It was a season to remember for rookie tailback Kareem Hunt in 2017, and it has him in the running to take home some hardware on Saturday during the annual NFL Honors show.
Hunt is a nominee for both the Offensive Rookie of the Year and the FedEx Ground Player of the Year awards, which will be presented during a two-hour special at 8 p.m. CT on NBC.
The rookie tailback's presence at the ceremony is well deserved, as he became just the sixth rookie in the Super Bowl Era to earn the rushing title with 1,327 yards on the ground this season. He set an NFL record with at least 100 yards of offense in each of his first seven career games, and his 1,782 total yards from scrimmage led all rookies.
Hunt's efforts garnered immediate attention, earning him NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month honors twice (September and October) and the Professional Football Writers Association's Rookie of the Year award.
He has a shot at two more awards - and some additional history - on Saturday, as he would become the first player in franchise history to earn Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
Hunt's primary competition for the award, New Orleans Saints' tailback Alvin Kamara, spoke about the Chiefs' rookie at the Pro Bowl last weekend.
"I watched him every game," Kamara said. "We were just talking about how I was watching that first Thursday night game and how he bounced back after fumbling on that first play. He ran for like 10,000 yards in the next three games after that. He's a great player and a great dude. He balls and he deserves the success that he's had."
Hunt and Kamara are part of one of the best crops of young running backs in recent memory, commanding attention to a position that is often overlooked in today's NFL.
"I just feel like running backs are on the rise and it's a position that should be respected," Kamara said. "They talked a lot over the past few years about how the position was on the decline, but I think what Kareem and I have done this season just goes to show what's going on in this league."
Successful as both players were, only one of them can earn the distinction as the league's top rookie.
When asked which of the two players was going to take home the award on Saturday, Kamara's answer mirrored that of the rest of us.
"We'll see."
