Patriots working out DB with hilarious name ahead of Bills showdown
By Jerry Trotta
The New England Patriots split their regular-season series with the Buffalo Bills, and they’re currently gearing up for Round 3 this Saturday after they finished as the No. 6 and No. 4 seeds in the AFC, respectively.
In many ways, it’s fitting these teams will lock horns for a third time, because each of their first two matchups were lopsided in terms of game script. Back in Week 13, the Patriots rode their running game and defense, which allowed just 230 yards, to a 14-10 victory in rigorous weather conditions.
In their Week 16 meeting, it was the Bills’ turn to dominate. They jumped out to a 10-point lead before halftime and fended off a late Patriots comeback over the final two quarters to take control of the AFC East.
Essentially, we learned that there isn’t much separating these rivals, so they’ll both be looking for a competitive edge. For New England, it could be something as simple as Saturday’s weather forecast in Orchard Park. However, what about bringing an intimidating factor?
The Patriots had DB Money Hunter, (Arkansas State) in for a free-agent workout. 💰🏈
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) January 11, 2022
The Patriots are working out free agent DB Money Hunter.
No, this isn’t a joke. The Patriots actually worked out free agent defensive back Monshadrik “Money” Hunter, who played for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League as recently as last year and is actually the son of former five-time MLB All-Star outfielder Torii Hunter.
Hunter is still waiting for the opportunity to play in an NFL game, but we feel confident saying he already has the coolest name in the league. So, what do fans need to know about 6-foot-1 safety?
For starters, he played collegiately at Arkansas State, appearing in 59 games from 2013-2016. He finished with four interceptions returned for a touchdown, which is the most in Sun Belt Conference history, and holds two of the five longest interception returns in the history of the Red Wolves program.
Despite that output, Hunter went undrafted in 2017 and eventually latched onto the Edmonton Elks of the CFL. He appeared in 30 games over two years with the club, tallying a sack and four more interceptions.
The #Patriots worked out DB Money Hunter, who is the son of former Major Leaguer Torii Hunter. He played at Arkansas State and was most recently with the Montreal Alouettes.
— Jim McBride (@globejimmcbride) January 11, 2022
From there, Hunter made his way to Montreal, but he had to wait a year to play after COVID-19 wiped out the 2020 season. In 2021, though, he started 14 games for the Alouettes, posting two interceptions and a sack.
Refusing to give up on his NFL dream, the 26-year-old just wrapped up a visit with the Cardinals before agreeing to a workout for the Patriots.
It’s unclear how motivated New England is to sign Hunter, but his experience on special teams could make him a potential practice squad addition. And the Pats might be inclined to add another defensive back before Saturday after Jalen Mills hit the COVID-19 list on Tuesday night.
Even if it doesn’t work out for Hunter in Foxborough, you can bet that we’ll be following his story closely from here on out. If he ever gets a shot in the NFL, his name will make him an instant fan favorite.
