could be a return man, a slot receiver, an out-the-backfield Reggie Bush kind of guy. I think he could do all of those things."
"I think he's as explosive a player as anyone they have on the hill," Escola said.
Hammonds expressed relief moments before he sat at the table to sign his scholarship offer. He was joined by teammates Trent Dunn and Brian Kindall, who signed to play for Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, and Tonda Bullock, who signed with Henderson State.
"I'm glad to get it over," said Hammonds, who received an offer from Alabama about five weeks ago. "It's been kind of frustrating lately having to go through the whole recruiting process. So it's finally here, and its very exciting."
Hammonds said he and his family have been fans of the Razorbacks his entire life. Arkansas' campus was the only he visited.
"It's a really big thing for me to get to play there," he said.
Sports on 02/04/2016