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 4 of 8)

Add Your Comments

1-02-2011 @ 1:54PM

whatamoron said...

I dont know whats more ridiculous: That he "hunts" those defensless animals or that he named his kids "maddux" and "talon"

1-01-2011 @ 11:49PM

jeremy said...

you are truly the dumbest person on earth

1-01-2011 @ 8:48PM

Brian said...

For all you bleeding hearts......... how do you think the cow that made up your last Big Mac lived.

1-01-2011 @ 9:02PM

Dwells said...

I worked at a slaughter house for 2 years. Step 1 Put a bolt through the animals head. Step 2 Hang it upside down and rip the carcass off from head to tail even if the bolt didnt completely kill the animal. Step 3 Slit the throat and drain the blood. This is just the short version of it. These animals arent innocent they are on 500 acres of land and are not caged. They are not stupid and have self defenses to alert them of danger. You dont just walk out to a field and start shooting. Hunting requires a great deal of skill and respect for the outdoors. Cows are pumped full of steroids antibiotics and are crammed into trucks and driven across the country where some die from the trauma of transport and then the killing begins. 1500 cattle a day in one shift. And you idiots think hunting an animal is cruel. Get a clue just because you have an opinion doesnt make you right. I would rather have deer meat any day, teach my kids about safety so they are not ignorant and unsafe, be stewards to the land so it can be passed on for generations. You people make me sick . Get of the couch and learn something useful.

MarkRB said...

I have to laugh at a lot of you people on here. This guy is doing great spending time with his kids and teaching them respect and confidence. He is teaching them that if you're going to eat something, you should be willing to kill it respectfully. You people who are crying for the defenseless little animals are the first ones who will probably eat a hamburger or fried chicken from a restaurant. How the heII do you think that food got there? By the way, I'm not a hunter either. But don't come down on this guy for teaching his kids how to do it. Besides, a couple hundred years ago, we'd all be hunting, or starving.

1-01-2011 @ 9:09PM

pokeyratso said...

I think anyone who eats meat should be required to kill, clean and cook their own at least once in their life.(by the way I eat meat)

1-01-2011 @ 9:17PM

no1hagermd said...

Im a member of peta PEOPLE
EATING
TASTIE
ANIMALS
for all you ignorant animal lovers yall are like a fart you make a loud noise and you stink

1-01-2011 @ 9:11PM

kevin said...

What planet are most of these people from ??? Are you doing your hunting from the local supermarket ???? We are as a race hunter and gatherer's . I was raised in a small New England town which is VERY conservative . I was six years old when I learned to drive a tractor by my uncle and I was 7 when I learned to fire a 22 rifle at YMCA Day Camp . We hunted pheasant in the field right by multi million dollar estates . Give me a break !! Does this person who wrote this article a hunter at the supermarket , IN the city ! I think your line of questioning on this SUCKS !!! And it smells from here . Have we gone so gar that we have forgotten our roots and where we came from . These animals might be considered exotic by some , but , they are on 500 acres of land .Dont buy Zebra Burger at the store next time , someone will . Think about that the next time you want an Ostrich/Buffalo/Cow?Turkey/Chicken/Pig burger . I suggest that all you people who want to put the blinders on , to all you eat GO VEGAN ! It's OK for someone to do the killing for you .Jason is teaching old world values and teaching his son's about respect about life in a careful way with lots of safety valves . Anyone that has lived on a farm can see what Jason Babin is doing is not a reach , it is about the cycle of life . Jason , if you read this , write me . Let's do a trip to Florida for some wild Boar hunting . It does not taste like chicken . For the rest of you , need a trip to Manby Pamby Land !!

1-01-2011 @ 9:12PM

JEFF said...

I remember the first time my dad had me kill an animal it was pretty traumatic but it gets easier the more you do it....

1-01-2011 @ 10:31PM

Howard said...

My point exactly.

1-01-2011 @ 9:18PM

deer killer said...

when the civilized society falls and the only people survivng are those who have learned the art and skill of hunting . I hope your art and opry shows can feed your dumb hide. ITS BEEN SAID ITS BETTER FOR PEOPLE TO THINK YOU A FOOL THAN YOU OPEN YOUR MOUTHY AND REMOVE ALL DOUBT.

1-01-2011 @ 9:16PM

Scott said...

