Kareem Hunt inducted into Willoughby South Hall of Fame
Sep. 11—Kareem Hunt left an indelible mark on the history pages of Willoughby South High School football, and now the man who has gone on to have a successful career in the NFL has gained permanent recognition at his alma mater.
Hunt, a 2012 graduate of South, was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame on Sept. 9 during halftime of the game between the visiting Madison Blue Streaks and the Rebels at Harry E. Winters Stadium.
"Once he became a junior, and really kind of grew up, iit was at that point everybody understood how good Kareem could be," said South head coach Matt Duffy, who was coaching the Rebels when Hunt played. "I immediately thought of a guy I played against my senior year and said 'This is the best football player I've seen since Robert Smith.' Kareem was just that good."
Smith was Ohio's Mr. Football in 1988 and 1989 while playing for Euclid. He was named the Bobby Dodd National Back of the Year by the Touchdown Club of Atlanta in his senior season. Smith played at Ohio State and then played eight seasons in the NFL, so for Duffy to compare Hunt to Smith is high praise indeed. And well deserved.
Kareem Hunt recalls his playing days in football and track on the night of his induction into the Willoughby South Hall of Fame on September 9. @NHPreps @southathletics pic.twitter.com/Rr9m6EkTNL
— Jeff Schudel (@jsproinsider) September 9, 2022
Hunt rushed for 5,295 yards and 88 touchdowns in three seasons at South. He rushed for 32 touchdowns as a junior and 47 touchdowns as a senior. His success in high school was a springboard to a full scholarship at the University of Toledo and an NFL career that began with the Chiefs in 2017. Hunt begins his fourth season with the Browns when they open their 2022 season on Sept. 11 against the Panthers in Charlotte, N.C.
"We knew early on Kareem was special,' Duffy said. "He loved growing up here and he loves coming back to South to see the kids. The measure of a player is how much better they make everybody. He made everybody way better, including the people calling plays and the people on defense. He made the fans better.
"And as a teammate in general, I don't think you could go back to kindergarten, every teacher, every principal and every counselor and find a single person to say a bad word about him. He's always smiling and always friendly."
Hunt excelled in track, too. He owns the school record in the high jump, long and 100-meter dash. He qualified for the state meet in the high jump and long jump and was a four-time District champion.
Normally five or six athletes are inducted annually into South's Hall of Fame, but Hunt was so elite the Sept. 9 ceremony was reserved solely for him.
"I'm excited," Hunt said before kickoff. "It's such an honor and milestone to be in this situation, to come back to my hometown and to be able to play in Cleveland on top of that. It's an honor that I could make it here today."
Hunt had to pause and search for the answer when asked for his fondest memory of playing for the Rebels.
"There are a lot of them," he said. "I would have to say every year when we got to play North, being able to win nine or 10 games every year and score plenty of touchdowns."
Hunt watched the game from the sideline. When he wasn't watching the action on the field he was shaking hands with old friends and posing for dozens of pictures with acquaintances from the past.
