MIKE LUCAS Senior Writer

BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer

MADISON, Wis. — Prodded to construct his ideal cornerback, Hank Poteat painted the picture on a canvas of his past experiences. All-Big East defensive back. Ten-year veteran of the National Football League with a Super Bowl on his resume. Budding college assistant who paid his dues in the Mid-American Conference.

"First, it starts with the mental part," said the 43-year-old Poteat, who's now bringing his blueprint to the Big Ten and Wisconsin, where he will coach the corners in a secondary collaboration with defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard who will continue to focus on the safeties.

"You can have the skill set. You can have good speed. You can have a good change of direction. Good ball skills. Look good in shorts. Have great workouts. But the mindset — the mentality — has to be on point. For me, I want that dog mentality.

"The way I break it down, I want that guy to be disciplined. I want him to hold himself accountable. I want him to have that great work ethic. And I want him to have that grit. I don't want any situation or circumstance to change his approach to the game or to the process.

"That mental part right there is what I'm looking for. Once we have that down, I love those cornerbacks who are in your face. He's making you work for it — making you earn every yard you get. If you get one on me, he says, 'You got that one. But you're going to have to see me again.'"

You can see why Poteat is a good fit for Wisconsin's smart, tough, dependable theme. Certainly, he's no stranger to the tenets of Paul Chryst's program. Poteat broke into the Division I coaching ranks as a graduate assistant on Chryst's staff at the University of Pittsburgh — Poteat's alma mater.

As a third-round pick of the Steelers in 2000, he reflected on his NFL journey, "I had a lot of grit. It helped me with understanding how to deal with setbacks and obstacles and how to persevere and have the endurance to be able to deal with those situations and still push through.

"Those are the same type of characteristics that I've tried to preach and teach and display and show my players. I want a guy who has grit. I got a chance to play for a lot of different coaches and learned a lot of different things in a lot of different schemes.

"Those different things I experienced in the NFL shaped me and helped me grow as a person."

Poteat was cut multiple times by multiple teams. But it only reinforced his resolve.

All of this came up in conversation during Poteat's interview with Leonhard.

"We talked about our philosophy on things and how we value family and building relationships with our players so that we can help them develop and play at a high level based off their skill set — understanding what works for them instead of putting them in a box," Poteat said.

"We saw things from the same perspective. We talked a little bit about our time in the NFL and some of our experiences. We had similar experiences when it comes to being journeymen and playing on several different teams. There were a lot of things that we definitely could compare and agree on.

"I enjoyed talking to him and I'm excited to have the opportunity to work with him."

Poteat is five years older than Leonhard. Both played a decade in the NFL. Poteat with the Steelers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots, New York Jets and Cleveland Browns. Leonhard with the Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens, the Jets, the Denver Broncos, and the Browns.

Jogging his memory, Poteat said, "We didn't cross paths (on the same team), but we did play against each other when he was with Buffalo and I was with the Patriots … we have a lot of things in common … I heard a lot about him, and a lot of good things."

It is interesting that both ended their pro careers in Cleveland, forcing them to begin anew.

"My last year in Cleveland, as soon as the year was over, I would commute to Pittsburgh and take classes," Poteat said of returning to Pitt and finishing up his college degree. "I had some online courses and some that I had to be in the classroom. I ended up knocking it out.

"I always wanted to finish what I started. To be able to mentor young men and be an example for my own children, I wanted to make sure I completed that degree. It was a great feeling when I graduated. My three children were there along with my dad and sisters."

Hank and Jasmine Poteat have three kids. Jim and Katie Leonhard have three kids. More similarities. But Poteat does have something that eluded Leonhard. He has a Super Bowl ring. It was earned in 2005 with the Patriots who beat the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX.

Poteat was out of football when the Patriots called prior to the playoffs after losing Hall of Fame cornerback Ty Law to injury. While out of the league, he had stayed in shape as a personal trainer with an eye on playing in Canada. But then, the Pats made him an offer that he couldn't refuse.

"I just wanted another opportunity to play football again," said Poteat, who had been dealing with injuries over two previous seasons in Tampa Bay and Carolina. "Bill Belichick and his staff gave me the opportunity to join a great team and it was awesome.

"I had never won a football championship to that point. Not in Little League. Not in high school. Not in college. To do it on the ultimate stage, the biggest championship there is, meant a lot. Any kid who plays football wants to be a champ and wants to go to the Super Bowl."

It didn't take long for Poteat to recognize the greatness of Tom Brady.

"It didn't matter if you were one of the stars or just a role player like myself, he tried to make a connection with everybody," Poteat recalled fondly. "A lot of players respected that and loved that about him along with his drive, his motivation and the way he prepared.

"I was amazed when I got there, he knew my name. He came up to me and introduced himself. I remember walking into the locker room, and he was about to go to the movies with his offensive line and he said, 'Hey, Hank, do you want to come with us?'"

The Brady way, the Patriots way, has influenced Poteat's coaching from his entry-level job at Kentucky Christian (NAIA) to his apprenticeship at Pitt ("They were the first staff that gave me the opportunity to get into the Division I coaching game") to his stints at Kent State and Toledo.

"When you're in that system, the New England Patriots system, all we preached was situational football," Poteat said. "It's all about understanding the blueprint of the defensive and offensive coordinators and what they are trying to do in a situation. It all starts with preparation."

On a different level, it's another reason why he looms as such a good fit for the Wisconsin way.

"Using the things I learned with the Patriots, those core characteristics, has really helped me out just reaching out to my guys," said Poteat, who's also cognizant of how his NFL background impacts high school and college-age players; not unlike Leonhard, new defensive line coach Ross Kolodziej and wide receivers coach Alvis Whitted.

"You instantly have their attention because you've been where they want to go. I always talk about how I have the blueprint or the answers to the test. Whatever they're looking for out of that position — cornerback — I know what it takes."

If asked, he'll give them a look at that Super Bowl ring, too.