Becoming a bear and playing for Baylor was a dream for the kicker, Isaiah Hankins, so he could be with the love of his life. “He always wanted to play ball,” according to his father, Jared Hankins. At the age of 3, he finally got his hands on the ball after signing up for soccer. However, there was something extraordinary about him; he always enjoyed playing with people who were older than him. Hence, from childhood, the young kicker started to showcase his high potential and caliber. You may think is he a soccer lover?

Well, the first time Isaiah Hankins put on a football helmet was when he was in seventh grade at Little Rock Christian Academy. There he played under coach Eric Cohu. His school played a monumental role in carving his future. But of all the things he received from his school, do you know what topped the list of his accomplishments? Well, it was not the fact that he helped the team in the state championship as a sophomore, nor that he led the team with a record of 13-1, or that he was rated five stars in kicking. Rather, it was meeting his future wife, Sadie, in the halls of his middle school. Let’s delve deep into their love story. 

After their first year together in Waco, the connection between this duo got more intense, and he proposed to Sadie. Sadie’s family consisted of many Baylor alumni. Due to this, she always wanted to go to Baylor for collegiate studies. For spending time with new love, Isaiah had the desire to go to the same college. “My whole goal was to get recruited by Baylor so we can so she could have her Baylor experience and we could have that experience here together,” Isaiah said.

However, they were married on May 15, 2023. Celebrating their 1st anniversary, Isaiah made a post on Instagram, where he wrote, “I consider myself to be one of the most lucky dudes out there getting to love Sadie Hill and grow a family with her.” Moreover, he added, “Thank you Sadie for this past year which has been so amazing. Happy 1 Year Anniversary, I love you.” Now this duo is expecting their first child on October 28, 2024. Hence, their love is a testament to their strong bond and mutual support. Although the journey from high school to Baylor was not easy for the lovebirds. Well, have a look at their journey.

What are Isaiah Hankins and his wife’s journey to Baylor?

You might be perplexed as to why we bring up how difficult their journey was. Well, first of all, he turned down offers from some other schools because he was dead set on Baylor. Second, 2020, the year that was most affected by COVID-19 lockdowns and restricted travel, particularly to college football games, was his senior year. Hope you can understand why becoming a bear was difficult for Isaiah and Sadie. However, it was Isaiah’s father, Jared, who played a key role in overcoming the adversity.

Fortunately, Jared’s friend of a friend revealed that he was close with David Wetzel, the Baylor associate athletics director for football relations. “I invited (my friend) to the training facility to see Isaiah, and he was on board 100% and he FaceTimed Coach Wetzel. That’s kind of how we got our foot in the door.” Jared stated. After that, as a preferred walk-on, Isaiah signed on, and the rest is history. Although the first semester was stressful for the kicker, but he mentioned, “Going home to her has been a lot of fun, serving as a sort of home base.” Currently, the star athlete is preparing for his next challenge in college football.