Academics the key in Hunt choosing Penn State

At 8 a.m., Tony Hunt (6-2, 220-RB) from TC Williams High in Alexandria, Va. held a press conference and announced for and has signed a letter of intent to Penn State.

Aly Khan Johnson, athletic director at T.C. Williams, said it came down to Michigan and Penn State for Hunt.

“Tony selected Penn State today at his press conference over the University of Michigan. It was a decision that was based mostly on academics,” Johnson said. “The Hunt family, while reviewing the whole recruiting process, took special notice of the fact Penn State does a superb job of graduating its minority athletes. Tony wants to be a communications major in college and felt like Penn State accorded him the best opportunity to fulfill his academic goals.

“He felt extremely comfortable with everyone associated with the program and believed Penn State’s program is on the verge of re-establishing itself as one of the elite programs in the country.”

Following the 2002 season Hunt was chosen to the Washington Post All-Met second team and was named the George Michaels Super 11 football team.

He took official visits to USC (Dec. 6), Maryland (Dec. 20), Michigan (Jan. 10) and Penn State (Jan. 24). In December he supposedly made a verbal to USC, but Johnson said that was a temporary emotional response at the time.

“It was reported in December that Tony had made a verbal commitment to USC, but in reality that was not the case,” Johnson said. “Tony is the type of indivdual that was impressed by every visit he took and when he was out in Los Angeles he essentially told the USC staff it looked like USC was the place he wanted to go. But that was more of an emotional response and Tony fully intended to take his remaining visits.”

Hunt rushed for more than 1,000 yards his senior year and averaged close to nine yards per carry. He was recruited by PSU assistant coach Larry Johnson and PSU assistant head coach Fran Ganter. Hunt was recruited as a running back and that is the position he is expected to practice at when he reports to Penn State in August.