Joel Hunt facts for kids

Oliver Joel "Lil' Joel" Hunt (born October 11, 1905 – died July 24, 1978) was a very talented American athlete. He played both American football and baseball professionally. Joel Hunt also coached football for many years.

He played college football at Texas A&M University from 1925 to 1927. Later, he became a head football coach at the University of Georgia in 1938 and the University of Wyoming in 1939. Besides football, Hunt played professional baseball in the minor leagues. He even played a short time with the St. Louis Cardinals in Major League Baseball. In 1967, he was honored by being added to the College Football Hall of Fame as a player.

Joel Hunt's College Football Days

Joel Hunt was a star player for Texas A&M from 1925 to 1927. He was a versatile player, meaning he could play many different positions. Hunt played as a running back, who carries the ball. He was also a punter, kicking the ball far down the field. Plus, he was a place kicker, scoring points by kicking field goals and extra points. He also played defense.

During his college career, Joel Hunt played in 27 games. He scored an amazing 30 touchdowns. He also kicked 5 field goals and 29 extra points. A famous coach named John Heisman once said that Hunt was "the greatest all-around player I ever saw." This shows how talented Joel Hunt was on the football field.

Coaching and Professional Baseball

After college, Joel Hunt started his coaching career. He was the head football coach at Marshall Junior College in Texas from 1928 to 1929.

At the same time, he also played professional baseball. Most of his baseball career was spent in the minor leagues. However, he did play 16 games in the major leagues with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1931 and 1932. In those games, he got 4 hits and had 3 RBIs. He played perfectly in right field, meaning he didn't make any errors.

Hunt also worked as an assistant football coach. He helped coach at Texas A&M from 1930 to 1932. Then, he moved to LSU and was an assistant coach there from 1933 to 1936.

Head Coach at Georgia

In 1938, Joel Hunt became the head football coach at the University of Georgia. This was a bit of a surprise to many people. He finished his only season there with a record of 5 wins, 4 losses, and 1 tie.

Even though he was only there for one year, Hunt made an important impact. He brought an assistant coach named Wally Butts with him. Wally Butts later became a very famous head coach for Georgia. He coached the team from 1939 until 1960.

Coaching After Georgia

After his time at Georgia, Hunt became the head football coach at the University of Wyoming in 1939. This season was tough for him, as his team had a record of 0 wins, 7 losses, and 1 tie.

After these two short periods as a head coach, Joel Hunt went back to being an assistant coach. He continued to coach at both college and professional levels. He returned to LSU as an assistant coach for several more years (1940–1941 and 1945–1947). He also coached in professional football. He was an assistant for the Buffalo Bills in 1949, who were part of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC). In 1950, he coached for the Baltimore Colts in the National Football League (NFL). His last coaching job was as an assistant at the University of Houston in 1955.

Honors and Later Life

Joel Hunt's amazing skills as a player were recognized in 1967. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. This is a very high honor for college football players.

Joel Hunt passed away in Teague, Texas on July 24, 1978. He is remembered as a talented athlete and coach in both football and baseball.