Tennessee Titan Jason Babin Talks Football, Family and Why He's Teaching His Young Sons to Hunt

by Ilyssa Panitz (Subscribe to Ilyssa Panitz's posts)
Dec 27th 2010 4:00PM

Filed under: Sports, Celeb News & Interviews

Jason Babin and his family make time for fun. Photo courtesy of Jason Babin

Jason Babin, a defensive end for The Tennessee Titans, has three passions he loves talking about: sports, family and hunting.

Married to Sara Babin, his college sweetheart, and dad to two boys -- Maddux, 5, and Talan, 3 -- the 2004 first-round draft pick is known as #93 on football field, but he's also dedicated to the sport of hunting.

Babin owns and operates the Babin Ranch, 500 heavily wooded acres in Center, Texas, and home to a variety of animals, including zebras, rams, antelope, wildebeests, deer, elk and buffalo.

In a recent interview with ParentDish, Babin says he has been teaching his young sons how to hunt, and that it teaches them sons valuable lessons. An edited portion of the conversation follows.

ParentDish: Sorry about the season so far.
Jason Babin: Yeah, well, the season is not going according to plan and it does not look like we are going to make the playoffs this year. A couple teams will have to lose, which means we have to win, so, overall, I would say the playoffs are a slim chance right now.

PD: You have had quite a career with the NFL. Texas, Kansas and now Tennessee.
JB: It hasn't gone as planned, but we are on track right now.

PD: Is it hard to plant roots in one place knowing you can get traded at any time?
JB: It is uneasy, which is why I am excited to finally sign a four to five year deal. Now we can be somewhere for a while and finally start a life.

PD: How does your family handle each move to a new city?
JB: My wife has been amazing about it since she is stuck with all of the unpacking since I tend to be in training camp. As for the boys, they look at it as a long vacation.

PD: What's your take on Tennessee?
JB: We love it here because we love country music and the country scenery. We are ready to make it home.

PD: In addition to your role with the Tennessee Titans, you are also a dad.
JB: When I had my first child, Maddux, I was nervous. I was never a dad before and I knew what I did with Maddux was going to be a direct reflection of me in terms of how my wife and I parent him. Now that I have a second child, I am in the groove.

PD: Do you give your boys a special pep talk before you hit the road to play a game?
JB: (Laughs.) Yes, I do. Always. I sit them both down and say, "OK, Daddy has to go to the hotel now, which means you are the men of the house and have to protect Mommy while I am gone." They take it to heart and they take it serious when I am gone.

PD: How do you stay in touch with them when you are away?
JB: We use the iPhone face chat so we can see each other, or the webcam on the computer. I tend to read them stories when they are getting ready to go to bed.

PD: Speaking of children, when you were 7 years old, you started hunting.
JB: Yeah. I started hunting early. Actually, my mom's father was a professional fur trapper for a while and he used to hunt and fish, too. Because of that, they never went to the store for meat. They always hunted for their meals.

PD: So, when you were 7, you learned how to shoot a gun?
JB: They started teaching me with a bow and arrow because that requires more patience and you need to learn patience if you are a hunter.

PD: Don't you think that is too young to teach a kid how to fire a weapon?
JB: Absolutely not. My 5-year-old shot his first deer on a bye-week at my ranch in Texas, and then we made it into hamburger and sausage for the family. We are a pretty hands-on family.

PD: What did you hunt as a kid?
JB: Where I grew up in Michigan, it was deer, rabbit and turkeys.

PD: I find your take on kids handling weapons surprising since you graduated from Western Michigan University with a degree in criminal justice.
JB: Yes, that is true. I grew up in a small town and since it was rural there wasn't a whole lot to do and hunting was common.

PD: You don't think this sends the message to children that it's OK to kill an innocent animal for sport?
JB: We are a meat-hunting family and everything we kill we eat. Look, we have a rule in our house: You do not point a toy gun at anyone. We instill the basics to our kids and, in terms of hunting, we do it because it is how we get our food. We really educate our kids about this and if you teach them the right way, they will learn those lessons early on.

PD: When did you introduce Maddux to hunting?
JB: When he was 3.

PD: Three? My daughter only played on the playground and the beach at 3.
JB: He learned how to shoot a bow and a .22, as well as (my son) Talan.

PD: And you don't think that's way too young for a kid to handle a weapon, let alone learn how to use one?
JB: Maybe it was because my mom wouldn't let me have some of that cool stuff at that age. My mom was very over-protective of me. Look, before my boys did anything, they needed to learn the proper care, such as how to clean a gun and put it away. We always promote safety first.

PD: And your wife allows this?
JB: Yeah, she is on board with it. She knows what I am doing and how I teach them the basics before we do anything else.

PD: I'm stunned other parents haven't given you a hard time about this.
JB: They do, but I don't care.

