Bobby Hunt, a former Auburn standout who became one of the Kansas City Chiefs’ most decorated defensive backs, has died at the age of 85. No cause of death was revealed.
Before Bo Jackson made Auburn famous for two-way athleticism, Hunt was already doing it. He played quarterback and defensive back for the Tigers from 1959 to 1961, appearing in 30 games. He threw for 1,185 yards and five touchdowns while also rushing for 1,046 yards and 14 more scores. That kind of versatility was rare anywhere, let alone in the SEC during an era built on grit and ironman football.
Even Alabama’s legendary coach Paul “Bear” Bryant took notice. “He’s just a great football player, that’s all,” Bryant said of Hunt, according to AL.com.
As originally reported, the Dallas Texans selected Hunt in the 11th round of the 1962 AFL Draft with the 81st overall pick. Moving to safety full time, he wasted no time proving himself. As a rookie, he snagged eight interceptions and earned First-Team All-AFL honors. That franchise rookie record stood for over five decades until Marcus Peters matched it in 2015.
The Texans won the 1962 AFL championship before relocating to Kansas City and rebranding as the Chiefs. Hunt made the move with them and spent five more seasons in Kansas City, earning Second-Team All-AFL honors twice. In 1966, he posted a career-high 10 interceptions.
Hunt also holds a share of the NFL record for most interceptions in a single game, picking off four passes in 1964. He was characteristically modest about it. “We were in a zone defense and Blanda was trying to pick it apart,” Hunt told The Kansas City Star. “We just happened to be in the right place at the right time.”
In 1967, Hunt started for the Chiefs in Super Bowl I, a 35-10 loss to Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers. He finished his playing career with two seasons alongside the Cincinnati Bengals, wrapping up eight professional seasons with 42 interceptions across 112 games and 108 starts.
After hanging up his cleats, Hunt moved briefly into coaching, serving as the Buffalo Bills’ defensive backs coach from 1970 to 1971. In 2015, he was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.
His was a football life from a different era, smaller contracts, fewer cameras, less fanfare. But the numbers hold up just fine on their own. A two-way college star, a franchise record-setter, and a Super Bowl starter. Bobby Hunt did not need much dressing up.