WILLOUGHBY, Ohio — Kareem Hunt loves being home in Northeast Ohio—getting to play for his hometown team and give back to the community he grew up in. On Wednesday, Hunt talked about his future with the Browns and his desire to play in Cleveland for years to come while returning to a place from his past as he hosted a youth football camp at his high school alma mater Willoughby South.
During the youth camp, Hunt interacted with kids, helping them learn drills, team building activities, and most importantly having fun.
"It means a lot being able to come back to my old high school and see a lot of the familiar faces," Hunt said. "I want them to just have fun, go out there and get better today at something. If you’re not the best catcher, go learn how to catch a little bit better, or throw a little bit farther, anything like that. Cause I feel like at this age they learn something new every day or get a little better at something every day."
While the Browns running back got to dive back into his roots at Willoughby South High School, he also looked forward to his future in Cleveland—hoping for a deal that would keep him in orange and brown for years to come.
"I hope I get paid," Hunt said. "So you know, whatever they decide, they know I'm going to come out there and give it my all and I'll do whatever I can to help the team win.
Those conversations have been ongoing between the team and Hunt's representation, the running back confirmed.
"We're trying to get there for sure. So I'll see in the next couple of weeks," Hunt said.
To make sure he can be a strong asset, Hunt has been working to recover from a non-contact leg injury sustained last year. He said he feels good now and has been rehabbing this offseason to be full-go come the start of the season.
"I just feel like I just got to stay on top of my body, just working through it before something like that can pop up. I stay focused on my calves now, rubbing them out, rolling them out, doing everything I can," Hunt said. "I'm good, I'm 100%, I have some time to heal this offseason and get back to it. So body is feeling good, nothing's bothering me."
Hunt also is looking forward to playing along with teammate Nick Chubb and continuing building their relationship on and off the field—something he said has already grown tremendously.
"When I first got there, he was cool, he was quiet and to himself. I just had to keep knocking on that door to get him to open up a little bit. I finally feel like I got to that point. He hangs out with me all the time, hits me up. Outside of football we’ll go do something, go on vacation together, it don’t matter," Hunt said. "Nick’s a different type of guy. He’s not too quiet when you get to know him."
The running back also discussed the future of this season as the team awaits a decision out of the hearings on quarterback Deshaun Watson. Watson is facing a possible lengthy suspension from the NFL as disciplinary officer Sue L. Robinson presents her findings and makes a decision after an investigation into sexual misconduct allegations from at least two dozen women.
Hunt is not trying to focus on Watson's situation but said even if the team is without Watson for a significant portion of the season, they are confident with whoever is under center.
"The Browns are trying to find a way to win right now and it's a business. So I'm just trying to do my part, come back healthy and ready to go," Hunt said. "I really don't know too much about the whole situation. If [Watson] misses [the season], it's a next-man-up mentality. I'm going to be ready to play, and I know the rest of the team is still going to be ready to play. We didn't have Deshaun last year or the years before."
No matter what happens this season, Hunt just hopes to be a part of the team he loves and help compete for a Super Bowl title.
"I think I learned a lot through the course of the NFL, from college to the NFL to the spotlight. I've always been a small-town guy. Nobody really knows me or whatever—just come out there and shock everybody—I've always kept that with me," Hunt said of his football journey so far. "It's more like a comeback and do whatever you can to get a ring, bring it home actually. That's the biggest thing."
Camryn Justice is a reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on Twitter @camijustice.
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