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Pigs & Pigskins: The life of Jason Hodde

The Burton football coach has one of more unique side jobs in all of Texas

BURTON, Texas — Jason Hodde isn't the type of football coach who holds anything back.

"Oh he'll put you in your place but it's for a good reason," Burton senior Carson Lauter says.

It's hard to argue with the results though. Since taking the head coaching gig at Burton in 2011, the Panthers have won district five times and reached the 2A DII State Semifinals twice.

"He might be hard on you sometimes if you don't do the right thing, but you just got to say yessir and go with it," senior captain Waylon Hinze says.

The one thing missing from Hodde's coaching resume is a state championship, but he does have plenty of other championship experience.

When Hodde isn't holding a pigskin, he's raising show pigs on his family farm.

"We've won county show champions," Hodde says. "We've had breed champions at major shows too."

Think of the newborn piglets like freshman on the football team. The pigs then have to earn their spot in the pen, and when they're big and strong enough, the best of the bunch get sold to buyers all across the country. It's almost like making varsity.

"It's about 80 percent work and 20 percent fun but it's so rewarding," he says.

Hodde may be the only coach in Texas that raises show pigs as a side hustle but he swears it translates to his skills on the sidelines.

"Trying to line up the genetics, getting the right matches together, making them look good for the shows, it's just really rewarding," Hodde says. "It's just like coaching football. We practice and practice and on Friday night we get to see the fruits of our labor. But maybe I'm just speaking like a true pig farmer."

And speaking as a true football coach, Hodde is hoping this is the year the Panthers can finally bring home the bacon.

Burton kicks off its 2021 campaign on August 27 against Holland.

    

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