Robert Hunt – June 8, 2021
Tuesday, June 8, 2021
G/T Robert Hunt
(I wanted to get your thoughts on the move from tackle to guard. When did the coaches let you know? Have you been preparing your body as if you’ll be a guard this year? What have you done differently and how do you think that transition is going?) – “It wasn’t a set thing. I think all of us train to play all five positions, and I’ve been training that way since college, and I’ve been training that way since last year. Just like the next man up, or wherever the coaches need me to play specifically, that’s where I’ll go. I’ve been working at a couple of positions, and it doesn’t feel bad. It’s not bad.”
(You just mentioned playing many positions since college. I was wondering what type of influence did Rob Sale play in your development early on in your career?) – “He played a lot. Coach Sale taught me a lot. I love Coach Sale. Me and him still have a really good relationship to this day. He influenced me and always told me that I would be able to play all five positions, and that’s what I’ve been able to do. I’m just trying to perfect my craft any way I can.”
(I have a question with regards to what Offensive Line Coach Lemuel Jeanpierre calls as I guess the principles of the offensive line with detailed, disciplined, and nasty. I’m wondering how do those traits kind of fit what you bring to the game?) – “I think that is football honestly. I love football. I love playing football. I think at the position that we play we have got to be tough, smart, and nasty, and disciplined. I think that’s just a part of the game and especially for o-linemen. I think that I bring all of those aspects to my game.”
(If I could follow up with you real quick you’ve got G/T Jesse Davis in the room, OL DJ Fluker, I mentioned Offensive Line Coach Lemuel Jeanpierre. They’ve all played multiple positions in their career, and you’re listed as guard/tackle. How have they kind of helped you in terms of learning multiple positions?) – “Like I said, everybody is training different positions, so everybody is always helping each other with everything. Like I said, since college I’ve always been playing every position. I kind of already got the idea of how to switch because I played in college left guard, right guard, right tackle, left tackle. So like I said, whatever I’m needed to do, I’m willing to do that just to help the team.”
(A few minutes ago, Josh mentioned Rob Sale and when I spoke to Rob, this is what he said. He said “Rob can play tackle for a long time in the NFL or he could be a Pro Bowl guard.” So Sale is very high on your projection as a guard. What is the guard mindset, and what about your size and power do you think can translate when you’re at the guard position?) – “This would be my first year playing guard since my sophomore year in college if I do play it. Like I said, we’re all moving around, but it’s football at the end of the day and … (inaudible) whatever I’m needed to do, I hope my body will hopefully allow me to do that. I’m super blessed to be playing this game and to be in this position. Whatever I’m needed to do, I will definitely do that. I know that my body should work with me to help me do that.”
(After you were drafted all of us were informed about your upbringing and the fire at the house and all of that. What has last year kind of meant to you and your family maybe more than financially, but having that stability of an NFL paycheck in your life now?) – “I’m extremely blessed. I wouldn’t take this for granted. I would tell – me passing along to the people in my city or whatever, it’s just a blessing. It’s an honor to be here. Whatever I can do to maintain and keep playing just to do this – I love the game of course – I’m doing this for the game, but it’s definitely a blessing to know where I’ve come from to be here, and to actually be doing what I have to do to and compete for a spot or compete for a job. Just to be in this facility and everything and the NFL is a huge blessing.”
(Just the fact that you’re grateful for it, I mean it probably shows a different mindset than the tackle/guard, where I’ll play and all of that stuff. For you to be here, are you kind of pinching yourself kind of every moment that you have that you kind of reflect that I’m here, and I’m making it, I’m doing something for myself?) – “A little bit. Like I keep saying I’m extremely blessed, but the end of the day, I think it’s going to happen regardless. You never know what’s going to happen in our life. It happens for a reason. God always puts it in our life for a reason, so it was meant to happen regardless since birth. I didn’t know about it, none of us knew about it, but it was going to happen regardless and I’m extremely blessed, like I said. I take it day by day.”
(I wanted to ask you, your fingernails, is that for fashion? Is that for football? What do you have going on?) – “I wouldn’t say for football. It’s definitely for me. This pair’s kind of old, but this is what I like. I think it’s groovy. I think it’s different of course, and I like different.”
(What’s the – I can’t get a great view of it. What do you have going on there?) – “Just a different style. I got a little lightening bolt, I got some stars, I got a heart, I got the moon. Just different things. It just came to my head, and I wanted to put it on my nails. I think it’s fun.”
(Obviously last year you made the transition being a rookie. This year the rookie is T Liam Eichenberg. First of all maybe you can make him carry your pads in training camp – I don’t know if anybody actually made you do that last year. What can you tell Liam? What have you told Liam about making the transition to the league and being a pro?) – “I think that, not just Liam (Eichenberg), but all of the rookies, I think we’ve got a good group first of all. All of them want to learn. All of them want to be really good, I think we’ve got good coaches in ‘Lem’ (Lemuel Jeanpierre, (Erick) Wren, ‘Flats’ (Shawn Flaherty), and we’ve got the older guys. We’re still – second year guys, of course we’re not rookies anymore – but we’re still learning. We’re still very young. We’re just trying to teach them, and we’re still watching the older guys as well. He’s watching and he’s learning just like everybody else. He’s a great kid just like the rest of them. Rob Jones and Larnel (Coleman), all of those guys – really good kid.”
(I promise I’m not trying to get into your financials or anything like that, but was there anything you did like maybe for your family back home like get a new house or buy something or provide for somebody along the way that showed maybe how much you’ve been able to help?) – “No. I definitely haven’t bought a house for anybody. I haven’t bought a house for myself. No, I definitely haven’t done that. I’m still young in my career. I still – like I said, this is a huge blessing for me. I want to take full advantage of it for myself, and of course my family and my future family. Just being smart with my financials. I’m taking it day by day, of course nicks and knacks there. If somebody needs help, of course that’s my family, but nothing serious, nothing too crazy. Nobody has gotten a house yet or anything like that, like myself.”
