When the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga sent out a call for help in the first few minutes of last Saturday’s game at Samford, special agent Ibi was quickly on the scene to restore order on the football field.
After star freshman running back Ailym Ford went out early with a knee injury, Elijah Ibitokun-Hanks (“Ibi” to his teammates) returned from his own leg injury after missing four games to rush for 139 yards and two touchdowns and catch a touchdown pass in the Mocs’ 35-27 victory.
It’s the kind of positive result the graduate transfer from Newark, New Jersey, who is studying criminal justice, hopes to provide in his future career.
“I want to be an FBI agent,” the 5-foot-9, 205-pound Ibitokun-Hanks said after practice Thursday. “I’ve always had interest since I was a kid in the criminal justice field. It’s always been exciting for me to watch those types of shows growing up. It always seemed so interesting and challenging.”
If determination is any indicator of future professional success, Ibitokun-Hanks has already proven he doesn’t give up easily. When he injured a hamstring during a 73-yard touchdown run in the Mocs’ 60-36 win against Western Carolina on Sept. 28, instead of going down or heading out of bounds, Ibi chose to keep moving downfield.