The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Hunt says Browns ‘can do something special’
Kareem Hunt missed the opportunity to be in the Super Bowl with the Chiefs nearly five months ago and had no one to blame but himself for being on the outside looking in.
Now, however, as he sees it, opportunity is knocking again, and this time his hometown Browns are knocking on the door.
“No question. I think we can do something special here,” Hunt said June 22 on a Zoom conference with media covering the Browns. “I want to get that Super Bowl feeling, and I believe we can do it here in my hometown. That would be bigger than anything, for me. That would bring a championship to Cleveland, especially — I’ve been a fan my whole life. I’ve been with Cleveland my whole life.”
Hunt led the NFL in rushing as a rookie in 2017. Then, in February 2018, the former South running back shoved a woman to the hallway floor of a downtown Cleveland hotel and then kicked her. The video of the incident surfaced eight months later. The Chiefs cut Hunt immediately.
The Browns signed Hunt in February 2019. The NFL suspended him for the first eight games of the 2019 season (he was also banished for the last five games of 2018). He rushed 43 times for 179 yards, caught 37 passes for 285 yards and totaled three touchdowns in eight games. The Browns went 4-4 with Hunt in the lineup.
Then, Jan. 21, a Rocky River police officer stopped Hunt for speeding. The arresting officer discovered marijuana in a backpack and an unsealed bottle of vodka on the backseat of Hunt’s car. Hunt could be heard on audio from the police video saying he would have failed had he been tested for marijuana on the spot.
Hunt was ticketed for driving 77 mph in a 60 mph zone, but he was not cited for the marijuana or vodka.
“I’ve been through a lot, officer. I’ve been through a lot,” Hunt could be heard saying. “You know what happened to me. I should be playing for a fricking Super Bowl. It hurts my soul. You don’t even understand. I’ve been fighting a lot of (stuff) lately. It still hurts me to this day.”
The Zoom conference was the first time media interviewed Hunt since the traffic stop. In the interim, the Browns gave him a second-round oneyear tender as a restricted free agent. He said on the Zoom call he would like to sign a long-term deal with the Browns. Whether that happens could depend on how well he fits into Coach Kevin Stefanki’s offensive scheme and whether he can stay out of trouble – not necessarily in that order.
“I’m blessed that the Browns gave me another opportunity,” he said. “So yes, I am lucky to have another opportunity to play football. You never know. Honestly, I’m just blessed to play the game. I know any second it can be gone.”
Browns offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt is trying to figure the best
way to utilize Hunt and the other weapons the Browns have on offense – running back Nick Chubb, wide receivers Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr., plus tight ends David Njoku and Austin Hooper. Wide receiver Rashard Higgins is in the picture, too.
“We have an idea of what we see his role playing in this offense,” Van Pelt said in a recent Zoom conference. “I think that’s something we have to keep growing. Being away is probably not as good as doing it together and having the ability to see green (grass), run routes and all of the things that he brings as a player.
“We have to find a way to put the best players on the field and the matchups that will come with that each week, and it’ll change weekly. Kareem is an extremely talented runner as a running back, and he’s exceptional out of the backfield, as well. He’s fearless, and the selflessness of him blocking and lead blocking, he’s just a football player who loves to play. We have to find ways to get him the ball.”
The message about varying game plans and spreading the focus week to week is one Stefanski and Van Pelt have repeated often during their virtual coaching sessions, and for good reason. Some big egos are in that locker room. Hunt gets it.
“We have to know there’s only one football, so every game, everyone won’t have a big game,” Hunt said. “As long as we win, that’s the only thing that matters and that’s the biggest thing. We have to understand that. If we’re winning, I’m not mad. I’m going to do whatever — touchdowns, block, whatever.
“Some games, Odell might have 200 yards. Some games, Nick might have 400 yards or whatever, and Jarvis might have 10 or something like that. But we won, so that is the only thing that matters.”
Meanwhile, Hunt is training with Matt Luck, his former track and field coach at South who continues to coach the Rebels, and Rich Zawack, a friend of Luck’s, at Luck’s home.
“They have a nice treadmill, weight room and everything,” Hunt said. “They push me. We go run hills, and that’s what I’m going to keep doing. I have a good two-workouts-a-day deal going. It’s been having me feel real good. I’m just going to keep working and whenever it’s time to report back, I’ll be ready.”