Will the real Leonard Hankerson please stand up?

I caught wind of the video below a few days back – Miami receiver Leonard Hankerson, jacked up and working with former NFL great Mark Duper this off-season. Check it out as it’s definitely worth a watch.

Emotionally, it’s the type of video that fuels your fire while waiting on a new season to get underway. Logically, you still employ an “I’ll believe it when I see it” mentality, having been burned so many times by pre-season hype followed by regular season disappointment.

Hankerson is an enigma to me. I followed his recruitment in late 2006 while Miami was without a coach and the St. Thomas wideout was considering The U along with Ohio State, UCLA, Florida, South Carolina, Michigan and Georgia. Ranked the No. 43 wideout in the nation and No. 20 player on the Florida Hot 100.

I remember Hankerson’s performance in a crushing 45-42 double overtime loss against Lakeland in the Class 5A championship game at Dolphin Stadium back in 2006. I recall all the stories of Hankerson working with his position coach and NFL great Cris Carter, wondering if the then 6-foot-1 and 200 pound wideout would be the Canes next great.

Almost three years later we’re all still waiting.

Hankerson is gearing up for his junior season at Miami and unlike 2007, this year’s squad is loaded with hungry, talented wide receivers. If Lenny can’t cut it, back to the bench he’ll go. Two years ago the Canes really needed Hankerson. Now with NFL aspirations and two years of eligibility remaining, it’s the wideout who really needs the Canes. The rotation will be cut this year and only the best will play. Will #85 make the top three?

The knock on Hankerson is said to be his hands… which is hard to buy when Duper talks of the Miami wideout having bigger hands than him. The tools are all there, which means the issue here is between the ears. Can Hankerson turn it around mentally? Can he regain the focus that made him a high school great? Time will tell.

I’m hoping for the best, but I’m cautiously optimistic. Having ‘the drops’ entering year three of your collegiate career isn’t where you want to be. Regarding regaining his focus, Hankerson fights an uphill battle as a father of two, in a relationship. Social networking has opened new doors regarding the insight fans have into athletes’ lives and after a quick look at Hankerson’s MySpace page, you see a young man carrying a heavy burden for a 20-year old college student.

Hankerson’s headline on his page states, “If football was my job I’ll be gettin paid overtime”. Unfortunately those NFL dreams will remain just that – a dream – if Hankerson can’t turn things around on the field over the next few years. Here’s hoping this kid the best. He has the physical tools and has Duper says in the video below, he has NFL written all over him – if he can catch the ball.

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