Griffin Hebert: Path To The NFL Draft
By Simon Carroll
Louisiana might just be the most culturally diverse state in America. A melting pot of French, African, American and Canadian influences,The Pelican State is known for its cajun and creole cuisine, Mardi Gras celebrations, bayous, music, and of course, football. Sitting in the heart of SEC country, the passion for the game is as fervent there as it is anywhere in the south, regardless of your demographic or zip code.
In that regard, Griffin Hebert was no different to any other Louisianan. Except, once he caught the football bug, he wasn’t just satisfied with watching it – he wanted to live it. The former LA Tech tight end sat down with Simon Carroll to discuss his path to the NFL Draft:
Football: Love At First Sight
LSU are kind of a big deal in Louisiana. And with Charles and Lanette Hebert both being Louisiana State alumni, it was inevitable that their son Griffin would become obsessed with football. Growing up in Lafayette, just an hour away from Baton Rouge, the three of them would travel to Tiger Stadium frequently. It also helped that the Heberts considered a school legend as one of their closest friends:
“I’ve had a football in my hand since I can remember. I fell in love with the sport at a very young age, ever since my parents took me to LSU games. I was a huge fan and had season tickets. And my family was very close with Jacob Hester, the former Tigers’ running back who ended up in the league with the Chargers and Broncos. I met him when I was young, and had a real connection to an actual football player. I loved watching him on the field. From that moment I knew I wanted to be in his position someday.”
And thus, Griffin Hebert’s passion for the game was born. He continued to be a fan until he was able to get on the field himself, joining the football team at St. Thomas More High school at the earliest opportunity. Tall and quick, he inevitably found a home at wide receiver, a role he excelled at. By his own admission, Hebert had no other ambition at that time other than playing to win a state title…
“At high school, I was incredibly driven to win a state championship. Of course, if I’d have stopped to think about it, I would definitely have wanted to play at the next level. But at that time it really wasn’t my main focus. My junior year we had a state split for the first time between private and public schools in 4A academic sports. That made the path to winning state a lot easier, and reinforced our belief we could do it. So really, that goal preoccupied me.”
It wasn’t an unrealistic ambition, as St. Thomas More went all the way that very year – the first state championship in the school’s history. On an individual note, Griffin’s high school career was impressive, recording 1,000 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns, as well as being named all-district as both a junior and senior. At this stage, attention shifted to what was next on his football journey.
From Rodeo To Recruiting
A single child, Hebert enjoyed the support of his parents with football. But when it came to embarking on a college career, the whole family was treading new ground:
“My parents didn’t really know how to put me through recruiting. They’d never done it. They tried their best, but neither of them were athletes in college and didn’t have that experience. The majority of my family either showed livestock or were involved in rodeo. My parents were both from Grand Chenier, a small town on the south coast of Louisiana. They moved to Lake Charles after Hurricane Katrina, but it was a very rural lifestyle. They met through participating at ‘4H’, a government scheme that helps people network, socialise and develop life skills – and showing livestock was a part of that. But football recruiting certainly wasn’t!”
This was not a new narrative for me to hear; last year, Luke Masterson, the eldest of eight children, also needed help with the recruiting process. And just like Masterson, Hebert leaned on his high school coaches to show him the ropes and find himself a home:
“There was so much to do, I didn’t know where to start. It really fell on my high school coaches to help me through that process. And they did a great job of getting my name out there, sending my film out, liaising with Rivals and 24/7 sports and organising the Hudl accounts – things that I would never have been able to do myself. And i was really appreciative of their assistance. But I’ll never forget the day it started; I was in class, when I get the call over the loudspeaker to come to the coaches office. I had absouletly no idea what for, I presumed it was something I had done wrong in practice. But when I got there, a South Alabama coach introduced himself and said ‘i’ve watched your tape, and I want to offer you a scholarship’. I was in complete shock.”
Relocating To Ruston
Despite originally committing to South Alabama, Griffin changed his mind, and decided to continue his football career at Louisiana Tech – a school in Ruston, three hours north of Lafayette. In America, that’s considered a short stroll in the grand scheme of things. But for Hebert, the difference in culture between the two cities was stark.
