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RB Tony Hunt ran for over 1,300 yards as a senior at Penn State this past fall

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Running Hard

Jan 24, 2007 - His hugely productive career at Penn State may be over, but running back Tony Hunt has one more opportunity to don the Nittany Lions’ helmet, thanks to the 2007 Senior Bowl.

And when Hunt drives that classic, single-stripe helmet into whatever small crack appears between the tackles during Senior Bowl practices in Mobile, Alabama, he invariably makes observers think of another very successful Penn State back.

Hunt has heard the Larry Johnson comparisons before, of course, but he isn’t trying to claim that type of status just yet.

“He’s an elite-level type running back and I’m just trying to get started,” said Hunt, who rushed for 3,320 yards and 25 touchdowns as a collegian, averaging 4.8 yards per tote. “Penn State tends to produce the same type of football players. They recruit certain types of backs, the type that Joe Paterno likes. You will notice a trend of Penn State backs being similar in certain areas.”

You will also notice Hunt if you spend any amount of time watching the North team practice this week at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. The solidly-built, 220-pound back isn’t flashy, but he has been exactly as advertised – a North-South runner who runs with power and can dish out as much punishment as he receives. Hunt, who caught 88 passes for 799 yards in his four Penn State seasons, has also looked very comfortable catching short passes out of the backfield.

Hunt isn’t flashy off the field, either. When it is suggested to him that he has had a strong week through the first three practices, he deflects the comment and focuses on the overall Senior Bowl experience.

"Every day guys are coming out here and playing like it’s a regular game. There’s nobody going half-speed in practice. This is like we’re actually playing five games this week. You want to come out and look your best every day."

“I’m having a lot of fun out here,” said Hunt. “Just playing with all the guys that you get to watch on TV all the time, coming out and being able to size yourself up with different guys is great. It’s just a fun week and a good experience.”

Of course, Hunt does understand that he is in the middle of an extended job interview, that hundreds of NFL scouts and coaches are watching his every carry, block and pass route. That fact is hard to forget when every practice takes on the atmosphere of a more formal competition.

“It’s different than a regular game week where you’re preparing for a game,” said Hunt. “Every day guys are coming out here and playing like it’s a regular game. There’s nobody going half-speed in practice. This is like we’re actually playing five games this week. You want to come out and look your best every day.”

Hunt has accomplished that goal, and perhaps improved his draft status in the process. After Johnson finished his Penn State career with 2,953 rushing yards, 26 rushing touchdowns and 65 receptions – stats quite similar to Hunt’s – he was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs with the 27th pick of the first round in 2003. Johnson was the second back taken in that draft, and a bit of a controversial choice in that the Chiefs already had touchdown machine Priest Holmes on the roster. Kansas City is no longer taking heat for that pick, as Johnson has developed into an MVP-caliber performer while Holmes’ career has been interrupted by injury.

Hunt isn’t necessarily showing up in the first round in the early mock drafts circulating the web. And as he said himself, any direct comparisons to Johnson have more to do with playing style and Penn State progeny then outright predictions of NFL success. Still, there are certainly worse names to have attached to your own, and Hunt has done nothing to sully the reputation of those powerful Lion running backs this week in Mobile.

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Additional Notes from the Senior Bowl

The North team held its final full-pads practice on Wednesday morning, working for approximately two hours on a very brisk morning at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. The team’s Thursday morning workout will be more of a review session as the players try to tighten their grasp on the offensive and defensive schemes they’ve been force-fed this week.

After the squad’s third practice of the week, Head Coach Jon Gruden urged the players to study on Wednesday afternoon and to remember the importance of situational football, such as third downs, short-yardage situations and red-zone defense. Here are several more notes from Wednesday’s practice:

Reinforcements showed up for the North team’s thinned offense on Wednesday. Kansas State running back Thomas Clayton arrived to replace Northern Illinois’ Garrett Wolfe, who left on Monday after sustaining a hamstring injury. Unlike the small but ultra-quick Wolfe, Clayton is more of a strong, powerful runner. He looked sharp in his first North team action on Wednesday, hitting the holes decisively.

With Rutgers tight end Clark Harris also lost for the week due to a toe injury, the Senior Bowl brought in Delaware tight end Ben Patrick to bolster the position. Patrick was a consensus All-American as a senior and is now the only Division I-AA player participating in the game.

The North roster took a hit on the defensive side of the ball on Wednesday, however, though it may not be a long-term issue. Cal cornerback Daymeion Hughes, who had stood out during the first two days of practice sat out most of Wednesday’s session after his back tightened up.

At the onset of the week, Gruden’s staff had been interested in trying out Wolfe on punt returns, believing that might be an area in which he could excel in the NFL. With Wolfe now out for the week, the Bucs gave the job to two wide receivers during Wednesday’s practice. Taking turns fielding punts were Notre Dame’s Rhema McKnight and East Carolina’s Aundrae Allison.

Like Clayton and Patrick, Boston College tackle James Marten was a late addition to the North roster. Marten has been in Mobile for the entire week of practice, however, having been called in after Wisconsin tackle Joe Thomas pulled out of the game.

At 6-5, Marten is one of the tallest players on the field, and he invites comparisons in that regard to another Boston College lineman who just finished a strong rookie season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tampa Bay took BC’s Jeremy Trueblood in the second round last April, and Trueblood ended up starting 13 games and making the Bucs believe he can be a cornerstone on their line for years to come.

This has proven to be no inconsequential fill-in for Gruden’s team. Clearly motivated to make the most of his Senior Bowl opportunity, Marten has been one of the early standouts on the North offensive line during practices, holding his own against a very strong group of defensive linemen. Offensive Line Coach Bill Muir believes Marten has improved his draft stock over the course of the week.

“He was a late add to the roster, from what I understand,” said Muir. “He took Jeremy Trueblood’s place in the lineup at Boston College. I’ve been very impressed with his competitiveness. He can play both left and right tackle and I think he’s helped himself greatly at these practices.”

Utah safety Eric Weddle made a big impression during Wednesday’s practice. Gruden noted four turnovers by the offense during the course of the practice, and Weddle was in the middle of two of them.

In an early 9-on-7 drill, Weddle alertly pounced on a loose ball after a fumble by the offense. Then, on the third-to-last offensive play of the day, during a full-team drill in the red zone, Weddle made a cutting interception at the goal line, setting off a raucous celebration by the North defense.

The Mountain West Conference’s two-time defending Defensive Player of the Year, Weddle (5-11, 201) is a hard-hitting safety who has also played cornerback and returned punts. In the 2005 Emerald Bowl a little over a year ago, Weddle was instrumental in limiting Georgia Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson, likely the first receiver to be drafted this spring, to two catches for 19 yards.