Tonight’s Beef O’ Brady’s St. Petersburg Bowl in Florida will have a local flavor to it, as Meadville native and current Florida International starting linebacker Jordan Hunt and the FIU Panthers take on Marshall at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
“I’m looking forward to it,” said Hunt, who graduated from Franklin County in 2009. “It’s a good bowl and a big game for us.”
Hunt, a 2010 All-America linebacker at Co-Lin last season, has recorded 72 tackles and three sacks this year for the Panthers. He is one of the top defensive players in the Sun Belt Conference.
“We’ve had a good year,” said Hunt. “We beat Louisville on ESPN and won some other big games too.”
FIU, based out of Miami, has won its last three games and is currently 8-4 overall.
Hunt, a junior, knows Marshall has a talented team and is looking forward to tonight’s challenge.
“I know (Marshall) is good,” Hunt added. “They beat Southern Miss and that stands out to us.”
The 6-foot-1-inch, 230-pound Hunt runs a 4.6 in the 40-yard dash. He is also one of the strongest players on the FIU team.
“This year has been a good year,” Hunt said. “I’ve learned a lot, and it’s been a good experience for me. I want to say hello back to everyone at Co-Lin and Franklin County.”
With South Florida almost 17 hours away via automobile, Hunt rarely gets to see family and friends as much as he used too. He will be home for two weeks following tonight’s game.
The athletic Hunt was a three-sport standout at Franklin County from 2006-09. He was a key member of the Bulldogs’ 2006 Class 3A State Championship team. During his high school tenure, the Bulldogs went a combined 38-6 and made two 3A Championship appearances.
“I’m looking forward to the break and coming back home,” Hunt said. “First things first, we’ve got some business to take care of tonight.”
Pre-bowl activities for Hunt and his FIU teammates have included a cruise, a banquet and practices inside the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ stadium.
