Few high school prospects have overcome as much adversity during the recruiting process as El Dorado defensive tackle Terry Hampton, who committed to the University of Arkansas on Sunday.
Hampton, 6-0, 293 pounds, entered the NCAA transfer portal on April 15 after four seasons at Arkansas State. He accumulated scholarship offers from Arkansas, Texas Tech, SMU, Illinois, Houston, Oregon State, Western Kentucky and Utah State before his pledge to the Razorbacks.
He made an official visit to Fayetteville over the weekend.
Hampton looked to have promising junior and senior years ahead him after playing behind two seniors as a sophomore at El Dorado.
“Terry rotated and did a good job as a sophomore and then he kind of exploded for his junior year,” said former Wildcats Coach Scott Reed, who’s now at Cabot. “He grew and he got stronger. Going into his junior year we knew he was going to be really special.”
He started his junior season strong in the season opener against Camden Fairview.
“He had 10 tackles and caused a fumble and he returned a fumble like 90 yards for a touchdown,” Reed said.
When it appeared he was set for a banner junior season, Hampton suffered a setback.
“Then Saturday night or Sunday afternoon he had to have an emergency appendectomy,” Reed said. “He missed until the playoffs. We won our first playoff game … and the next game we went to Greenwood, and they had scored like 50 on us in the regular season, and I think they beat us 20-6, and he was just awesome.
"He [was] disruptive the whole game. He missed all those games and it wasn’t a football-related issue.”
He showed impressive athleticism when he recorded a 5.14 electronic time in the 40-yard dash, 28.8-inch vertical jump, 4.34 seconds in the shuttle and had a power ball throw of 41 feet at a combine in March of his junior year.
A few weeks after receiving a scholarship offer from the Red Wolves at a camp at Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium in June, Hampton suffered a knee injury during a Southern Arkansas University team camp.
“He was running,” Reed said. “He jumped over a guy and just landed funny. He wanted to go back in that day. He went in for an MRI and had to have knee surgery.”
ASU let Hampton know the offer was still there, but he was determined to play the latter part of his senior season.
“He was bound and determined he was going to play by the time the season was over,” Reed said. “I told the coaches there’s no way we’re playing that kid. Arkansas State had done right by him. They wanted him no matter what. The surgery went well. By the end of the season, he probably could’ve played.
"He worked so hard, but there was no way we were going to let that happen. He wanted to. He wore us out. He understood, but he didn’t like it.”
Hampton, who recorded 61 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks in four seasons in Jonesboro, has one year of eligibility left. Reed said Hampton is the total package.
“He is a tremendous player,” Reed said. “Talented, athletic, explosive. He’s just the kind you pull for. He’s very humble. Never hear him say a bad thing about anyone. He was a great teammate and leader.
"I think Arkansas is getting a good one.”