Hunter Cantwell facts for kids
Cantwell during practice at M&T Bank Stadium in August 2011.
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| No. 12 | |
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| Position: | Quarterback |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | December 30, 1985 Chattanooga, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Weight: | 236 lb (107 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Paducah Tilghman (Paducah, Kentucky) |
| College: | Louisville |
| Undrafted: | 2009 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
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| As coach: | |
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Hunter Cantwell, born on December 30, 1985, is an American who used to play American football as a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Louisville Cardinals. In 2009, the Carolina Panthers signed him, even though he wasn't picked in the main draft. For most of 2009, he was on the Panthers' practice squad. Later that year, he joined the main team. He also spent time on the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad in 2010 and 2011. After playing, he became a quarterbacks coach at Campbellsville University. From 2017 to 2018, Cantwell was the head coach at Carroll County High in Kentucky. He is currently the head coach at Christian Academy of Louisville.
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Early Life and High School Football
Hunter Cantwell grew up in Paducah, Kentucky. He went to Paducah Tilghman High School. There, he became the best passer in the school's history. He completed 458 out of 756 passes. This added up to 7,272 yards and 70 touchdowns. He also set a state record for passing yards in a playoff game. He helped his team win 31 games while he was the starting quarterback.
College Football Career
Cantwell joined the Louisville Cardinals football team in 2005. He started as a "walk-on," meaning he wasn't on scholarship at first.
Playing for the Cardinals
On November 25, 2005, the main quarterback, Brian Brohm, got hurt. Cantwell stepped in and helped the Cardinals win 41–17 against Syracuse. He completed 3 of 5 passes for 66 yards.
A week later, on December 2, 2005, Cantwell started his first game. He completed 16 of 25 passes for 271 yards and one touchdown. This helped Louisville win 30–20 against Connecticut.
In the 2006 Gator Bowl against Virginia Tech, Cantwell played very well. He threw for 216 yards and 3 touchdowns. Even though Louisville lost 35–24, he was named the Cardinals' Most Valuable Player (MVP) for that game.
Success in 2006
In 2006, the starting quarterback Brian Brohm got injured again. Cantwell took over and completed 3 of 4 passes for 113 yards and one touchdown. Louisville won 31–7 against Miami.
Cantwell started the next two games. He helped the Cardinals win both.
- Against Kansas State, he completed 18 of 26 passes for 173 yards and one touchdown. Louisville won 24–6.
- Against Middle Tennessee State, he completed 17 of 32 passes for 340 yards and three touchdowns. Louisville won big, 44–17.
Cantwell helped the Cardinals win many games that season. The team finished with 12 wins and only 1 loss. This great season led them to play in the 2007 Orange Bowl. This was the highest-ranked bowl game Louisville had ever played in. The Cardinals won the Orange Bowl 24–13 against Wake Forest.
Later College Years
In 2007, Cantwell didn't play as much. The team had a tough season, finishing with 6 wins and 6 losses. In 2008, Cantwell was nominated for two important awards: the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and the Maxwell Award. The team started strong with 5 wins and 2 losses. However, they lost their last five games. This meant they finished the season with 5 wins and 7 losses. It was the first time in many years that the Cardinals missed a bowl game two years in a row.
Professional Football Career
Carolina Panthers
After the 2009 NFL draft, Hunter Cantwell was not chosen by any team. However, the Carolina Panthers signed him to a three-year contract. He was later moved to the team's practice squad. This is a group of players who practice with the team but are not on the main roster. In December 2009, he was moved to the main team. He left the Panthers in September 2010.
Baltimore Ravens
On September 5, 2010, Cantwell joined the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad. He was with the Ravens' practice squad again in 2011. He left the Ravens in September 2011.
Coaching Career
In 2012, Hunter Cantwell had a chance to play for the Jacksonville Jaguars. But he decided to become a coach instead. He became the quarterbacks coach for the Campbellsville University football team.
From November 2016 to 2018, he was the head coach at Carroll County High School in Kentucky. In March 2019, he was hired as the head coach at Christian Academy of Louisville.
