Margus Hunt Learned Football From Video Games

SMU defensive end Margus Hunt is at the NFL Scouting Combine this week talking to teams and being measured. However, he will not be working out, waiting until his pro day to do that. Either way, though, you cannot miss Hunt, who is a 6', 8", 277 pound defensive end, who is expected to be extremely fast when he does run his 40-yard dash.

Hunt has the skills to be an early draft pick in April's Draft. He has the potential to be a dominating force in the NFL. But, he's raw. He came to the United States from his native Estonia a track and field star, being a junior champion in the shot put and the discuss. Once in the States, however, he turned to football.

The problem was, he did not know anything about football.

Hunt tried out for the coaches at SMU, then realized that having watched a few games in the student section probably was not going to be enough knowledge of the game. "After the tryout, I flew home for Christmas, got Madden NFL and I started playing," Hunt said this week. He used the game for everything down to the basics, like how many players are on the field at a time.

Now, Hunt knows the game well enough to excel for the Mustangs, but everyday he is still learning. Asked about players he watches in the NFL, Hunt replied, "J.J. Watt is definitely one of the biggest ones. He's a big dude. He can move really well. He can play every position in the defensive front. I like to look at him a lot. The entire New York Giants defensive line. They're talented. The 49ers as well, with Justin Smith and Aldon Smith."

Unfortunately for Miami Dolphins fans, Hunt is projected as a 3-4 defensive end at the NFL level. The Dolphins could target him with the idea that he would play defensive tackle as a replacement to Randy Starks if the team's Pro Bowl selection is allowed to leave in free agency this year, but he likely will be heading somewhere else in 2013.

Next year, he will be able to learn more about football while playing as himself in the next edition of Madden.