Three Cajuns picked in NFL Draft

Robert Hunt prides himself on possessing a particular trait — one immensely beneficial to lining up along the line of scrimmage.

“I think I play the game hard,” Hunt said Friday night. “I try to strain and I try to finish people. I think I just play this game very hard. I play like it’s my last time playing, so I think that’ll help me. As long as I keep that mentality, keep working on myself and getting better and trying to help the team; everything will work out well.”

That mindset is something that impressed the Miami Dolphins, who selected the University of Louisiana at Lafayette offensive lineman in the second round with the No. 39th overall pick on Friday.

Hunt is the highest drafted Ragin’ Cajun since Charles “Peanut” Tillman was selected with the No. 35 overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft.

“He’s a tough, physical player,” Dolphins General Manager Chris Grier said. “He plays with an attitude. He’s got good football intelligence. It’s important to him. A lot of those criteria and qualities the coaching staff is looking for, this kid has them so we’re very excited.”

So how did Hunt, who played high school football at Class 1A Burkeville in East Texas, take the news when the phone rang on Friday night?

“Super blessed,” Hunt said. “I’m super excited. I’m blessed. This is a great opportunity. I thank (Head) Coach (Brian) Flores and his whole staff. I’m super excited to get down to Miami and get to work.”

Hunt is going to be part of a massive rebuilding project in Miami. Hunt was one of two offensive linemen selected by the Dolphins in the first two rounds — the other being USC tackle Austin Jackson, who was taken in the first round with the No. 18 overall pick.

Hunt and Jackson will be tasked with protecting Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who Miami drafted with the No. 5 overall pick.

“It’s great,” Hunt said. “I’m super excited to get on the field with Tua (Tagovailoa) and the all of the other guys that we already have on the team. It’s my job to protect him and that’s what I’m going to do every day – come in, I’m going to try to protect him and do my best job that I can do.“

Whether Hunt will be protecting Tua as a tackle or guard remains to be seen. Hunt lined up at both positions in his Ragin’ Cajuns career.

“Robert can play right tackle, he can play right guard,” Grier said. “So for us, he’s going to come in and compete for a job. Brian’s talked about it. It’s a competition. That’s one of the things we liked about him — position flexibility to play those things, but the thing we loved about him was his competitiveness.”

For Hunt, it doesn’t matter what position he lines up because he is ready to make a difference either way.

“I definitely can play any position that coach or the o-line coach need me to play,” said Hunt who earned first team All-Sun Belt honors last season. “I’m a versatile guy. I’m open to playing any position. I’m ready to play any position. Anything, anywhere that I can help the team out, I’ll definitely do it.”

Hunt’s friend and longtime roommate Kevin Dotson got the phone call on Saturday during the NFL Draft’s fourth round.

Dotson, who earned first team All-American honors from AP, USA Today and Pro Football Focus, was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the No. 135th pick.

“He has all of the intangibles,” Pittsburgh offensive line coach Shaun Sarrett told www.steelers.com on Saturday. “When you watch this guy, he runs through people. He can run through the point of attack. It brings flexibility to the room. It gives us options. At the end of the day the best five will start, but I think realistically that is a guy who can go in and compete for the spot.”

Dotson was the first non-NFL Combine player to be drafted this year was ecstatic he was headed to Pittsburgh.

“The craziest thing about it is they are legit my family’s favorite team,” Dotson told www.steelers.com. “To get this pick is ridiculous. It’s crazy.”

That also means that Dotson will begin his career blocking for longtime franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

“I have always been a fan of Ben,” Dotson said. “It’s going to be crazy. In my mind I always thought of him as someone I would never meet. One of the legends I would never be able to block for. This is going to be a dream to be able to play with players you have looked up to your entire life.”

Later on Saturday, the Ragin’ Cajuns made program history as former Cecilia High star Raymond Calais was drafted in the seventh and final round.

Tampa Bay selected the Ragin’ Cajuns running back-kick returner with pick No. 245.

In four seasons at UL Lafayette, Calais rushed for 1,845 yards and scored 15 rushing touchdowns. Calais earned first-team All-Sun Belt Conference honors as a return specialist in 2019. He also earned third team All-SBC honors as a running back and third team honors at all-purpose.

The selections of Hunt, Dotson and Calais tied the program record for most draft picks in a single draft. The only other time that occurred was 1989.