The Syracuse QB stopped by ESPN CNY to talk about the upcoming season and his recent trip to the Manning Passing Academy.
Syracuse Orange quarterback Terrel Hunt is coming into the 2014 season with a lot of expectations, most notably to improve his passing game. It can't hurt that he attended the Manning Passing Academy over the weekend. He stopped by ESPN CNY to discuss how it went and other Syracuse-type things...
On when he realized he was legitimate college quarterback.
"It was really after the bowl game when I won MVP and I was like...wow, you know, I could actually do this. It's not just a dream anymore."
On what those first couple ACC games (like Clemson and Georgia Tech) were like.
"I was sitting on a high horse in those first two games. It was a real reality change, you know, this was real talent we were playing. Not to knock Tulane or Wagner...it's a big jump-off. So, really it was just about seeing I could compete with them...I think we did pretty okay to have everyone new, a new coach, first year in the ACC which is one of the top conferences...I think we did pretty well so now we're just gonna build off of that. We have our confidence. We know what to expect, so now we're just gonna go out there and just work."
On what he wants out of the Syracuse offense this season.
"I want to see us put up points. You know, we put up a few points but I don't think it was enough last year. I wanna add more yards to the rushing game. I wanna add more yards to the passing game. I wanna average more yards. So, you know, I just want us to be great."
On freshman quarterbacks A.J. Long & Alin Edouard.
"A.J., you know, he's got a drive you don't see in a lot of people. He just wants it bad. Alin is a little bit more laid back but not to say he doesn't want it as bad. It's cool cause they're both different. Alin reminds me of myself cause he's a kinda laid-back kinda guy but he's a good quarterback. And I just want to be able to help them as much as I can."
Terrel also showed praise for Josh Parris, Corey Cooper, Jamal Custis and Steve Ishmael as upcoming talents this season.
On the expectations from preseason magazines.
"They're wrong. They've very wrong...we're always underdogs but it's okay cause we like being underdogs cause when he hit'm in the mouth, they'll be like "Oh my God, where'd this come from?"
As for that Manning Camp, what did Terrel learn from Peyton Manning?
"It was little things like how to throw post routes better," Hunt said. "I was talking to Peyton about that, how I would like my guys to keep it skinny because it's always easier to break in, rather then break in and I'll throw it out and they'll have to re-adjust."
"Even when it's annoying and gets boring, that's when you've got to actually really do it, because that's when it's going to stick," Hunt recalls Peyton Manning telling him.
