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Leonard Hankerson was a third-round selection by Washington back in the 2011 NFL draft. Many Washington fans thought Hankerson was a steal. A physical presence, Hankerson tied Michael Irvin for the most receiving touchdowns by a Miami receiver in 2010.
Unfortunately, his NFL career didn’t quite mirror his successful college career. Hankerson wasn’t a bad pro; he just didn’t quite live up to what many believed he could be as an NFL wideout. Sadly, injuries played a part, as Hankerson played in four games as a rookie and just one game in his final season of 2014.
Hankerson caught 81 passes for 1,081 yards and six touchdowns in his four seasons with Washington. His final NFL season in 2015 was split between three teams: Atlanta, New England and Buffalo.
It didn’t take long for Hankerson to get into coaching. Now, at 33-years-old, Hankerson is a full-time NFL position coach. The San Francisco 49ers officially announced Hankerson as the new wide receivers coach on Monday.
Changes to the 49ers coaching staff for the 2022 season: pic.twitter.com/fT4aFd0Mbx
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 7, 2022
Hankerson spent the 2021 season with the 49ers as a quality-control coach on offense. Before coming to the NFL in 2021, Hankerson spent time in the college ranks at UMass and Stephen F. Austin as a wide receivers coach.
San Francisco’s head coach is Kyle Shahanan. Shanahan was Washington’s offensive coordinator in 2011 when Hankerson was drafted, and he spent three seasons coaching him. Shanahan later brought Hankerson to Atlanta for a brief time when he was the offensive coordinator.