As the Tigers of Grambling fought the Jaguars of Southern, former G-Men star Jason Hatcher was in attendance. Hatcher, a former GSU tight end/defensive end, is a member of the Dallas Cowboys. He was drafted in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft. At the age of 27, he is fulfilling a real-life dream of playing in the NFL.
“It feels good to be back. I actually feel old,” he said.
“But I’m having a great time at the classic cheering for my G-Men.”
The Jena native highlighted the league on Oct. 14, 2007, when he recovered a fumble and returned it for a touchdown against the New England Patriots.
Hatcher believes in giving credit when credit is due.
“I am proud to be where I am in my career at this time,” he said.
“To come from an HBCU, and Grambling State University to add, and make it is a dream come true.
“I owe a lot of my success to Doug Williams. Coach Williams taught me a lot about the game,” Hatcher said with pride.
Hatcher has been described as “a raw talent that has filled in nicely in the defensive line rotation during his career.”
A talented player indeed, he finished his career at GSU with 111 tackles, 31.5 tackles for a loss, and 18.5 sacks.
He played his first full season at GSU starting as a defensive end in his junior year and finished that year with 33 tackles, 10 tackles for a loss and five sacks.
As a senior, Hatcher assisted the G-Men when they went 11-1 and earned him all SWAC honors after catching 28 passes for 1,028 yards as a tight end.
Hatcher is looking to expand his role as on the defensive line after the loss of Chris Canty to free agency.
Without a doubt, Hatcher is more than prepared to weather any storm.
He is also known throughout the community of Jena for his Jason Hatcher Youth Football Camp for kids ranging from ages 7-18.