The Hog Pod with Bo Mattingly

Hayden Henry understands that he's probably not the first member of the Henry family that comes to your mind. You might think of his older brother, Hunter, a tight end for the New England Patriots. Or Hudson, his younger brother and tight end for the Razorbacks. Or maybe even his dad, Mark, a pastor in Little Rock and former Razorback himself. But now, Hayden is making a name all on his own. And when he hears his name called, he's reminded his final season as a Hog almost never happened. When you want something bad enough, you're going to put in the work. And Hayden has done that, going from walk-on, to scholarship player, to SEC Defensive Player of the Week. But perhaps most importantly, he has the trust of his teammates. Playing for Arkansas has been a source of pride for the Henry family. And now Hayden is making the Razorback family proud.

Arkansas running back Trelon Smith is on a path to be a big-time playmaker for the Razorbacks. But if it wasn't for football, his life might've taken a different turn. A Texas high school football standout, the sport gave him the opportunity he wanted. But after a couple of seasons at Arizona State, Smith entered the transfer portal—landing him an Arkansas offer he was quick to accept. It might not have been that easy at first. He had to sit out a year due to transfer rules. And he was behind Rakeem Boyd on the depth chart. But he knew he'd get his chance. And when the chance came, Smith was ready, piling up 710 yards on just 134 carries in 2020. Had football not kept Smith on the right path, Arkansas may never have been in the picture. Now, he's looking to become the next Razorback 1,000-yard rusher.

Make no mistake: Sam Pittman is fired up to be Arkansas' head coach. And that passion for the Razorbacks has united the state behind the Head Hog, led to T-shirts and catch phrases, and has Razorback fans excited to see what's next after a solid debut season. While it's refreshing—and incredibly important—to have a head coach who embraces the state and relates to the people the way Pittman has, it's not the only thing that matters. This is a proud program that wants to win games. And Pittman knows it. As he continues to revive a program—and a fan base—that's starving for success, Year 2 can be a major step in the right direction.

Ask most Razorback fans, and they'll tell you that Year 1 under Sam Pittman was a resounding success. There were SEC wins—something the Razorbacks had gone two full seasons without—but more than that, the fight, effort and toughness had returned to a proud Arkansas program. The season wasn't without its ups and downs, but Pittman took it all in stride and wouldn't change a thing. He knows there's a lot to build on. And so as Pittman and his staff enter Year 2 at Arkansas, where are the Razorbacks in the building process? And what has he been pleased with? Under Pittman's leadership, Arkansas seems well on its way to making the state proud of Razorback football once again.

When it comes to new Razorback tight ends coach Dowell Loggains, you'd be forgiven for thinking time is a flat circle. Yes, he's back at Arkansas, where his football dream began. But that's about it when it comes to history repeating itself—he's no longer a backup quarterback or holder extraordinaire. No, he's an accomplished and well-traveled coach, who has led offenses at the highest level in the game. That resume has granted Loggains incredible opportunities and a great career in the NFL. But there's always just been something about Arkansas. Coaching football has been a dream for Loggains, one that's brought him back home to Arkansas. And it's the guys like him—those who desperately want to be Razorbacks—who end up having the biggest impact.

Casey Dick had some huge moments in his Arkansas career. He took down Tennessee when College GameDay came to town. He had back-to-back legendary victories over LSU—including a triple OT win & the Miracle on Markham 2. But his career wasn't all big moments. He was in the middle of one of the biggest QB controversies in Razorback history when Mitch Mustain came to campus. On top of that, he went through one of the most drastic coaching changes a quarterback could imagine when Bobby Petrino took over for Houston Nutt. Dick went through it all and came out with a career that may not have been filled with Hall of Fame numbers, but was made up of Hall of Fame moments.

Want more?

Follow The Hog Pod with Bo Mattingly on social media.

Twitter: @TheHogPod

Instagram: @TheHogPod

Facebook: facebook.com/thehogpod

Want more?

Follow The Hog Pod with Bo Mattingly on social media.

Twitter: @TheHogPod

Instagram: @TheHogPod

Facebook: facebook.com/thehogpod

When people in the basketball world hear the name Keith Smart, they think of the Indiana guard that made 'The Shot' to win a national title, a long-time NBA coach and a former JUCO star. But apart from all of his on-court accolades, Keith Smart is something more. He's a cancer survivor. We sat down with Coach Smart to talk about how battling and beating a rare form of skin cancer changed his perspective on life and coaching forever.

Want more?

Follow The Hog Pod with Bo Mattingly on social media.

Twitter: @TheHogPod

Instagram: @TheHogPod

Facebook: facebook.com/thehogpod

NCAA Champion. World Champion. Olympic silver medalist. All of these things describe former Arkansas track star and professional pole vaulter Sandi Morris. Before she arrived on the Hill, she was just a little girl who paid a boy a quarter to race her, and fell in love with track forever. Morris' journey at Arkansas and professionally has been a ride: From finding a coach that changed the entire approach to the sport, to helping the Hogs win their first-ever national title in a women's sport and breaking a bone in her hand eight weeks before her first Olympic trials. They all culminated into the moment that has fueled her every day since 2016: a split second of feeling what it was like to be a gold medalist before the bar fell on her final jump in Rio. We sat down with Sandi as she prepared for the Tokyo Olympics to tell her story as she vaults for another chance at gold in 2021.

Want more?

Follow The Hog Pod with Bo Mattingly on social media.

Twitter: @TheHogPod

Instagram: @TheHogPod

Facebook: facebook.com/thehogpod

Heading into the 2020-21 school year, no one even knew if college sports were going to be a thing. But universities found a way to safely allow their student-athletes to compete in the sports they love. Arkansas excelled in that area: Despite millions in revenue loss and the safety concerns that came with the pandemic, the Razorbacks were successful both on and off the playing field.

We sat down with Arkansas Director of Athletics Hunter Yurachek to break down how Arkansas navigated a global pandemic and achieved unprecedented success along the way.

Want more?

Follow The Hog Pod with Bo Mattingly on social media.

Twitter: @TheHogPod

Instagram: @TheHogPod

Facebook: facebook.com/thehogpod