RB Kareem Hunt (6.22.20)
RB Kareem Hunt:
On how has it been being active with the WR group in meetings:
“I mean, it is going good—have been doing stuff with them, trying to learn the communication and be on the same page. Whatever they ask me to do, I am willing to go out there and make something happen.”
On if he sees a greater role in catching passes in HC Kevin Stefanski’s offense:
“Possibly. We will see how that goes. But they are telling me I am going to run the football, too, so we will see.”
On how he has overcome his traffic stop:
“I would say that was out of character. I learned from it. I have been working to become a better person each and every day. Definitely not looking for anything like that to happen again. I have been working. Now, I am focused on football, working out and getting ready for the season.”
On if the traffic stop was a wakeup call to get back on track:
“If you say so, yeah. I guess so. I have to do better. I should not have done it. Ready to move on from that and focus on football.”
On his thoughts on his former team, the Kansas City Chiefs, winning the Super Bowl:
“I have moved on from that. I love those guys. I got brothers on that team. I came in with a lot of those players. Love the coaches there. All good people and they deserved it, and I am happy for them. I talk to a lot of them and I am very happy for them. They are champs—they deserve it. I know how hard that team works and how hard they stress to be great.”
On if he sees himself in a multifaceted role in the offense:
“I see myself—whenever my number is called, I am going to be ready to go. It does not matter when, if it is the passing game or running the football. Whenever my number is called—I will be ready. I am looking forward to that. However they want to use me, just let me know. We will see how that goes.”
On conversations with Executive Vice President of Football Operations Andrew Berry and Stefanski about what they see on the field and expectations going forward:
“Just pretty much, I cannot have that. It is not acceptable. I got to be smarter and cannot be doing stuff like that. We had a good talk. They see me on the field as a guy who is going to make some plays this year and help the team win. That is what I have been looking forward to. We have been talking. I keep in touch with coach all the time about what he wants to see and stuff like that.”
On if he feels lucky that his career is still going after his traffic stop months ago:
“I am blessed that the Browns gave me another opportunity. So yes, I am lucky to have another opportunity to play football. You never know. Honestly, I am just blessed to play the game, so I always feel lucky to play football. I know any second it can be gone. I guess so.”
On if there is anything specific being done to show he has changed:
“I have been pretty much hanging with the family. Just staying low key. Talking to my close people, going out there working, doing stuff in the community, helping people out. It has been a crazy time in the world. Everybody has to try to be the best person they can be right now.”
On how much not being at the facility affects the advancement of the team under a new coaching staff:
“Only thing that is set back is timing. We just got to get our timing with our routes. We all can be on the same page and if we all are in the playbook and studying hard, I feel like we can come back and play fast and have good communication—that is the biggest thing, communication and timing.”
On how comfortable is he playing with COVID-19 spiking:
“I am not too comfortable. I am around who I am around, my close family, I just do not want to get any of them sick or anything like that. Other than that, whenever it is time to play football, I am ready to play with fans or without fans. I am just ready to get back on the field, so whatever it takes.”
On what would he like to see from the league or NFLPA from a safety perspective when return to play happens:
“I am really not sure. I am going to play regardless. If everybody agrees on it, then we are going to play then. I really do not have anything like that.”
On how much better he can be this year being healthy and more comfortable with his surroundings:
“Body is feeling great. That was definitely something that slowed me down last year in training camp and coming back, because I was rehabbing through my whole situation. Honestly, I feel like having a full season to train healthy and push myself and prepare myself for this upcoming season. And my body, I feel like it can be great. I am feeling good. I want to see how I feel fully healthy.”
On if there is anything he or his teammates or trying to do to better the community:
“I talked to WR Jarvis (Landry) and some of those guys about it and I am looking forward to seeing what they got planned to help, because it is definitely something we need to fix and I feel like the world needs to become a better place—everybody.”
On what has struck him the most about the social justice going on in America:
“It is just sad to see. It is sad to see stuff like this going on in the world. Honestly, I am not really going to go much into it.”
Re: On if he takes comfort in knowing he is on a team with so much talent and how badly he wants to win for his hometown:
“No question. I think we can do something special here. 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 have been a fan my whole life. I have been with Cleveland my whole life.”
Re: On if he would like to be in Cleveland long term:
“No question. I would definitely like to be a part of something like this. Everybody is here I care about. I know everybody in the whole town. I would not mind playing for the Browns for a long time.”
Re: On his thoughts on Stefanski and Berry and what messages the team has gotten from them:
“They have been doing a great job. Really detailed. We have been having meetings about everything we can. They always hit on stuff going on in the world. They just educate the players. They are really detailed.”
Re: On if he thinks it will be difficult to get everyone the touches they want:
“We have to know there is only one football, so every game—everyone will not have a big game. As long as we win, that is the only thing that matters and that is the biggest thing. We have to understand that. If we are winning, I am not mad. I am going to do whatever. If that is block to help win—whatever—touchdowns, block, whatever. But we all have to know there is only one football. Some games, WR Odell (Beckham Jr.) might have 200 yards. Some games, RB Nick (Chubb) 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.”
Re: On if he likes the way he and Chubb were used together last year:
“I am not a coach. Whatever, to get on the field or get the ball in my hands, I am not mad. I want opportunities.”
Re: On his plans after the virtual offseason ends:
“I am going to continue working with my track coach Matt Luck and Rich (Zawack). I have been working with those guys at his house. They have a nice treadmill, weight room and everything. They push me. We go run hills and that is what I am going to keep doing. I have a good two-workouts-a-day deal going. It has been having me feel real good. I am just going to keep working and whenever it is time to report back, I will be ready.”
Re: On if he has talked to Chubb and how they can thrive in the zone blocking scheme:
“I definitely talk to Nick. We talk a lot. We definitely feel like we can thrive, because we saw how [Vikings RB] Dalvin Cook was doing last year in Stefanski’s offense and he did not disappoint. The had another running back who did not disappoint, either. We definitely think we can take advantage of his zone run scheme.”
Re: On if he saw old footage of the zone scheme that stood out:
“He [Stefanski] showed us some clips. Whatever he feels, I am going to rock with him. Whatever is called, we are running.”
Re: On what he has seen from QB Baker Mayfield:
“Baker is doing a great job. He is a leader. He is leading all of the meetings. He is in and out of everybody’s meetings. I am supposed to, actually, go throw with Baker coming up soon. Just to get some routes in and with some other guys, too. We are going to try to be on the same page—everybody—with what is going on, so we can come back [firing] on all cylinders.”
Re: On how the team can come together:
“We all just have to buy in and play for the man next to us. We have to make sure we are all detailed and on the same page, communicate. We have to know what the offense wants to get done and the defense needs to know what they need to get done. If we are all playing together as a team, for that man next to you, I feel like that is what we need to do. Give it all.”
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