For running back Andre Hunt, it has been a long and winding road to play major college football, but it appears that he has now found a home. That is at the University of Iowa where the 6-foot, 200-pound Hunt plans to start classes in January and will be joining the Hawkeye football program as a walk-on.

Hunt's journey started in Minnesota where he graduated from Cretin-Derham Hall in 2011 and rushed for 1,202 yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior. From there, he went to prep school at Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia where he had more success, but still no scholarship offers followed. So Hunt returned home to the Twin Cities and started looking at walk-on opportunities.

"At first, Western Michigan was the frontrunner," said Hunt. "They were looking at me while I was at Hargrave, but nothing opened up for a scholarship so it was going to be as a walk-on. Over the summer, my dad and I took a visit there, and I could have played there this season, but I decided to wait and go somewhere in January instead. In the end, it was a good idea I did."

This fall, Hunt has been training at home and taking two classes at a local community college while researching his options. The Iowa coaching staff, who has recruited several players from Cretin-Derham Hall in the past, heard about his situation and invited him to visit so they could find out more about him.

"It was a couple months ago that Iowa first made contact and said they had a couple running backs go down and wanted somebody that could come in and compete," Hunt said. "So I went there for a visit and after they saw me and got to know me, they gave me a preferred walk on opportunity."


...More... To continue reading this article you must be a member. Sign Up Now for a FREE Trial