Hunter blossoms at FUMA

FORK UNION — High school is a time when students can recognize their unlimited potential and make the most of their opportunities. Jamal Hunter has certainly found his niche at Fork Union Military Academy — both on the football field and in the classroom.

Hunter, originally from Maryland, came to Fork Union to improve his grades after not getting into prep schools from his area.

“Basically, this was my last option,” Hunter said.

But the move has paid dividends for the junior, who is now an honor roll student. And his football skills aren’t too shabby, either.

“I always knew what I could do, but there were distractions,” Hunter said. “Here there are no distractions, so I can just stay focused.”

Hunter, a linebacker, is the Blue Devils’ leading tackler this season. Through seven games, he has recorded 74 tackles (50 solo) to help lead a solid defensive unit.

“Jamal has grown athletically, he’s improved his speed. He came here as a good ninth-grade athlete,” said Fork Union coach Micky Sullivan. “He came here playing defensive end and tight end and has developed into a more versatile athlete than he was when he got here.”

The good news is, he has more knowledge to acquire.

“Jamal’s ability is his hustle. Jamal makes a lot of tackles in a lot of different areas and he’s also a great special teams player,” Sullivan added. “He’s on kick returns, kickoff returns, punts. He does a lot of things for us. He’s a great open-field tackler and he’s still learning.”

Hunter racked up some gaudy numbers in a 6-0 win over Woodberry Forest on Sept. 27, with a season-high 21 tackles, and is averaging 10.6 tackles per game.

It hasn’t come without a lot of hard work, though. Hunter put in countless hours this past summer at several camps — at such schools as Ohio State, Temple and Boston College — and works with a trainer, Joe Haden, during the offseason.

Along with Haden, Hunter credits Sullivan and former Fork Union/current Georgia linebacker Marcus Dowtin with helping to improve his game.

“[Dowtin] taught me a lot of things on the field that helped me become a better linebacker,” Hunter said. “Now I can show people under me new things. [Sullivan’s] been a great coach and he’s been standing by me since freshman year.”

Once he gets on the field, Hunter lets his instincts kick in. The 5-foot-11, 220-pounder had nine total tackles in a loss to Liberty Christian last week.

“As soon as you see the ball, it’s just reaction,” Hunter said. “I just want to get there and stop it.”

Hunter has aspirations of playing at the next level and Sullivan said he will do everything he can to help him along the way.

“He will play college football,” Sullivan said. “He’s been a very consistent, very good football player and our job is to help him find the right place.”

But a more immediate concern is this week’s opponent, Collegiate, which is coming off a big win over St. Anne’s-Belfield and is ranked No. 4 in the latest VISAA Division I poll. The Blue Devils visit the Cougars on Friday.

“They’ve got a great quarterback [Jake McGee], so our passing game’s got to be on point,” Hunter said. “If we stop the pass, and the offense puts points on the board, I think we’ll be in good shape.”

Collegiate, which has had a penchant of turning out great quarterbacks — including N.C. State’s Russell Wilson — can pass and put numbers on the board.

So if Hunter can snare the Cougars, his stock will continue to rise. That is a good thing in this topsy-turvy market.