TEXARKANA MAGAZINE
C obi Hamilton’s farm in Nash, Texas, is like driving up on a tiny slice of East Texas heaven. Observing the beauty of the wildflowers and the magnificence of the cattle is a mesmerizing experience. It is easy to see why, in a busy and complicated world, this is Hamilton’s oasis. Many had a different path in mind for the young athlete, but after a lifetime of devoting his focus to playing football at Texas High School, the University of Arkansas, and the NFL (first drafted to the Cincinnati Bengals in 2013), Hamilton’s enthusiasm for cattle never waned; he could not resist returning home to his roots in 2018. “Some kids’ ultimate dream is to play in the NFL, and all they care about is football, football, football,” he said. “Everybody wants me to be a football player, but this (cattle) is my passion. I’ve been doing this since I was a little kid. I could have continued playing football, but I was ready for my life to start.”
Hamilton spends most days traveling to cattle sales throughout East Texas and Southern Arkansas to acquire new herds to be sold as replacement cattle. Upon their arrival at the farm, the cows are sorted and grouped to his liking and eventually transported to their new homes. “I’ve always been around cattle sales, so I didn’t just jump into it,” reflected Hamilton. Even amid the intense rigor of the NFL, he was making cattle sales from afar. A self-proclaimed Daddy’s boy, Hamilton, was around his father’s Beefmaster cattle business from an early age, and by ten years old, he was tying up calves in the same barn where his business is located today. “I am easily stereotyped,” he said, “because I’m dark-skinned and have long hair. When I walk into a sale barn, the other buyers think, ‘Who is this guy?’” However, it doesn’t take long for Hamilton to establish himself. The way he carries himself and his obvious expertise of the industry demands respect. “They want to ask questions and
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LIFE & STYLE
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