Hunt: ‘It won’t happen again. Plain and simple.’
Bridget Williams | Contributing Photographer
Syracuse quarterback Terrel Hunt addressed the media on Tuesday evening for the first time since his ejection from the Orange's season opener against Villanova on Aug. 29.
Terrel Hunt watched the final 33:24 and the overtime periods of Syracuse’s season-opening win against Villanova with Omari Palmer and Josh Parris.
They were injured. He had been ejected for punching Villanova linebacker Dillon Lucas in the face mask with his left hand.
Speaking to the media Tuesday evening for the first time since the ejection on Aug. 29, Hunt said that his return on Saturday at noon against Central Michigan won’t be a do-over. His team beat the Wildcats with Austin Wilson playing the remainder of regulation and double overtime in the 27-26 SU win. After a week-plus of apologizing to his teammates, talking to Orange alumni and preparing for the Chippewas, the SU starting quarterback is eager just to play a competitive game again.
“I want to stay in the game all four quarters and win,” Hunt said. “That’s all.”
The punch was out of his character and a response to what he maintains was a late hit to the head. It was also a response to what he said were dirty plays earlier in the game.
In addition to his teammates, former SU stars Donovan McNabb and Floyd Little forgave Hunt, he said.
“He told me exactly what I already knew,” Hunt said of his conversation with the former SU quarterback, McNabb. “I got to keep my cool, be composed. Whatever we said was between me and him. But the moral of it was, ‘Just be calm, you’re the leader of the team. You can’t let little things affect you.’
“… We’re men. It’s a tough sport, it’s emotional,” Hunt said.
When asked how he’ll prevent further outbursts from happening again, he responded, “It’s not going to happen again. Plain and simple.”
While Hunt said the extended break was tough, it didn’t spawn any seminal reflections.
“Nothing I didn’t already know about myself,” he said. “I’m the same person. I made a mistake. It’s simple. You make mistakes, you learn from them and you move forward. That’s all.”
When offensive coordinator George McDonald was asked what he wants to improve on against from the Villanova game to the Central Michigan matchup, he said he just wants a complete game from Hunt.
“I want to see Terrel Hunt not get thrown out of the game,” McDonald said. “I want to play a full game with our starting quarterback. I want to get in the flow and I want to see us just go out and execute.”
Published on September 9, 2014 at 8:27 pm
Contact Jacob: jmklinge@syr.edu | @Jacob_Klinger_
