The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Hunt ready to excel in the NFL
A little more than a year ago, Kareem Hunt and yours truly spent some time at Willoughby South’s football field talking about his upcoming senior season at Toledo.
Hunt had plenty of things on his mind that August 2016 afternoon.
He wanted to bring a conference championship to the University of Toledo, and become the school’s all-time leading rusher.
He and the Rockets came up short on the first, but Hunt delivered on the second. He finished his Toledo career with 4,944 yards and 44 touchdowns.
The former Rebels star also talked about life after college, and his dream of playing in the NFL.
“People would laugh at me when I would say that,” said Hunt, who began dreaming of the NFL in sixth grade.
Perhaps that’s why he’s played most of his football life with a desire to prove all the doubters wrong.
The doubters will probably be tuning in the night of Sept. 6 as the NFL season kicks off on NBC.
The masses will watch to check out the defending Super Bowl champs and quarterback Tom Brady.
“A lot of people have been tweeting at me, but I don’t know a thing about fantasy football.” – Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt
Hunt will also be on display, as he’s the starting running back for the Chiefs after Spencer Ware was lost with a knee injury in the preseason.
Bears quarterback and Mentor grad Mitchell Trubisky might have generated more headlines and buzz in the preseason. But it’s Hunt’s time now.
Talent got Hunt to prime time against the Patriots. Determination and drive will likely keep him there.
Hunt needs to look no further than across the field for inspiration.
Brady was a sixth-round pick of the Patriots in 2000. Not many gave the former University of Michigan QB any shot of making it in the NFL. He’s used that as motivation his entire career.
For Hunt, it began when he emerged on to the area high school scene. By the time he was a senior for the Rebels, he toyed with the opposition.
As a senior in 2012, he rushed for an area record 2,685 yards and 44 touchdowns.
Recruiters still weren’t impressed.
South coach Matt Duffy vividly remembers the usual conversation he would have with college recruiters about Hunt.
“They would always ask, ‘Where do you see him playing?’ I’d tell all of them, ‘On Sundays.’ No joke.”
Duffy believed then and believes now many bigtime colleges missed out on Hunt.
In turn, Hunt took that slight, and used it as motivation to say, “Oh yeah, watch this.”
“I feel I’m good enough to play in the NFL, but it’s hard,” said Hunt before his senior season at Toledo. “A lot of people don’t want to believe in you unless you’re at a school like Alabama or Ohio State. I feel like I don’t get enough credit for being a good running back.”
The Chiefs believed enough in Hunt to make him their third-round pick last April with the 86th overall pick. Coach Andy Reid was planning to play Hunt behind Ware, but those plans have been expedited.
Now times are changing a bit for Hunt. The Chiefs obviously believe in, as do fantasy owners.
Hunt skyrocketed up fantasy rankings after he was named the Chiefs’ starter, but all that talk might as be a foreign language to Hunt.
He recently told The Kansas City Star he’s never played fantasy football, which has made the preseason a bit confusing.
“A lot of people have been tweeting at me, but I don’t know a thing about fantasy football,” said Hunt. “Are you gonna play? Are you gonna start? How many carries?”
Hunt ignores the fantasy noise.
He just wants to play, and continue fighting for respect.
The first NFL step officially begins Sept. 6 in Foxboro, Mass., against the Patriots on the biggest stage of Week 1. Hunt’s made it. Don’t expect to be him to be satisfied with just making it.