In 2020, contained in the clang-and-clatter of Neshoba Central Excessive’s powerlifting gymnasium, Jarquez Hunter’s coach laid down a dare: squat 645 kilos on three counts.

With a nod and fast coat of chalk, Hunter went to work. Challenges don’t faze him.

At a Mississippi water firm three years prior, Hunter’s co-workers coaxed him right into a pickup basketball sport. Nonetheless in his button-down shirt and cowboy boots, the 5-foot-9 Hunter went airborne. And dunked.

In those self same boots, the Rams’ rookie working again accomplished extra delicate exams: He patiently broke and nurtured a horse that he ultimately rode throughout Auburn’s campus.

“Stay true to the thing you’re doing,” Hunter stated.

On Saturday at SoFi Stadium, Hunter made his NFL debut in a preseason sport in opposition to the Dallas Cowboys, Lining up behind quarterback Stetson Bennett, he took a handoff on a third-and-six play and mimicked a sprinter stealing a head begin — his shoulders low and knees churning. Hunter knifed by way of the protection and broke for an 11-yard acquire.

“That was a great run,” stated Rams coach Sean McVay. “He’s knocking guys back and finishing forward where what might be a four-yard run ends up being an eight-yard or seven-yard run.”

That bruising type helped Hunter rush for 3,371 speeding yards and 29 touchdowns in 4 seasons at Auburn. The Rams chosen Hunter within the fourth spherical of the 2025 NFL draft, including him to a working again corps that options starter Kyren Williams and second-year professional Blake Corum.

“He’s definitely laser-focused on what you’re saying,” Rams working backs coach Ron Gould stated throughout coaching camp.

Or, as McVay illustrated it: “He can stare a hole through you.”

Gould dubbed Hunter’s velocity as his “super power,” a present confirmed by a 4.44-second 40-yard sprint. However Hunter’s potential to twist defenders out of place mid-chase is his calling card. Proof? He amassed 278 yards in 23 carries final October in opposition to Kentucky.

“Since I was in middle school growing up, I did a lot of squatting,” Hunter stated. “I do a lot of leg workouts. I run hills and pull sleds. That’s really how I get the power in my legs.”

Rams linebacker Chris “Pooh” Paul Jr., a fellow rookie, performed in opposition to Hunter 3 times at Arkansas earlier than Paul transferred to Mississippi. Each matchup in opposition to Hunter’s Tigers, Paul stated, was the identical headache.

Rams working again Jarquez Hunter is tackled by the Dallas Cowboys protection throughout a preseason sport Saturday at SoFi Stadium.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Instances)

“We knew he ran hard,” the Rams linebacker stated. “We knew he was hard to bring down. We knew he had speed. Very good in pass [protection]. … Man, he’s very dangerous.”

However that hazard vanishes as soon as the pads come off. They’re changed by the persistence of a rustic boy.

Hunter, who additionally stashes get together tips like leaping out of a swimming pool, grew up within the rolling greens of central Mississippi. And again residence, Hunter’s most loyal working mate doesn’t put on pads. Hazard, a chestnut quarter horse with a white blaze down his face and a deep copper coat, was born the identical summer season Hunter first wore an Auburn jersey.

The colt was born whereas Hunter was driving residence for a brief break earlier than fall camp, its spindly legs nonetheless wobbly within the pasture.

The persistence to interrupt a horse, the stubbornness to work one till it trusts you, the dawn-to-dusk dedication of tending to one thing that may’t converse again — Hunter stated he swears all of it bleeds into his sport.

“When you’re out there working with animals, you gotta stay true,” Hunter stated, “you gotta go with the training. You still gotta work with them.”

That very same self-discipline exhibits when Hunter rides his ATV up a steep hill, hauls in catfish by hand, or waits patiently for a buck within the woods — and it’s the identical grit he’ll lean on as he pushes for a spot within the Rams’ working again rotation.

For now, Hunter will line up once more Saturday in opposition to the Chargers, with an opportunity to outpace the 41 yards he logged in 11 carries in his debut.

“Pretty decent,” Hunter stated, “but it’s things I got to fix.”

As a result of for Hunter, the fixes are the enjoyable a part of challenges — whether or not it’s mending a missed block, pumping out one other squat or profitable the belief of a stressed colt.

Employees author Gary Klein contributed to this report.