Hunt gets call of a lifetime from Chiefs

‘What a great feeling’: South grad, Toledo RB chosen in third round of NFL draft

Every time Kareem Hunt’s cell phone rang, he flinched in anticipation.

Shortly after 10:30 p.m. April 28, Hunt finally got the call he was looking for.

This one didn’t make him flinch.

It made him cry.

The senior running back from the University of Toledo rose to his feet, walked across the back room at the Barley House in downtown Cleveland and sat down next to his mother Stephanie.

On the other end of the line was the Chiefs, letting the product of Willoughby South High School know they were going to select him with the 22nd pick (86th overall) in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft.

Nodding his head as he listened to what was being said to him, Hunt wiped tears from his eyes.

Seconds later, the announcement came over the nearby television, enticing a massive throng of family and friends to erupt in applause.

“What a great feeling,” Hunt said. “I’ve been working all my life for this. I’m just happy to be part of the program. I really didn’t care where I went. I’m just ready to go out there and continue pursuing my dream.”

Prior to the beginning of Day 2 of the draft, Hunt tried to guess who might be selecting him. The heavy favorite he said was San Francisco, since he had a phone conversation earlier in the day with new 49ers general manager John Lynch, who told Hunt he was on their radar.

Tampa Bay, Minnesota and others were in the mix, too, Hunt said.

Kansas City didn’t come to the front of his mind, mainly because that was one of the cities he hadn’t visited for a workout.

But as the evening wore on and as the second round passed, Hunt began to wonder where he was going to end up and when he was going to find out.

“It was very tough,” Hunt said. “I didn’t have any clue where I was going. I thought maybe San Francisco, but the Chiefs came in and swooped me. I feel like they got a great pick. I’m going to give it my all every play.”

Hunt joins a Kansas City backfield that includes incumbent starter Spencer Ware and backup Charcandrick West.

After rushing for 1,475 yards and catching 41 passes for 403 yards as a senior at Toledo, Hunt is expected to vie for playing time right off the get-go.

“I didn’t go visit them (prior to the draft),” Hunt said, “but I know they have a great running backs coach.”

Kansas City’s running backs coach is former Colorado star and Chargers starter Eric Bieniemy.

“We had a great relationship at the combine. We met, and it went well,” Hunt said. “Now I’m part of the Chiefs.”

The dozens of supporters at the Barley House included many family members, numerous former teammates at South, and coaches from South.

One was Rebels football coach Matt Duffy.

“Unbelievable,” Duffy said, smiling proudly. “It’s so neat to see this reaction with his family. What a neat thing.

“I could tell from the first time I saw him he was a different kid — special. You looked at him and said, ‘This kid has something you don’t see every day.’ It was neat for me to coach him and watch him play the game of football.”

Duffy paused for a moment, then brought up the thought of both Mitchell Trubisky — the second overall pick of the draft going to the Bears — and Hunt both being high draft picks this year.

“How about Lake County?” Duffy said. “I bet you don’t see something like this ever again.”

JOHN KAMPF — THE NEWS‑HERALD Kareem Hunt, with his mother Stephanie by his side, gets the call from the Chiefs informing him they were selecting him in the NFL draft.

JOHN KAMPF — THE NEWS‑HERALD Kareem Hunt talks to the media in Kansas City after being selected by the Chiefs on April 28 in the NFL draft.