Joel Hunt
Encyclopedia
Oliver Joel "Lil' Joel" Hunt (October 11, 1905 – July 24, 1978) was American football
and baseball
player and coach of football. He played college football
at Texas A&M University
from 1925 to 1927 and served as the head football coach at the University of Georgia
in 1938 and the University of Wyoming
in 1939. Hunt also played professional baseball in the minor leagues
and briefly with the St. Louis Cardinals
of Major League Baseball
. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
as a player in 1967.
, punter
, place kicker and defensive player. Playing in 27 games during his career, he scored 30 touchdown
s, 5 field goals and 29 extra point
s. Coach John Heisman
, who was the head coach at Rice University
during Hunt's years at Texas A&M and saw Hunt play, asserted that Hunt was "the greatest all-around player I ever saw."
(1928–1929). He also played professional baseball, spending most of his time in the minor leagues, but also playing 16 games in the major league
s with the St. Louis Cardinals
in 1931–32. Hunt was assistant coach at Texas A&M University
(1930–1932) and at Louisiana State University
(1933–1936). He became the head football coach at Georgia in 1938 and completed his only season there with a 5–4–1 record.
At Georgia, Hunt was a surprise replacement for the popular head coach Harry Mehre
. Although Hunt's 5–4–1 record as a head coach was respectable, his most important contribution to Georgia Bulldogs football
was a coaching assistant that he brought with him, Wally Butts
. Butts became Georgia's head coach in 1939 and continued in that position until 1960.
After Georgia, Hunt became the head football coach at the University of Wyoming
in 1939, where he had a disappointing 0–7–1 record. Following his brief stint as head coach at Georgia and Wyoming, Hunt returned to being assistant coach, coaching at the collegiate and professional levels: again with LSU (1940–1941, 1945–1947), with the Buffalo Bills
in 1949, the Baltimore Colts
in 1950, and at the University of Houston
in 1955.
as a player in 1967. He died in Teague, Texas
on July 24, 1978.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player and coach of football. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
from 1925 to 1927 and served as the head football coach at the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
in 1938 and the University of Wyoming
University of Wyoming
The University of Wyoming is a land-grant university located in Laramie, Wyoming, situated on Wyoming's high Laramie Plains, at an elevation of 7,200 feet , between the Laramie and Snowy Range mountains. It is known as UW to people close to the university...
in 1939. Hunt also played professional baseball in the minor leagues
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
and briefly with the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
as a player in 1967.
College football playing career
Hunt played for Texas A&M from 1925 to 1927. While in college, Hunt was a running backRunning back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
, punter
Punter (football position)
A punter in American or Canadian football is a special teams player who receives the snapped ball directly from the line of scrimmage and then punts the football to the opposing team so as to limit any field position advantage. This generally happens on a fourth down in American football and a...
, place kicker and defensive player. Playing in 27 games during his career, he scored 30 touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s, 5 field goals and 29 extra point
Extra Point
Extra Point is a twice-daily, two-minute segment on ESPN Radio that covers generic sports-related topical news and opinion. The AM edition airs Monday through Saturday at various times between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET, and the PM edition airs Monday through Friday between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET...
s. Coach John Heisman
John Heisman
John William Heisman was an American player and coach of football, basketball, and baseball. He served as the head football coach at Oberlin College , Buchtel College, now known as the University of Akron , Auburn University , Clemson University , Georgia Tech , the...
, who was the head coach at Rice University
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
during Hunt's years at Texas A&M and saw Hunt play, asserted that Hunt was "the greatest all-around player I ever saw."
Coaching and professional baseball career
After college, Hunt served as head football coach at Marshall (Texas) Junior CollegeTexas State Technical College System
Texas State Technical College System is a system of two-year technical schools in Texas. It is the only state-operated system of two-year colleges in Texas....
(1928–1929). He also played professional baseball, spending most of his time in the minor leagues, but also playing 16 games in the major league
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
s with the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
in 1931–32. Hunt was assistant coach at Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
(1930–1932) and at Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
(1933–1936). He became the head football coach at Georgia in 1938 and completed his only season there with a 5–4–1 record.
At Georgia, Hunt was a surprise replacement for the popular head coach Harry Mehre
Harry Mehre
Harry J. Mehre was an American football and basketball player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Georgia and the University of Mississippi , compiling a career college football record of 98–60–7...
. Although Hunt's 5–4–1 record as a head coach was respectable, his most important contribution to Georgia Bulldogs football
Georgia Bulldogs football
The Georgia Bulldogs football team represents the University of Georgia in football. The Bulldogs are a member of the Southeastern Conference and are frequently a top-25 team. The University of Georgia has had a football team since 1892 and has an all-time record of 738–398–54...
was a coaching assistant that he brought with him, Wally Butts
Wally Butts
James Wallace "Wally" Butts, Jr. was an American football player and coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the head coach at the University of Georgia from 1939 to 1960, compiling a record of 140–86–9...
. Butts became Georgia's head coach in 1939 and continued in that position until 1960.
After Georgia, Hunt became the head football coach at the University of Wyoming
University of Wyoming
The University of Wyoming is a land-grant university located in Laramie, Wyoming, situated on Wyoming's high Laramie Plains, at an elevation of 7,200 feet , between the Laramie and Snowy Range mountains. It is known as UW to people close to the university...
in 1939, where he had a disappointing 0–7–1 record. Following his brief stint as head coach at Georgia and Wyoming, Hunt returned to being assistant coach, coaching at the collegiate and professional levels: again with LSU (1940–1941, 1945–1947), with the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 1949, the Baltimore Colts
History of the Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....
in 1950, and at the University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
in 1955.
Honors and later life
Hunt was inducted into the College Football Hall of FameCollege Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
as a player in 1967. He died in Teague, Texas
Teague, Texas
Teague is a city in Freestone County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,557 at the 2000 census.-Settlement:The area was first settled around the time of the Civil War. During the latter...
on July 24, 1978.