Photo by: Brett Rojo
Hobbs Lives Every Day Like it’s His Last
9/17/2018 1:00:00 PM | Football
By Tanner Brown, Media Relations Assistant
For University of Tulsa football's Justin Hobbs, time management and discipline are two life lessons he practices every day since growing up in Overland Park, Kansas.
Overland Park is the second-most populated city in Kansas behind only Wichita. In Hobbs' case, Shawnee Mission West High School produced an American Athletic Conference second-team receiver with more than 2,000 career receiving yards heading into the 2018 season.
Hobbs has accumulated six career 100-yard receiving games and he has totaled 143 receptions for 2,162 yards and 10 touchdowns.
The 6-foot-4-inch, 230-pound athlete sports jersey No. 29 across his chest. Not the most common number for a receiver, Hobbs wears the number in honor of a fallen teammate and best friend from Kansas.
Hobbs' best friend Andre Maloney died a day after collapsing on the football field in their senior season at Shawnee Mission West High School.
"That was really difficult," Hobbs said. "I just took away from it, and this sounds cliché, but your life could end at any second. So that's the approach I take in life – live like it's your last day every day."
Although his first lesson came from heartache, his next moral guide stems from his childhood hobby.
"When I was 4, my sister and I joined Taekwondo," Hobbs said. "It was just another sport I liked, along with flag football at the time. I think it's taught me a lot of things in life."
Hobbs just didn't take the class one time and be done with it, he became a black belt in Taekwondo, a Korean traditional martial art that shows ways of enhancing one's spirit through rigorous training.
"It's taught me self-confidence and many other things," Hobbs said. "I feel like Taekwondo taught me in times of adversity, don't panic. I've applied that sense of staying calm in life and to football."
Hobbs indeed has a calm demeanor, despite his athletic build and impressive size for his position. He weighed approximately 200 pounds when arriving at TU and now tips the scales over 230 pounds, crediting his physical growth to his teammates and the Tulsa strength and conditioning staff.
During his time at Tulsa, Hobbs' most prominent memory came from an extremely successful 2016 season. "I would say going to Miami for the bowl game (Miami Beach Bowl) was one of my favorites," Hobbs said. "That was fun and a once-in-a-lifetime experience just to go there with all my brothers and enjoy myself."
The Hurricane overpowered Central Michigan to the tune of a 55-10 win, and thus finishing the season with a 10-3 record. Hobbs finished his sophomore season starting all 13 games and totaling 685 yards and four touchdowns.
Apparent to many, Hobbs is well-built physically and mentally, and poised for even more success moving forward this season and in life.
For University of Tulsa football's Justin Hobbs, time management and discipline are two life lessons he practices every day since growing up in Overland Park, Kansas.
Overland Park is the second-most populated city in Kansas behind only Wichita. In Hobbs' case, Shawnee Mission West High School produced an American Athletic Conference second-team receiver with more than 2,000 career receiving yards heading into the 2018 season.
Hobbs has accumulated six career 100-yard receiving games and he has totaled 143 receptions for 2,162 yards and 10 touchdowns.
The 6-foot-4-inch, 230-pound athlete sports jersey No. 29 across his chest. Not the most common number for a receiver, Hobbs wears the number in honor of a fallen teammate and best friend from Kansas.
Hobbs' best friend Andre Maloney died a day after collapsing on the football field in their senior season at Shawnee Mission West High School.
"That was really difficult," Hobbs said. "I just took away from it, and this sounds cliché, but your life could end at any second. So that's the approach I take in life – live like it's your last day every day."
Although his first lesson came from heartache, his next moral guide stems from his childhood hobby.
"When I was 4, my sister and I joined Taekwondo," Hobbs said. "It was just another sport I liked, along with flag football at the time. I think it's taught me a lot of things in life."
Hobbs just didn't take the class one time and be done with it, he became a black belt in Taekwondo, a Korean traditional martial art that shows ways of enhancing one's spirit through rigorous training.
"It's taught me self-confidence and many other things," Hobbs said. "I feel like Taekwondo taught me in times of adversity, don't panic. I've applied that sense of staying calm in life and to football."
Hobbs indeed has a calm demeanor, despite his athletic build and impressive size for his position. He weighed approximately 200 pounds when arriving at TU and now tips the scales over 230 pounds, crediting his physical growth to his teammates and the Tulsa strength and conditioning staff.
During his time at Tulsa, Hobbs' most prominent memory came from an extremely successful 2016 season. "I would say going to Miami for the bowl game (Miami Beach Bowl) was one of my favorites," Hobbs said. "That was fun and a once-in-a-lifetime experience just to go there with all my brothers and enjoy myself."
The Hurricane overpowered Central Michigan to the tune of a 55-10 win, and thus finishing the season with a 10-3 record. Hobbs finished his sophomore season starting all 13 games and totaling 685 yards and four touchdowns.
Apparent to many, Hobbs is well-built physically and mentally, and poised for even more success moving forward this season and in life.
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Players Mentioned
Wide Receiver
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