Editor’s note: This is a regular feature profiling senior athletes at Bryant High School.
Brushawn Hunter
NAME: Brushawn Hunter
PARENTS: Bruce Hampton and Larisa Hunter
SIBLINGS: Mikaya Hunter is 18 and Brandon Hunter is 15.
FAVORITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL? Astronomy
WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME? I like to play music.
FAVORITE FOOD: Pizza
FAVORITE MUSIC ARTIST OR GROUP: Li’l Wayne
FAVORITE MOVIE: Tears of the Sun
FAVORITE TV SHOW: Survivor
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TOY AS A KID? Batman
WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS AFTER HIGH SCHOOL? Play football in college, major in Education and play in the NFL.
OTHER THAN YOUR PARENTS, WHO HAS HAD THE BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON YOUR LIFE? My Jojenna has been a big influence; she keeps my head up when I need wisdom, like I go to her about things that I don’t really know about. She keeps me in tune, to keep God number one.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT FOOTBALL? The togetherness, just the atmosphere it brings, guys coming together to play the game.
POSITION: Receiver and running back
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE SEASON SO FAR? I think this season has gone pretty good. There’s been a change in our team and the city of Bryant, changes in everything.
TALK ABOUT YOUR INJURY. WHAT HAPPENED AND WHEN? It was the Salt Bowl. Of course, we ended in a tie. We came out in the second half. The first play I got the ball and ran down the sideline on a sweep about 40 yards then there was a play and the play after that I got the ball on the same exact sweep and a player from Benton, his knee fell and smashed my foot. So I hopped out of the game. I didn’t think it was much at all, tried to take it but couldn’t go back in. So I just pulled myself out. I went to Ortho and they x-rayed it. They thought it was a contusion, which is a deep bruise. We got an MRI on it and it ended up it was a mid-foot sprain. I’m having surgery on it this Wednesday. They’ve got to go in and put two screws in there to hold it still. But it’ll be all right.
WHAT’S BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT TO THE SEASON SO FAR? Just the winning. Two years ago, we started off 0-2. The past two years we haven’t beaten Conway (in season opening games) and just having them on our Senior Night (this year) just shows that God is in this with us. It’s meant to be.
WHAT’S IT GOING TO TAKE FOR THE TEAM TO BE SUCCESSFUL THE REST OF THE SEASON? We have to stay together, play together, stay humble and just do our job.
TALK ABOUT HOW DIFFICULT IT HAS BEEN NOT TO BE ABLE PLAY. I don’t really look at it, the negative side. I look at the positive side because this being out, you just take a step back from the game, realize things that you have that are good, and realize things that you don’t have that are bad that you can work on. It just shows that one play can be your last and that, when you’re out there on the field, just play the best of your ability just knowing that one play could end it all. Fortunately, that’s not really my process right now because I’m having surgery and I should be back but just seeing my team out there and there’s times when we need a big play and not being out there, it’s tough.
AFTER YOU’RE THROUGH PLAYING FOOTBALL AT BHS, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL REMEMBER MOST FONDLY ABOUT IT? Looking back on it, just growing up really; not just playing football but growing up. I started my sophomore year not thinking that I would play much at all but it just shows there’s a point in time when you have to grow up. Those tough games where you’re down a touchdown and there’s a minute left and your team relies on you, it forces you to a maturity level, just growing up through the game.
