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New Defensive Tackle Brings Talent, Positivity to ULM Football

New Defensive Tackle Brings Talent, Positivity to ULM Football

Football Mar 23
By ULMWarhawks.com Online Columnist Paul Letlow

Another ULM spring football practice was in the books and most players had scattered, yet the sound of someone ruthlessly pounding a blocking sled echoed inside Malone Stadium.

Down on the south end of the field, a solitary figure got in his final licks before slowly walking back toward the locker room.

Meet new defensive tackle Adin Huntington, a talented and charismatic addition to ULM's roster who isn't afraid to go the extra mile.

"He's a leader man," first-year defensive line coach Cody Grice said. "He's not afraid to speak his mind. He's a super competitor. You see him down there (hitting the sled) and he's the only guy out here. I guarantee you; he's visualizing an opponent down there right now."

One of the buzziest names inside the program during the opening days of spring ball, Huntington arrived in Monroe as a transfer from Kent State. Defensive coordinator Vic Koenning says Huntington has "the it factor," and it doesn't take long into a conversation with the gregarious player to see what he means.

"I'm a perfectionist and I strive off of failure," Huntington said. "Once I fail, I'm trying to find that little detail I can fix to get better. For me, it's repetition, repetition, repetition. One thing I heard was, 'Good athletes do it until they get it right. Great athletes do it until they can't get it wrong.'"

From a family where both grandfathers were pastors, Huntington speaks with the zeal of an evangelist.

"I've got a great support system rooted in Christ and religion," he said. "My grandfathers on both sides are pastors. I'm faith-driven and religion based. A lot of times when I talk about failures, I think about the story of Joseph. He had to fail multiple times but each time he got up there and failed, it was a learning opportunity."

Huntington is usually smiling and friendly away from the field, but he's a beast on it.

"The dude is a breath of fresh air," said Grice, a two-time captain for ULM coach Terry Bowden at Akron. "He's always smiling and always saying positive stuff. He's kind of a loner, but he's not. He'll go the opposite way everybody else is going, just trying to keep that focus.

"But that boy has a mean streak in him too. And I love it."

Said Huntington: "Good energy is contagious. Positive and negative energy. If I smile at you, it's hard not to smile back. It's a blessing to have a scholarship to play football. Why not be happy?"

A product of Mountain View High School who hails from Stafford, Virginia, Huntington (6-1, 280) recorded 45 tackles over the last three seasons, with eight for losses including three sacks. When he elected to find a fresh start, ULM seemed like the right fit.

"When I talked to Coach Vic and Coach Grice, they just had a great scheme that fit me and allows me to play the three-technique defensive tackle. It's sunny down here, great facilities and a great environment. That's what drove me, along with the mindset that we could really change this program around."

Huntington wears jersey number 45 and has a mantra he repeats often – "45 run it up."

"It's really just about me upping the level," he explained. "45 is going to run it up, run up the score, run up the stats. Another thing I live by is, 'Stay starving.' You might see it on my Twitter on Instagram posts, 'Stay starving.' Everybody can be hungry. When you're hungry, you might not have the willingness to eat. When you're starving, you've got that desire inside of you to go eat. That's what drives me."

Powerfully built, Huntington posts eye-popping numbers in the weight room. He squatted 585 recently at ULM but said he's gone as high as 645 for two squats. He added that he can bench press 405 pounds and power clean 335.

"I just love getting better," Huntington said.

"And he runs like a deer," Grice added. "He's what I'd call a freak."

Koenning has sent more than 50 players to the NFL over his long career. If things work out for Huntington, he hopes to join those ranks one day.

"That's my goal," Huntington said. "I work towards going to the NFL and having a good career. But whatever my purpose is and whatever God has set out for me, that's what I'm going to let happen."

His physical work done on this day, Huntington finished up his interview headed to the showers with one more stop planned – a Fellowship of Christian Athletes meeting.

"I try to keep a good balance," he said with a smile, "to get my mind right."
 
 
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