Army West Point Athletics
Photo by: Danny Wild-Imagn Images
October 29, 2026 | Football
WEST POINT, N.Y. - Glenn Davis is the most decorated athlete ever at West Point with 10 varsity letters in four sports, a Heisman Trophy, and three straight football national championships. He graduated 80 years ago, when it was common for athletes to play something each season. It was a different era, one that required a very different level of commitment.
Jaxon Hammond, from Memphis, Tenn., is Army's only multi-sport male varsity athlete. West Point football's senior starting cornerback is also an All-Patriot League sprinter who became the school's first 60-meter conference champion in nine years (6.77 seconds) last Spring.
Multi-sport athletes are a dying breed. Coaches aren't willing to share like they used to, athletes have become more focused on one sport, and being that versatile can make extracurricular activities feel like a full-time job.
None of those reasons apply to Hammond, who refers to his two-sport commitment as a "blessing."
"I love the opportunity to compete. I'm so thankful to my coaches. They didn't try to dissuade me. They said, 'we want to support you to be able to compete at the highest level.' They have bent over backwards to make sure that I can compete for both programs," said the chemical engineering major who made West Point's Dean's List last spring while completing his ninth season of college athletics (across football, indoor and outdoor track).
Hammond is at West Point in the summer to prepare for the football campaign, starts practicing with the indoor track team after playing Navy, or following a bowl game, and then aspires to sprint into June for the NCAA Track & Field Championships. That's a big commitment for someone who might want to become a biomedical engineer and work on prosthetics, and might explain why just a handful of multi-sport varsity men combined compete at the three (Army, Navy, Air Force) schools vying for the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy.
"Like with anything else here, it takes sacrifice, whether that be time, sleep or anything physical. When you truly love what you're doing, it doesn't feel like that," said Hammond, who once darted from Spring football practice to compete in a home Army track meet.
The former Christian Brothers High School (CBHS) standout has six tackles and a pass breakup in six starts this fall for an Army squad that is 4-2 and coming off wins over Tulane and Florida Atlantic. He's living up to the expectations people in Memphis had for him.
"Jaxon is a rare talent, and I was blessed to have coached him," said Thomas McDaniel, the director of athletics and head football coach at Christian Brothers High School. "He is everything you want in a student-athlete. He is extremely intelligent, well-spoken, a hard worker and a great competitor. Nothing he's done at Army surprises me, and I could easily see him running our country someday."
"Running" might be the operative word. His parents, Dwuan (former LSU hoopster) and Rachelle (high school gymnast, cheerleader), figured Jaxon had potential on the track when he was a toddler at the airport. "They put me down (shortly after I learned to walk) and I started running down the ramps and was gone. They were like, whoa, this kid can run. So they started me off with track. My sister also ran track, so she kind of inspired me to take that further," said the sprinter with three CBHS records and four state championships and whose 100-meter time of 10.35 was a Tennessee 2A Region record, 16th nationally.
Hammond went from flying inside airports to liftoffs on Memphis area tracks before cruising into collegiate competition. He credits CBHS Track Coach Jay Mathis for his sprinting success, but it's obvious Hammond had plenty of natural ability. As a college freshman in 2023, he broke the Army record in the 100 with a 10.42 and also ran the 4 x 100 relay for the Black Knights.
The name Jaxon Hammond was showing up often in the Commercial Appeal and the Daily Memphian. The kid who learned to play guitar because of his affinity for the blues was making Tennessee high school defensive players sing the blues while setting the single-season CBHS receptions (40) and receiving touchdowns (13) records in 2022. Hammond cherished his Friday Night Lights.
"It was electric. Our student section actually won best section in the country. It was a source of great pride to wear the gold helmet at Tom Nick Stadium. Games were packed at home (4,200 capacity)… and on the road," said the all-region and Dandy Dozen football selection who was equally prolific academically as a National Honor Society member and more.
Army is using Hammond's speed and ball instincts on defense. His best collegiate game thus far came at Tulane on Oct. 18, 2025, when the 5-foot-10, 172-pound corner made three solo stops and broke up a pass. He matched that solo tackle mark this year against FAU.
The transition from Christian Brothers to West Point was natural for Hammond. His high school required community service, something the future Cadet relished, and service is what it's all about at Army. In addition, neither school's football game jersey has a player's name on the back.
"It's representing stuff bigger than yourself," said Hammond. You grow up dreaming about having that name on your jersey while playing in the backyard. Once I got here, I realized it's not about me. It's about my brothers (on the team). I really love having "Army" on the back of the jersey because it's showing exactly who you're representing."
