After breakout senior season, HBCU standout Erick Hunter eager to prove he belongs in NFL with Lions
Allen Park — Based on his formative experiences at North Carolina A&T, Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes has always related to prospects coming out Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
Holmes elaborated in an interview with ESPN, following a panel discussion for Detroit-area high school students put on by the Alpha Kappa Alpha Foundation Of Detroit in 2021, his first year with the Lions.
“I would say, I know what he’s gone through,” Holmes said, having played defensive tackle and served as a captain at A&T. “…You just know the grind, you know the hustle that they’ve gone through, and it kind of takes you back. You know their ‘why’ and the adversity that they’ve battled and overcame and it gives you a perspective because we’re trying to look for intangible pieces anyway. That’s the separator anyway. I’ve always said that. It’s easy to find out who’s fast and who’s explosive, but the intangibles? How are you wired? How hard do you work when you have to face adversity? When you come from an HBCU, you’re gonna have to face adversity. You’re gonna have to overcome some things, so that does mean something.”
As a scout for the Los Angeles Rams, Holmes was one of the first to look closely at HBCU running back Tariq Cohen, who would eventually be drafted by the Chicago Bears. The future GM also scouted South Carolina State linebacker Shaquille Leonard, a future three-time Pro Bowler.
A year after landing the decision-making role in Detroit, Holmes used a draft pick on an HBCU standout, Jackson State’s James Houston. And for a brief moment in time, it looked like the sixth-round selection would be one of the biggest steals of the draft, recording 8.0 sacks in seven games after a midseason promotion from the practice squad.
Houston ultimately didn’t pan out in Detroit, but has since found new life in Dallas, playing a career-high 307 defensive snaps and tallying 5.5 sacks for the Cowboys last season.
Since Houston in 2022, there’s been a lull of HBCU talent entering the league. Only two players have been drafted from one of the programs the past three years and none this past draft.
However, Detroit’s drought is over. Following the draft, the Lions signed Morgan State linebacker Erick Hunter as a priority free agent.
Holmes’ appreciation for HBCU talent aside, Hunter wasn’t gifted this opportunity. He earned it with a breakout performance as a senior after missing most of his junior year recovering from a shoulder surgery. He then followed up the campaign with exceptional athletic testing results at the HBCU combine.