Hank Poteat facts for kids
| Iowa State Cyclones | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Cornerbacks coach | ||||||||||||
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| Born: | August 30, 1977 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 195 lb (88 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Harrisburg (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) |
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| College: | Pittsburgh | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2000 / Round: 3 / Pick: 77 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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Henry "Hank" Major Poteat, Jr. was born on August 30, 1977. He is a former professional football player. He played as a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). Today, he is a coach for the Iowa State Cyclones football team, specializing in cornerbacks.
Hank Poteat was chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 2000 NFL draft. Before that, he played college football for the Pittsburgh Panthers. He played for 10 seasons in the NFL. He was part of teams like the Steelers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots, and New York Jets. He even won a Super Bowl ring with the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX.
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Early Life and College Football
Hank Poteat went to Harrisburg High School in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He was a talented athlete, playing football, basketball, and running track. In football, he was chosen as an All-Conference player twice. He played both as a running back and a defensive back.
During his college career at Pittsburgh, Hank made 136 tackles and caught 10 interceptions. He also set a school record for kick return yards with 1,917 yards. As a junior, he was named a 2nd team All-American. He was also a 1st team All-Big East player. He led his conference and was fourth nationally with six interceptions that year.
As a senior, he again received All-Big East honors. He was also a 3rd team All-American. He was excellent at punt returns, averaging 16.2 yards per return. He finished with 55 tackles, three interceptions, and nine passes defended. Hank Poteat was the last Pittsburgh defensive back to earn All-Big East honors in two seasons in a row until Darrelle Revis did it in 2007.
Professional Football Career
Hank Poteat had a successful career playing for several NFL teams.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers picked Hank Poteat in the third round of the 2000 NFL draft. He was the 77th player chosen overall. As a rookie, he was one of the best returners in the NFL. He set a Steelers record for the longest punt return for a touchdown at Three Rivers Stadium, which was 54 yards. He averaged 13.0 yards per punt return, which was fourth best in the AFC. At the end of his first season, he was named to the All-Rookie team as a punt returner.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
After playing for the Steelers, Hank Poteat signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played in one game for them before being released in November 2004.
New England Patriots
Hank Poteat joined the New England Patriots before the 2004–05 playoffs. He played in all three of their playoff games. The Patriots went on to win Super Bowl XXXIX that year. He was released by the Patriots in August 2006 but re-signed in September. He was released again in October 2006.
New York Jets
Just one day after leaving the Patriots, Poteat signed with the New York Jets. He stayed with the Jets for a few seasons. In February 2007, the Jets re-signed him for another year. He was released in August 2008 but rejoined the team three weeks later in September.
Cleveland Browns
In March 2009, Hank Poteat signed with the Cleveland Browns. This move brought him back together with coach Eric Mangini, who he had played for in New England and New York.
Coaching Career
After his playing days, Hank Poteat began a career in coaching.
He worked as an assistant coach for Kentucky Christian University in 2011 and 2012. In 2013, he went back to the Pitt Panthers as a graduate assistant coach.
From 2015 to 2016, he was the cornerbacks coach for Kent State University.
Toledo Rockets
In 2017, Poteat became the cornerbacks coach for the Toledo Rockets. He helped the team win the MAC Championship that year.
Wisconsin Badgers
In February 2021, Hank Poteat became the cornerbacks coach at Wisconsin. He took over from Jim Leonhard and reunited with Paul Chryst, who he had worked with at Pittsburgh.
Iowa State Cyclones
In January 2023, Hank Poteat became the cornerbacks coach for the Iowa State Cyclones. He continues in this role today.
Personal Life
Hank Poteat is married to Jasmine Poteat. They have three children: Ariana, Sierra, and Henry “Tre” Poteat III. Their son, Tre, is also a football player and plays as a defensive back for the Tennessee Volunteers.