While eluding his parents in the airport may have lined him up for track, a 7-on-7 program was his jumpstart into college football and playing defense. That's where he met former NFL player James Williams, who operated a program called Pro Process Academy (PPA).
"He (Williams) taught me about grit and grind, work ethic and toughness. At PPA, he really looked out for me, and that's where I started learning how to play corner," said Hammond of the current cornerbacks coach at Kennesaw State University. "I was more about the opposite side of the ball growing up."
The "grit and grind" saying is a real thing around Memphis, and Hammond says he hears it all the time, especially since his hometown NBA team adopted the slogan when he was a young child.
"I really do think that people from Memphis are inherently tougher. And I think he (Williams) really taught me that."
Hammond's love for Memphis is obvious. The people, the food, the music, the Memphis Mustangs Track Club, and his mom's singing are just a few things he spoke fondly about. He was salivating as he described the barbecue at The Rendezvous on South 2nd Street and at Corky's on Poplar Avenue, though he was likely famished having come to the interview after a Tuesday evening practice.
The Black Knight veteran has been part of 30 Army football wins, including a 12-2 record in 2024 and a pair of bowl game victories. He is looking forward to more milestone team moments, but he's also begun to wax poetic on his gridiron career.
"I feel like it's not enough time. I can't believe I'm already a senior. Feels like I just got here. I am just enjoying the last moments that I have with these guys, and getting to play my last football game in the city of Memphis will be a full-circle moment."
In May of 2027, Hammond will walk across the stage at Michie Stadium Preserved by USAA, his football playing home for the past four years, graduate from the United States Military Academy and become a Second Lieutenant in the US Army.
Secure Your Seats
There is no setting quite like West Point. To purchase directly online now, visit GoArmyWestPoint.com/ticketsor call 1-877-TIX-ARMY.
Need other ticket options? Complete the form HERE identifying your ticket interests and an Army representative will contact you!
Army West Point Athletic Association, Inc. (AWPAA)
AWPAA is an IRS code 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation established to execute the United States Military Academy's intercollegiate athletics program. AWPAA is led by a board of directors that provides guidance to the director of athletics, who serves as the primary advisor to the USMA Superintendent and the USMA leadership on all NCAA operations. The AWPAA mission is to recruit, educate, train and inspire leaders of character who are committed to the Army values through an extraordinary Division I athletic experience.
—www.goarmywestpoint.com—
Jaxon Hammond, from Memphis, Tenn., is Army's only multi-sport male varsity athlete. West Point football's senior starting cornerback is also an All-Patriot League sprinter who became the school's first 60-meter conference champion in nine years (6.77 seconds) last Spring.
Multi-sport athletes are a dying breed. Coaches aren't willing to share like they used to, athletes have become more focused on one sport, and being that versatile can make extracurricular activities feel like a full-time job.
None of those reasons apply to Hammond, who refers to his two-sport commitment as a "blessing."
"I love the opportunity to compete. I'm so thankful to my coaches. They didn't try to dissuade me. They said, 'we want to support you to be able to compete at the highest level.' They have bent over backwards to make sure that I can compete for both programs," said the chemical engineering major who made West Point's Dean's List last spring while completing his ninth season of college athletics (across football, indoor and outdoor track).
Hammond is at West Point in the summer to prepare for the football campaign, starts practicing with the indoor track team after playing Navy, or following a bowl game, and then aspires to sprint into June for the NCAA Track & Field Championships. That's a big commitment for someone who might want to become a biomedical engineer and work on prosthetics, and might explain why just a handful of multi-sport varsity men combined compete at the three (Army, Navy, Air Force) schools vying for the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy.
"Like with anything else here, it takes sacrifice, whether that be time, sleep or anything physical. When you truly love what you're doing, it doesn't feel like that," said Hammond, who once darted from Spring football practice to compete in a home Army track meet.
The former Christian Brothers High School (CBHS) standout has six tackles and a pass breakup in six starts this fall for an Army squad that is 4-2 and coming off wins over Tulane and Florida Atlantic. He's living up to the expectations people in Memphis had for him.
"Jaxon is a rare talent, and I was blessed to have coached him," said Thomas McDaniel, the director of athletics and head football coach at Christian Brothers High School. "He is everything you want in a student-athlete. He is extremely intelligent, well-spoken, a hard worker and a great competitor. Nothing he's done at Army surprises me, and I could easily see him running our country someday."