“Lafayette, Baton Rouge and New Orleans is kinda more of the cajun culture. And what I know now is, the further south you go, the better the cooking! My mom is where Coach Orgeron is from, so she was raised down the Bayou, learned how to cook seafood at an early age. I was definitely spoiled when it came to food. I got up there and had to make do on my own, but I realised quite quickly that my mum was a much better cook than I ever gave her credit for.”
So if it wasn’t for the cuisine, what went into the decision to go and play for the Bulldogs? A football purist, Hebert pointed to the explosive offense head coach Skip Holtz had installed at the program:
“Football was the reason why I was going to college, so I looked at the team. The offense was doing so well up there; Trent Thompson and Carlos Henderson were two explosive receivers putting up huge numbers, and picturing myself in their shoes, it was just too good an opportunity to pass up. Yeah, I had offers from elsewhere, but I only took one official visit (LA Tech), and I’d already committed before I’d even visited. I wanted to be a part of Coach Holtz’s offense.”
‘Other offers’ doesn’t quite tell the story. Hebert had legitimate interest from six other FBS programs. But more impressively, there was contact from Ivy League schools Yale, Columbia and Cornell. Griffin is polite, eloquent and well spoken throughout our conversation, and making the Conference USA honor roll every year at LA Tech alludes to his obvious intelligence. When asked if education factored into his decision at all, Hebert had no regrets.
“Like I said, I only took the one official visit. I would have loved to go on more – I was offered four more. Annapolis (Navy) was somewhere I wished I could have visited, and of course the Ivy League schools would’ve been cool. It was flattering to receive attentions from such prestigious institutions, and obviously education is important – I have to hang up my cleats at some point. But I wouldn’t change where I went to college.”
Hebert Makes His Mark
Redshirting his first year on campus, Griffin Hebert had to wait a season before seeing the field, initially contributing on special teams. But it was the following year, in 2019, when he got his first start on offense – and he made an instant impact, catching a touchdown pass in Austin against Texas on his debut. He would go on to rack up 537 yards and 6 touchdowns in a season that delivered a lot of success for the Bulldogs. Hebert has fond memories of that year in Ruston:
“I mean, winning is fun! And that was the winningest time we’ve had there, so I consider that season to be the highlight of my career. We beat a Power 5 team in the bowl game (Miami, Independence Bowl) to reach that ten win landmark, and for a Group of 5 school that’s so hard to do. You have the tough out of conference schedule to begin the season before you compete for the Conference USA. So to make history like that was really satisfying.”
Success was harder to come by for both Hebert and LA Tech the next two years, with the team slipping to five wins and then three. Griffin reflects on how COVID made 2020 a tough year for the program.
“It was so hard. We didn’t even know if we were playing at one point. It was a difficult year and I didn’t make the most of it just because of that uncertainty. We were locked out of the facility, so we built a rack out of wood and put it in the strength and conditioning coach’s garage. Me and Kody Russey (Patriots) would just go there and work out every morning, trying desperately to keep a routine. Our days were so empty and we didn’t want to lose our work ethic. It was hard to keep morale up when you didn’t know if your game was going to be cancelled. But those two years of adversity helped me appreciate the good times, and gave me motivation to finish my career strong.”
Developing His Game: The Transition To Tight End
Griffin Hebert is a matchup nightmare for opposing teams who can't seem to stop him from coming down with the ball. @ghebert99 @LATechFB @DraftDiamonds are found at the #HulaBowl pic.twitter.com/zxsh2pPAhL
— Hula Bowl (@Hula_Bowl) October 15, 2022
Ahead of his final year with the Bulldogs, Griffin Hebert experiences his first change in head coach, with Sonny Combie coming in to replace the departing Skip Holtz. Before he allows me to move on however, Hebert is anxious to give credit to the coaching he received from the staff who had recruited him and helped him shine on the gridiron:
“I’m still very close to those guys, and they’re all doing very well. Skip is in the USFL with the Birmingham Stallions and just won the Championship there. Coach Joe Sloan was the guy that helped me hone my craft, encouraged my move from outside to the slot where I played some of my best ball. He really went to bat for me for gametime in that 2019 season. But my favourite staff member was Kurt Hester, the (aforementioned) strength and conditioning coach. He was a huge part of my development, helping me put on pounds and get faster. He was at Tulane this year and helped take them to the Cotton Bowl. I really appreciate all those guys for everything they did for me.”