PD: What are the benefits to teaching your kids how to hunt?
JB: There are three great benefits. One, I feel it teaches them patience. It taught my 5-year-old how to sit still and not move for two hours. It also teaches them life lessons, such as finding food for survival. And, three, we get to spend lot of quality time together, which I wouldn't trade for the world.

PD: You and your dad also run the Babin Ranch Center in Texas where you serve as the owner and your dad is the manager.
JB: He fills in for me while I am gone because we have a lot of corporate outings during the fall season while I am gone due to football.

PD: Do you let kids hunt there?
JB: Yes, we can set it up to be a family atmosphere.

PD: So, at what age can kids go there with their parents?
JB: At least 12, and their parents have to be avid hunters and they always have a guide with them at all times. We always put safety first.

PD: I'm shocked PETA hasn't come after you.
JB: Oh, yeah, and I love to antagonize them. I have even saved some of the letters they sent me -- how I have made the world a darker and gloomier place and my soul will be forever blackened.

PD: Your response?
JB: I invite them to come out, but they never have.

PD: I notice you give a lot of tickets away to needy children to attend a football game.
JB: Yes. I was lucky to have good role models when it came to my parents and, unfortunately, not every child has that. The more I can do to help out children is an amazing feeling.

PD: Do you work with a particular charity?
JB: No, but I am hoping to be in one place long enough to team up with someone. Since I get tickets at face value I purchase them for the children so they can go to a game.

PD: Is it true a lot of athletes follow the same practice?
JB: Yes, a lot of guys do. I think the guys get involved because, if you read some of the bios about these players, you see a lot of them came from nothing and, in the end, made it to the NFL. I think it is a great way to give back and teach other children you can do anything you set your mind to.

ReaderComments (Page 2 of 8)

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1-01-2011 @ 5:17PM

Bob said...

I understand where Jason is coming from. Hunting for your food is very satisfyingin itself. Sure you can go to the gorcery or butcher shop and buy simiiliar meats but knowing you can do it for yourself is the key element here. I bet a bunch of those ladies in PETA wish they could fix their own car and would not have to depend on someone else to do it. It is the same satisifaction. Or sew your own clohthes or paint the walls in your home, etc, etc, etc. Knowing that you can do it by yourself and for yourself promotes and reinforces self esteem.

Lori said...

Wow, doesn't he seem to be taking some of the magic of childhood away from these boys. A time of life when parents try to shield their children from the sad realities of this harsh world. Also teaching them to kill these innocent animals at such tender ages is quite questionable. It could send them the message that killing is the way to go. I suppose the act of killing makes he and his wife feel good and the only way they satisfy this need is by keeping plenty of helpless animals stocked up on their ranch. Oh and what fearless hunters they must be tracking down prey fenced in on their property. Pathetic people!!

1-01-2011 @ 5:54PM

Michigan Man said...

And I'm sure it makes it all better calling their parents pathetic . I wonder how that impresses their tender minds ? Next time you put animals and children feelings in front of human rights check your brain to see if it still works .

1-02-2011 @ 1:10PM

joseph said...

wahwahwahwah. Hunting has been done since the beginning of time..... B.C. A.D. you name the date i guarantee u people were hunting for their food. I much perfer wild animals for dinner then this processed B.S. that is served everywhere you go. As far as having a fenced in property in texas....... well fenced in hunting is better then no hunting at all. Innocent Animals LMAO they wont be so innocent when they crash through your windshield and decapetate you! Yes its true Hunting reduces the amount of accidents and not only that it increases crop production..... which is probably something you know nothing about. And on top of everything i hope that you envision the way the animal is killed that you are eating, everytime, for the rest of your life cause i guarantee its a whole lot nastier and crueler then hunting have a happy new year!

1-02-2011 @ 2:36PM

jessica said...

Would you rather have the animals treated inhumanely in a farm environment, pumped full of antibiotics and hormones, mutilated and then slaughtered after being on a truck for hours with dead companions? Does that sound better to you? Shooting for food is not a sport. It is an honorable way to acquire meat for your diet. Those animals were living freely and not pumped full of medication. They weren't mutilated. They weren't kept confined in cages in which they couldn't even turn around or stand. They didn't get their heads caught in cage bars and left to die. They also weren't boiled alive in a slaughter house. You and all those that hold your point of view are ignorant and just plain hypocritical. Secondly, teaching a child gun safety as well as when and what to shoot is completely being responsible. Pretending something doesn't exist isn't a way to teach your children and it certainly isn't responsible parenting.

1-01-2011 @ 5:26PM

Kelly said...

My family comes from a long line of hunters. I love that my husband is passing that tradition on to our 3 sons. If you don't know about it, understand or taken the time to research it.....don't comment. I know that my brothers and I never had any curiosity around guns because we educated on them and taught safety.
We grew up in a town where it was common practice, a family acitivity and even ok to keep guns locked in vehicles during school so we could hunt after school. We all were required to take a class too. Believe it or not hunters provide a great deal of support for wildlife preservation and contribute an enormous amount of money to fish and game.
While many find it offensive and are quite critical, many of those same people will enjoy steak, chicken and fish with no regard to how it made it your table.
I can respect a vegan..if ya talk the talk and walk the walk more power to ya...all others, step aside while I take aim!

