Terrel Hunt’s March to the Loud House

It may sound dubious, or even a bit petty, but in two years from now, SU quarterback Terrel Hunt may be roaming around an NFL Training Camp vying for a spot on a team’s roster.

And although now, in 2014, it may sound implausible, CBS Sports is saying that it will happen, citing that he is one of the top dual-threat QB’s in the country. According to a recent update to their 2016 NFL Draft rankings, CBS Sports has Hunt as the tenth best quarterback in the country for his class.

But it hasn’t always been that easy for Hunt, who like many others has battled intense diversity to make it to the national stage.

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For Hunt, the story began on February 31, 2011; one day before he signed his letter of intent to SU and embarked on his journey towards the ultimate goal of one day playing in the National Football League.

Sep 27, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Syracuse Orange quarterback Terrel Hunt (10) passes the ball prior to the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

It all began on a frigid, 29°F day in Middle Village, NY. The Christ the King quarterback was ready to start his playing career in white, orange and blue, but was dealt a most unfortunate hand. His father, Daryl Dockery, died of kidney failure in Georgia.

Actually, that previous statement is a lie. The adversity began a year and a day earlier, on an even colder afternoon, as Katrina Hunt sat on her deathbed in the Long Island Jewish Medical. Hunt had pancreatic cancer, and was nearing the end of her life.

“My mommy’s dying, right?” Terrel asked.

“She is gonna die,” his aunt replied. “I just can’t say when. But she is.”

“I wanted to cry out there,” Hunt said, “but I didn’t want to show my weakness.”

“I never saw him like this,” said his aunt, Valencia Hunt-Valencia. “I was scared he was gonna jump in the water.”

Hunt, 48, died the next day, but her legacy still lives on. One of her final wishes were granted, when, just a year later, Terrel agreed to go to Syracuse.

Although he was arrested in January 2012 after police claimed he stole a bottle of cologne, Hunt says he has gotten “considerably mature” after losing both parents.

Sep 13, 2014; Mount Pleasant, MI, USA; Syracuse Orange quarterback Terrel Hunt (10) throws the ball during the first quarter against the Central Michigan Chippewas at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

“I’m actually happy it happened,” the junior from Queens said. “It humbled me. It made me work 10 times harder than I was. Instead of being angry, I got more confident. It gives you a chip on your shoulder.”

“Being able to know to think before you do something, that’s the key thing,” he said. “Just knowing if I do this, what consequences are gonna happen or if I do that, where am I gonna end up? Since my parents passed, there was definitely a change in my attitude. I feel like I skipped that age where you have to depend on people a lot. I skipped that age because I had to depend on myself.”

Hunt has done more then just speak with his newly instilled maturity and revamped approach to life. His statistics speak for themselves.

In 2013, he rushed for 500 yards and 7 touchdowns while passing for 1168 yards and 10 touchdowns on 273 passing attempts.

As one of the premier dual-threat quarterbacks in the game, Hunt has responsibility to carry. Both on-the-field and off-the-field, Hunt has flourished in that role.

Hey, you never know. 2016 is a lot closer then it seems.