Tony Hunt (running back)

Antonio Christopher Hunt (born November 24, 1985) is a former professional American football running back. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played two NFL seasons. He also played one season in Austrian Football League. Hunt played college football at Penn State.

Tony Hunt
No. 29
Position:Running back
Personal information
Born: (1985-11-24) November 24, 1985
San Antonio, Texas
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:233 lb (106 kg)
Career information
High school:TC Williams Alexandria (VA)
College:Penn State
NFL Draft:2007 / Round: 3 / Pick: 90
Career history
Roster status:Free agent
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Rushing attempts:14
Rushing yards:25
Rushing touchdowns:2
Receptions:6
Receiving yards:42
Receiving touchdowns:0
Player stats at NFL.com

Early years

A standout player at T. C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia, Hunt rushed for more than 2,000 total yards and also played linebacker, defensive end, and even punted.[1] He was named the Alexandria Sportsman Club Player-of-the-Year in 2002-03.[2] He was also a stalwart on the track and field team, finishing eighth in Virginia in the discus as a junior.[2]

Hunt originally made a verbal commitment to play football at University of Southern California, but instead signed a letter-of-intent with Penn State upon learning of Reggie Bush's commitment to the Trojans.[3][4]

College career

Hunt finished his Penn State career 2nd all-time in career rushing yards with 3,320 yards and first all-time with 654 carries (5.08 avg.). A Doak Walker Award candidate in 2006, Hunt became only the fifth Nittany Lion to rush for back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and the fifth to rush for more than 3,000 career yards. He was named Big Ten Conference Offensive Player of the Week after a career-best 167-yard rushing game versus Temple.

Hunt led Penn State in rushing during the 2005 and 2004 seasons, amassing 1,047 and 777 yards respectively, earning the nickname Tony "Big Game" Hunt.

At the outset of his college career, Hunt was overshadowed by fellow running back Austin Scott, who was considered the more promising recruit, having broken many Pennsylvania high school football records. Despite this, Hunt won the starting running back job through his work ethic, and by virtue of being a better pass blocker than Scott.

Hunt was also named the MVP of the 2007 Senior Bowl on January 27, 2007, after leading all running backs in total yards.[5]

Hunt was also named the 2007 Outback Bowl MVP.[6]

Professional career

Philadelphia Eagles

Hunt was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles, 90th overall, in the 3rd round of the 2007 NFL draft. Critics and fans alike thought the move would finally give Brian Westbrook the short-yardage back he always wanted. In his rookie season, however, Hunt saw limited playing time behind Correll Buckhalter managing just 16 carries and one touchdown. After the Eagles acquired Lorenzo Booker from Miami, he was pushed to fourth on the depth chart ahead of only Ryan Moats. The Eagles had traditionally only kept three. On August 18, 2008, the Eagles official website confirmed Hunt would get reps at fullback after Jed Collins, Jason Davis and Luke Lawton failed to secure the job, and Hunt's impressive preseason game against the Carolina Panthers which he broke a 51-yard run.[7] He was unofficially named the Eagles' starter after the other three full backs were released.[8]

Hunt was released from the Eagles on October 14, 2008.[9]

Raiffeisen Vikings Vienna

In March 2011, Hunt was signed by the Raiffeisen Vikings Vienna, an American football team in Austria. He rushed for 413 yards on 88 carries and seven TD's.[10]

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References
  1. Sports Roundup - Sports - Alextimes - Alexandria Times :: Alexandria News, Real Estate, Autos and Classifieds Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine
  2. Default - Penn State University Official Athletic Site Archived 2006-10-14 at the Wayback Machine
  3. "Scout.com: The Obvious and Not So Obvious". Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2006-12-14.
  4. Scout.com: The Daily Recruiting Word
  5. Associated Press (2007-01-27). "Smith leads North to victory in rainy Senior Bowl". NFL.com. Archived from the original on 2007-02-03. Retrieved 2007-01-27.
  6. Outback Bowl
  7. http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/Story.asp?story_id=15900%5B%5D
  8. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-09-06. Retrieved 2008-09-06.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. http://philadelphiaeagles.com/news/Story.asp?story_id=16435%5B%5D
  10. Neugebauer, Alfred. "RB Tony Hunt ehemaliger Philadelphia Eagle und Penn State Spieler landet in Wien!" [RB Tony Hunt former Philadelphia Eagle and Penn State player lands in Vienna!]. raiffeisenvikings.com (in German). Archived from the original on 2011-03-10. Retrieved 2011-03-08.
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