Skip to main content
Philadelphia Eagles
Advertising

Philadelphia Eagles News

Hard Work Pays Off For Hunt

It's ironic that the Eagles used defensive end Phillip Hunt on the scout team to impersonate Dolphins outside linebacker Cameron Wake in practice leading up to Sunday's win over Miami only to then unleash Hunt on the Dolphins. Hunt recorded his first career sack and safety on the same play in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 26-10 win.

Hunt, like Wake, led the Canadian Football League in sacks before coming back to the NFL. The Eagles signed Hunt in February after he notched 16 sacks for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2010. Hunt was originally signed as a rookie free agent by the Browns in 2009 after setting the school record for sacks at Houston, but was released during the preseason that year.

After being inactive for the season opener, Hunt was active for the next five games as Darryl Tapp recovered from a pectoral injury. Once Tapp returned to the lineup, Hunt was back on the sideline in street clothes. Unable to make a difference in games, Hunt wanted to be an impact player where he could - on the practice field.

"I was going to take it upon myself to practice hard because I wasn't getting in any games, so I was kind of fresh and I just took it upon myself to practice hard and give these guys a good look because Cameron Wake is a great rusher," Hunt said. "It came out well for the offensive line and the defensive line."

Head coach Andy Reid decided to reward Hunt for the effort that he put forth in practice.

"He's been giving us fits on the defensive scout team, so I thought it was time to give him an opportunity to play," Reid said. "He did a nice job with that."

With 9:07 left in the game, Hunt lined up at the left defensive end spot and blew past tackle Marc Colombo to get quarterback J.P. Losman down in the end zone for the safety. Hunt didn't even realize at first that it resulted in two points.

"It didn't really click to me until I ran to the sideline and noticed that our special teams was on the field," Hunt said. "I've been trying hard this whole time and learning different things all year from the older guys. It felt great for me to get my first sack and I know the team was proud of me as well."

With Tapp suffering a broken rib on that play where Hunt recorded the safety, it looks like Hunt will get his chance over these final three games to continue to show everything he's learned from his veteran teammates this season.

Make sure to follow us on Twitter @EaglesInsider

This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be missing content or contain faulty links. Please use the Contact Us link in our site footer to report an issue.

Related Content

LATEST VIDEOS

Advertising
;