Good story about family time and values. In a world in which people lash out at each other because they think differently,grow up! It's ok to hunt with your kids,if that's what you want to do, and it's ok if you don't want to do it either. Just don't force your ideas on me. I enjoy hunting, and everything we take, feeds needy families. Gun safety is critical and an important lesson to be learned at an early age. The family time a dad spends with his kids lasts a lifetime and they will remember it forever.

1-02-2011 @ 10:47PM

Brandon Giuda said...

Yeah Lou - teach your kids to be hypocrites while you bring them to McDonalds. Tell them about those "soul-less" hunters, while you shelter them from the realities of where their food comes from. Typical ignorant modern-world elitist.

1-01-2011 @ 9:22PM

lou said...

i take my kids to the woods to take pictures of wildlife. it teaches them to enjoy the outdoors. without seeing the eyes of the animal being drained of life as it slowly dies ,. like a souless hunter would do !

1-01-2011 @ 9:30PM

mike said...

i agree lou, how can showing a little kid the cruelty of killing something good? we teach our kids compassion.

economystc said...

I don't care what these vegetarian manipulaters say, if they were hungry enough they would eat their own leg. Teaching self sufficancy is never wrong. It builds sound character, confidence and self esteem. I say manipulators because this article did not say that he hunted the animals listed, it said he imported them for his ranch. You jumped on the opportunity to claim he hunts those animals. I mean really-who would eat a Zebra?

1-02-2011 @ 2:42AM

Stephen said...

Anyone who eats meat doesn't have the right to open their mouth about hunting without being a hypocrite. If you eat meat, what's the difference if it comes from a slaughterhouse or if you killed the animal yourself for food? The person above who described what happens in a slaughterhouse performed a valuable service for the hypocrites to think that killing animals yourself for food is worse than eating meat from a slaughterhouse.

Spending time with your children to teach them about any activity is a virtue. There is nothing wrong with guns, only those who misuse them to commit crimes. And victims of accidental shootings are those who are not taught proper gun safety. It's a simple matter of treating every gun as though it were loaded and never pointing a gun at anything you don't want to shoot. Those who think shooting sports are bad are simply uninformed about this.

The young people who get into trouble are those who don't receive the type of quality parenting, love, and attention that Jason is giving to his sons.

1-01-2011 @ 9:37PM

Jen said...

Innocent animals?? NOT ! If some of you would take the time to learn about hunting and what it requires I think you wouldn't be so quick to condemn the hunters. I was harassed by a woman when I shot my Buck with a bow. For months she told me that I had killed Bambi and spread that around. Finally I had enough and told her that I didn't shoot Bambi, I shot Bambi's father. I also told her that she needed to grow up because Bambi is only in the cartoons. That Bambi she is talking about can and do attack people. I for one, sat for hours not moving, not making any noise. I earned that deer and was lucky that he came along. I hunted for years and spent alot of hours in the woods until i had the opportunity to get the deer. Also, my family really enjoyed the deer meat. It is so much healthier for you than farm raised meat. It is not fatty or greasy and it doesn't have all them hormones injected into it. That deer had one heck of a better chance to get away than the cattle do when they are taken to the slaughter house. Now if you are a vegetatarian then you shouldn't be killing poor little baby vegetables either. They also have feelings to you know and they are also so very innocent. Grow up, get a life, and live it and let others live theirs. If you anti hunters had your way we would be eating artificial foods and get cancer from them. Hunting is a way to teach kids to be responsible for their actions, respect animals, and learn that eating food is just a part of life and that all their food doesn't come from the grocery store shelves. It teaches them that there are some things in life that you have to learn about and it all isn't flowers and candy. There are some things in life that are just what they are and thats it.

1-01-2011 @ 9:48PM

ton said...

Just the fact that these ignorant hunters would dress up to sit around in camouflage is the dumbest thing. most of these idiots have nothing better to do !i say go to Iraq and do some real killing!

1-01-2011 @ 10:08PM

mmfruitveg said...

Liberalism and anti-hunters, anti gun, and anti "anything normal" people have a mental disorder, I can prove it. I have NEVER met a liberal anti hunter who was not a complete idiot.
Always unhappy, miserable, and utterly insane. They really do have a mental disorder, it is obvious. This guy who hunts is a blue chip individual and he is teaching his kids how to be men, and what hunting means and the family values involved. I challenge anyone here to debate me on this...with facts, not emotional drivel.........Mike

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