Linebacker Hunter honored
The Big Ten has recognized Iowa linebacker Jeremiha Hunter for his play this past weekend, naming him the co-Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week.
The junior received the honor on Sunday after blocking Northern Iowa kicker Billy Hallgren’s second field-goal attempt on Sept. 5 to seal a 17-16 win for the Hawkeyes in Kinnick Stadium.
After the Panthers drove to the Iowa 23-yard line late in the game, Iowa defensive end Broderick Binns blocked Hallgren’s first kick with seven seconds left in the contest. The ball was recovered by Northern Iowa after kicking on first down, and by rule, the Panther’s were given a second chance to attempt the kick.
Hunter could have ended the game after the first block by jumping on the ball, but teammates told him to back away.
When Hallgren booted the second attempt, Hunter jumped and deflected the kick to preserve the win.
While statisticians continue to sift through records, the two blocked kicks in the game’s final seven seconds are believed to be unprecedented in college football.
— by Jon Linder
comments powered by Disqus