1-01-2011 @ 5:16PM

Carri , I forgive you for your lack of intelligence and name-calling . You are obviously 11 years , a school dropout and have severe mental challenges .

1-01-2011 @ 6:26PM

cari said...

Michigan Man,I'm sorry if you or anyone else was offended by what I said.None of you know me.I'm middle aged,graduated,work 5 days a week ,was raised with guns,hunting,fishing,etc.I love the outdoors.I have nothing against guns if they're used right.I've even thought about getting my CCW license.But cageing animals to hunt and teaching kids it's Ok isn't right.It's not sportsmanship quality.It's a chickens way or lazy persons way to hunt.Anyone could do it.And no where in my first statement did I say I was into animal rights,a vegan or any of that.And I have been to a slaughter house.It's pretty sick.I dated a farmer in high school.

1-02-2011 @ 12:16PM

Bill B said...

MM;

You give Carri a hard time about name-calling and question her maturity and then follow it up by calling her names......Did I miss something? Is there a little slef-contradiction here, or what?

Whatsup Shitbag said...

I taught both of my daughters to shoot at a young age. My youngest could shoot a .22 rifle before she could ride her bike without training wheels. Its important for families to pass THEY'RE values to THEY'RE children. I grew up hunting, fishing, camping and just about anything that involved being outdoors. My parents before me did the same and they're parents before them, ect.... My children understand clearly the responsibility that comes with using firearms. They are taught to respect the environment and wildlife. They enjoy eating wild game just as they do domestic food one must buy at a grocery store. In fact we may grill a few "Bambi" burgers for dinner tomorrow. Howard, where anywhere does it say that he enjoys the sport of shooting someone? Whats truly sad here is your lack of integrity and sheer ignorance, the story is about hunting game, not shooting people, dork. Also, you have no place to even assume you can judge how others raise they're children. Your comments are ignorant, you self-righteous jack-ass. You think hunting on a game farm is wrong, try visiting a slaughterhouse and see if you can stomach that.

1-01-2011 @ 6:12PM

Terry said...

I find it surprising that the interviewer automatically thinks that everyone in law enforcement or law enforcement background supports prohibition of gun ownership. After 39 years in law enforcement, I found just the opposite to be true. We support the prohibition of the bad guys having guns, but it is a constitutional right to 'bear arms' and law enforcement officials are sworn to protect the Consitution! It is what it is.

1-01-2011 @ 6:25PM

Dan said...

These are exotics not native to East Texas. These animals are set up to be killed.. There's no sport in hunting these critters it's for the thrill of the kill and the trophy to hang on the wall. I live here in East Texas and have been hunting all my life and I would never stoop so low as to kill a semi-tame animal..As far as the slaughterhouse, these animals are raised for food.

1-01-2011 @ 10:31PM

Howard said...

What kind of parent teaches young children to kill without a whiff of concern about the animals themselves? Oh I know, someone whose parents taught him the same thing. Compassion and empathy are fundamental values that children must be taught early or they often don't learn them at all. The "eating them" excuse doesn't fly, either; that's a choice, not a necessity, and he's clearly enjoying the entertainment of shooting someone. He runs a hunting "ranch" where the animals are enclosed; some sportsman! How sad for his children. And it certainly doesn't say much for his wife.

1-02-2011 @ 8:16PM

DavidM said...

Shame on you Parent Dish for attacking this man and his beliefs. Where do you think the food & meat comes from. Teaching a young child to hunt and use firearms safely is an honorable act.

1-01-2011 @ 5:55PM

Sam said...

He reminds me of Michael Vick in a way but what he's doing is legal,which is sad.

1-01-2011 @ 8:30PM

WALT said...

"Who do these "Anti-hunters" have do the "killing for them. They go to a fancy restaurant and have a nice steak dinner and evidently don't have a clue how the meat got to their table.
I am a 71 year old man that grew up in Oregon and started hunting with my father and uncles when I was 11 or 12 years old and killed my first deer when I was 13 years old. We always ate everything we harvested. I grew up eating deer, elk and game birds. Although I have never hunted on a "ranch" where the game is enclosed, I wonder how these "anti-hunters" think the animals that they eat are raised. A calf (beef cow) is born and raised on a farm or ranch where they graze in a pasture all day and are fed grain to fatten them for harvest and then all of a sudden "bang" they are slaughtered for human consumption.
These people are the same "Tree Huggers" that think we should not cut any trees in a forest, but still live in a wood home and wear leather shoes.
Many of them have an education that exceeds their intelligence.

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