In College Football, nothing ever stands still. Alongside the change at head coach, Hebert also embraced a change in position, converting to tight end.
“Coach Combie was the one who suggested the position change, based upon my size. I had been getting bigger every year, and looking back it was a natural progression from outside, to slot, to working in the box. The roster didn’t really have a tight end like he used at Texas Tech, so really I was all he had. It was tough at first; my first spring practice, going from blocking cornerbacks to defensive ends – the first couple of days were rough! But I soon got comfortable with it, and like to think it has added another tool to the belt.”
Success And Adversity
The switch to tight end, from an outside perspective, was a huge success. Combie and the LA Tech offense utilised Hebert’s speed at the Y position to take advantage of mismatches in the deep field. The first six games of the 2022 campaign, he led all tight ends in the nation in receiving yards, and all PLAYERS in the nation in yards per catch. But a fractured ankle abruptly ended both Hebert’s season and his collegiate career. It was a frustrating development to accept, particularly with his growing ambitions of continuing his football career at the highest level of all – the NFL:
“Oh man! My name hung up there at the top of those stats charts for a week or two after, and all I could do was sit there and watch as it slipped down, powerless to stop it. It was hard to take, even though I had no control of it. But I guess I was lucky enough to have those six games and get some exposure, at the beginning of the season against bigger out of conference opponents. Selfishly, it may have helped me showcase my abilities on the biggest stages.”
Griffin looks to the positives, but the ankle injury was untimely to say the least. His impressive career led to an invite to the Tropical Bowl, which Hebert turned down to focus on the end of his recovery. Considering what is at stake, it’s a reasonable conclusion as he prepares for LA Tech’s pro day on March 14th. Working out at Cooper Sports Performance in Tampa, Hebert is now back running at 100% and looking to improve impressive baseline measurables. His agent believes that, by the time the scouts are in town, a 4.4 second forty, 41” vert and 25 bench reps are not out of the question – quite simply outrageous numbers for a tight end, even in the modern NFL.
All Eyes On The NFL
Big-time playmaker @ghebert99 | #EverLoyalBe pic.twitter.com/vICOPS328Z
— LA Tech Football 🏈 (@LATechFB) September 19, 2022
Griffin knows how hard it is to make it at the next level. He tells me he’s done some research; how some of the best tight ends in the league have come from different positions, and he hopes to tread a similar path. In a league that has shown more of an appetite for route running and athleticism from their tight ends in recent years, he certainly has the CV for it. Now it’s just a case of putting it out there for the NFL to see.
Before we sign off, I ask him if there’s any team that would be extra special to get a call from on draft weekend…
“I grew up as a Saints fan, because I had a 5th Grade teacher who was a Saints fan. And every time they won, we wouldn’t get homework. And that was the season they won the Super Bowl, so as a kid I really grew to appreciate what Sean Payton was achieving down in New Orleans! But in all honesty, it’s not about which team calls – it’s that they DO call. I’m an only child, and my family sacrificed a lot, taking me to extra training as a kid. Their efforts allowed me to excel on the field. One of my favourite phrases is ‘do it for the people that say you can, not those that say you can’t’. That’s my mindset, because you’re gonna get noise. But they’ve remained behind me all the way. And if my name gets called, I’ll be anxious to see the looks on their faces. This is for them.”
Momma Hebert better make some of that cajun cuisine to go; her son’s football journey isn’t over yet.
A huge thank you to Griffin for taking the time to talk to us. Everyone at The Touchown wishes him well in his future career.