"Running" might be the operative word. His parents, Dwuan (former LSU hoopster) and Rachelle (high school gymnast, cheerleader), figured Jaxon had potential on the track when he was a toddler at the airport. "They put me down (shortly after I learned to walk) and I started running down the ramps and was gone. They were like, whoa, this kid can run. So they started me off with track. My sister also ran track, so she kind of inspired me to take that further," said the sprinter with three CBHS records and four state championships and whose 100-meter time of 10.35 was a Tennessee 2A Region record, 16th nationally.
Hammond went from flying inside airports to liftoffs on Memphis area tracks before cruising into collegiate competition. He credits CBHS Track Coach Jay Mathis for his sprinting success, but it's obvious Hammond had plenty of natural ability. As a college freshman in 2023, he broke the Army record in the 100 with a 10.42 and also ran the 4 x 100 relay for the Black Knights.
The name Jaxon Hammond was showing up often in the Commercial Appeal and the Daily Memphian. The kid who learned to play guitar because of his affinity for the blues was making Tennessee high school defensive players sing the blues while setting the single-season CBHS receptions (40) and receiving touchdowns (13) records in 2022. Hammond cherished his Friday Night Lights.
"It was electric. Our student section actually won best section in the country. It was a source of great pride to wear the gold helmet at Tom Nick Stadium. Games were packed at home (4,200 capacity)… and on the road," said the all-region and Dandy Dozen football selection who was equally prolific academically as a National Honor Society member and more.
Army is using Hammond's speed and ball instincts on defense. His best collegiate game thus far came at Tulane on Oct. 18, 2025, when the 5-foot-10, 172-pound corner made three solo stops and broke up a pass. He matched that solo tackle mark this year against FAU.
The transition from Christian Brothers to West Point was natural for Hammond. His high school required community service, something the future Cadet relished, and service is what it's all about at Army. In addition, neither school's football game jersey has a player's name on the back.
"It's representing stuff bigger than yourself," said Hammond. You grow up dreaming about having that name on your jersey while playing in the backyard. Once I got here, I realized it's not about me. It's about my brothers (on the team). I really love having "Army" on the back of the jersey because it's showing exactly who you're representing."
While eluding his parents in the airport may have lined him up for track, a 7-on-7 program was his jumpstart into college football and playing defense. That's where he met former NFL player James Williams, who operated a program called Pro Process Academy (PPA).
"He (Williams) taught me about grit and grind, work ethic and toughness. At PPA, he really looked out for me, and that's where I started learning how to play corner," said Hammond of the current cornerbacks coach at Kennesaw State University. "I was more about the opposite side of the ball growing up."
The "grit and grind" saying is a real thing around Memphis, and Hammond says he hears it all the time, especially since his hometown NBA team adopted the slogan when he was a young child.
"I really do think that people from Memphis are inherently tougher. And I think he (Williams) really taught me that."
Hammond's love for Memphis is obvious. The people, the food, the music, the Memphis Mustangs Track Club, and his mom's singing are just a few things he spoke fondly about. He was salivating as he described the barbecue at The Rendezvous on South 2nd Street and at Corky's on Poplar Avenue, though he was likely famished having come to the interview after a Tuesday evening practice.
The Black Knight veteran has been part of 30 Army football wins, including a 12-2 record in 2024 and a pair of bowl game victories. He is looking forward to more milestone team moments, but he's also begun to wax poetic on his gridiron career.
"I feel like it's not enough time. I can't believe I'm already a senior. Feels like I just got here. I am just enjoying the last moments that I have with these guys, and getting to play my last football game in the city of Memphis will be a full-circle moment."
In May of 2027, Hammond will walk across the stage at Michie Stadium Preserved by USAA, his football playing home for the past four years, graduate from the United States Military Academy and become a Second Lieutenant in the US Army.
Secure Your Seats
There is no setting quite like West Point. To purchase directly online now, visit GoArmyWestPoint.com/ticketsor call 1-877-TIX-ARMY.
Need other ticket options? Complete the form HERE identifying your ticket interests and an Army representative will contact you!
Army West Point Athletic Association, Inc. (AWPAA)
AWPAA is an IRS code 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation established to execute the United States Military Academy's intercollegiate athletics program. AWPAA is led by a board of directors that provides guidance to the director of athletics, who serves as the primary advisor to the USMA Superintendent and the USMA leadership on all NCAA operations. The AWPAA mission is to recruit, educate, train and inspire leaders of character who are committed to the Army values through an extraordinary Division I athletic experience.
—www.goarmywestpoint.com—
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