RB Kareem Hunt (10.29.20)
RB Kareem Hunt:
On if opposing defenses have loaded up to stop the run in the past few weeks:
“Most definitely. When teams play us, I know they make the emphasis on stopping the run. That is what they try to do.”
On how much tougher it makes his job when opponents put an emphasis on stopping the run:
“It makes it tougher, but you just have to grind it out sometimes and do whatever to help the team have positive plays.”
On the Raiders defense:
“I see guys who play hard and play fast. They have some guys who can make plays out there. We have to definitely come ready to play.”
On how happy he was to see WR Rashard Higgins have a big performance last week:
“I am very happy for him because he works so hard and that is all he does. He is a great person and a great teammate. I love seeing good things happen to good people.”
On if Higgins is someone who puts in extra effort at practice every day:
“I definitely believe so. It is paying off because he is doing a great job. It is not shocking to me. He has been making plays through camp and through the past years. He is a great football player.”
On Higgins’ high-point catch and if he has seen Higgins do that in practice:
“He has great hands. I saw him make some great catches in practices like that. It is not shocking to me. I know he can make the plays.”
On the mood with the bye week approaching and if the focus is on what has to be done this week:
“Definitely. We still have to take care of this next game. It is one game at a time, and then we will see where the bye week goes from there. Right now, our biggest focus is on this next game.”
On if he has talked to RB Nick Chubb recently:
“Yeah, I talk to Nick every day. He is a good friend of mine. I always talk to him.”
On how the Browns WRs blocking contributes to the run game:
“It helps a lot, seeing the receivers give second effort in making those blocks downfield. I definitely believe in our receivers as blockers. Those guys are tough guys. They like to get their hands dirty sometimes.”
On WR Jarvis Landry being dedicated to blocking in the run game:
“Definitely. Jarvis, I will never complain about Jarvis’ effort. He always gives it his all.”
On how much pride he takes in being able to make an impact in the passing game, including in the red zone:
“I pride myself on being a back who can do it all and who can be out there all downs. That is the biggest thing. I have been working on that my whole life so when I get the opportunities to make plays, I can make them.”
On if he feels he flies under defenses’ radars sometimes as a receiver:
“Most definitely. I think sometimes they might forget about me, but I think a lot of defenses know I can catch the ball.”
On how important it is for him to finish plays inside the 5-yard line to score touchdowns, given he is tied for the league lead in TDs:
“That is my thing. I just like smelling the end zone. If I get an opportunity to make a play in the end zone or close to the end zone, I am definitely going to try to fight my way in there, make the nice catch or whatever it is to get in the end zone. That is just because of the team needs. I would rather have seven points than three any day of the week.”
On if he attributes some of the Browns running game’s lower rushing totals in the past few weeks to facing tough defenses:
“We have been playing some good defenses lately. They seem to know we want to run the ball and stuff like that. It is nothing different. I am not really worried about that. We are still winning games. I am going to take care of business.”
On WR Jarvis Landry and QB Baker Mayfield playing through rib injuries:
“Those guys are fighting through pain right now, and they are doing a great job of it, too. They are not letting the team down. They are still going out there and giving it their all. You probably would not even tell if Jarvis has a crack rib.”
On if the bye week is needed to help Browns players to heal, including Landry, Mayfield and himself:
“Yeah, most definitely.”
On DE Myles Garrett winning AFC Defensive Player of the Month and comments that Garrett appears to be on a mission this year:
“Most definitely. He has definitely been on a mission, and he has been nothing but great – a great teammate and a great player. Obviously, you turn on the film and you can see that.”
On how much kids look up to professional athletes and if it makes a difference, considering the three-team Cleveland alliance between the Browns, Cavaliers and Indians:
“They look up to professional athletes a lot because a lot of kids, young kids want to grow up to be a NBA basketball player or a NFL superstar. That is everybody’s dream at some point in their life, I would think, if the kid played sports. They definitely look up to us and wonder what it took to get there and stuff like that.”
On if he hopes to be highly active in Cleveland and helping underserved communities following the pandemic:
“Yes, most definitely. I have done it the past years and stuff like that, too, so most definitely.”
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