What's good.
Command his Family Brian Copwa Junia and this is the Next Man Up podcast We talked to your favorite Commanders players, not so much about X and OS, more about the man behind the helmet, and our next man Up is no other than Khalik Huntson Man.
We had a great conversation.
Cleie talks about being from McKey Sport, Pennsylvania and giving back to the community.
Specifically, he talks.
About his father and how his father throughout life just inspired him and taught him how to be the man he is today and what losing his father did to him and his mentality.
He talks about Draft night and how that was the best night of his life.
And he also talks about getting into the fourth year of his NFL season and the trials and tribulations he went through to get to this point. All that and more starts right now, So Command his Family. This is Brian Corvir Junia and this is the Next Man Up Podcasts. We talked to your favorite Commanders players. Not so much about X and O's, more about the man behind the helmet, and our next man up is no other than my God Kalie Huts and click out.
You're doing today.
Brother, I'm doing good about yourself.
Man, I'm doing good. I appreciate you, man. I know the season's windling down. I know you guys are busy, so we appreciate you jumping on with us and like, you know, kicking it for a little bit of a problem.
Man. Yeah.
Man.
And like I said, Man, we ain't really talking extent. We don't want to talk so much with football. I want to talk about you as the person.
Right.
Let the fans get to know who you are, because you have a very interesting story, man. So we're gonna start with the story began a Key Sport, Pennsylvania, right, I said it, right, Yes, sir, you said.
Yes, sir.
Man tell me what it means to be from a Key Sport, Pennsylvania and basically what it was like growing up out there.
It means a world to me, you know, just being from a key sport, just standing on, just being a pride, being a guy who everybody looks up to as far as all the kids, and just being a role model to them. You know, I really take that serious. Try to carry myself in a way to where a lot of people want to look up to me and want to do like certain things that I did and have the impact that I have. So it just means a lot.
It means a lot. You know, I got a city on my back that really cares about his sports, really cares about his people just in general. So it just means a lot for me to be in this position right now.
Uh.
You know, growing up, there was a bunch of people I was able to look up to, people like, uh, swing Cash, she's in she was in a w NBA, she's not Hall.
Of Famer, tough, tough hooper.
Yeah, guys like uh, you know, Brandon Short, a guy made it to the NFL, and just a bunch of other people who who paved the way for me, made it easy for me, gave me a vision I could I can, you know, see what they did and do the same things, but just in my own way. Yea, it may have the same goal, but you know what I mean, it's just a different path, that's all. But Yeah, being from a key sports means it means the world
to me, you know what I mean. It's and it's just it's just it's just a great feeling to be from a place like that, and it's easy.
For guys to be like you know, I love my hometown. I want to give back, but you actually do the work. You had your I think this past summer thing in July, you had your second camp out in m Key, right, you had it out there. Man, how cool was that to be able to not only do it once, but then do it a second time and have all the kids show out and just be able to holst the camp like that for the kids.
It was. It was super cool, you know, just seeing how excited the kids be, you know, like when when they see me and stuff like oh your coolly guss. Yeah, I can run you over. I fashion than you.
You can. Trash talk starts immediately, it starts immediately.
So like I love it though. Man, it's just it's just like just going back to it, like just being that guy that everybody could look up to, you know what I mean, especially the kids, you know what I mean? Growing up, that's something I always wanted to focus on being an inspiration for the kids, like showing them that there's more than just where we're from, you know what I mean, There's more. There's more than just sports as well, Like you don't have to you don't have to make
it out just by going the sports away. You can be a lawyer, you can be a doctor, you can be a dentist, whatever you want to be. As long as you put your mind to it, you can do. You can do whatever you want to. So just seeing their faces every year, you know this year coming up, I might have another one, and I'm just so excited to be able to be in a position where I can change someone's life.
That's awesome, man, Because, like you said, changing somebody's life, I mean, one of those kids that could be their first time seen anything involved with football, and then because of your camp, now they love football.
Yeah you growing up? What made you love football?
What made me love football? So I started football at the age of four. My dad put me into football, and he was one of the main reasons why I kept going so hard and because he worked me, my brothers. He worked us to be the best. Every single day were doing something. We was in multiple different sports, but it was always football. Yeah, I mean that he was most serious about. He was serious about all the other sports, but football. We had to be on point. You had
to be hustling, full speed, hitting everybody, scoring touchdown. So just from them experiences just kept creating stronger love for the game for me, and I just kept it going, you know what I mean. And my dad passed away in twenty thirteen, and me, I feel like everything happens for a reason, you know what I mean. So I feel like that propelled me to work even harder, knowing that that's a portism from my dad was not there
no more. Now I had to turn it up myself, my own mental like my mom mental capacity, you know, just be stronger mentally, just knowing that he's still there in my head. So I got to carry on what he wanted me to do. I gotta carry on this task of keeping my grades up in school, doing the right thing all the time, being a good son, being the best player on the field, you know what I mean.
So I had to work on doing that without him being there, and it was kind of a struggle at first, but as I kept going, and you know, there's certain things that happened. When you learn from certain situations that happened, you know, might get in trouble with here, like Okay, I know I can't do that, or I gotta do this better. So that's why I say everything happens for
a reason. I feel like it was just a test from God, you know what I mean, Like your dad was always there telling you what to do, making sure you was making sure you was always doing everything you're supposed to be doing. And you know, he got taken away. So that was kind of a challenge on me, like I'm gonna see if you still keep going what you's supposed to be doing even though that guy's not there
no more. So it's like it was hard. It was very hard, but like I said, everything happens for a reason, and it got me to this where I am now and still to this day, I live by everything that my dad taught me, everything that I've seen with him taking care of our family, taking care of my siblings, and just being a man he's supposed to be for the family overall. Yeah, I was just just soaking all that in and try to integrate it into my own life so I could be that person for my family.
Yeah.
And you know everywhere you go, man, everything you do, the way you carry yourself on the field, off the field, man, he's with you everywhere.
Man.
So I want to first say sorry to hear that. Man, I'm really sorry you lost your father. You said he was taken away from you. Man, do you mind explaining what happened back in twenty thirteen?
Yeah, it was a gun violence. Yeah, you know, he's just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and you know, gun violence.
I'm sorry to hear that, man and talk about how hard that is, right man, twenty thirteen to ten years ago. Yeah, we're very young man, think you were what's still in high school on the tenth grade going into tenth grade? Man, those are very primitive years, man, Those are years when a young man probably needs this father the most. How did you get through that? How did you get through that?
Because there's a lot of people going through things, people going through things right now that are dealing with battles man, and trying to just see the other side, see the light at the end of the tunnel.
How did you get through that and become the man you are now?
I feel like majority of time people unise situations like this, like if it happens to him as a reason to retaliate, or a reason to go back and do damage to somebody else, to somebody else's family. But I looked at it in a way to where I just use it as motivation. Like it might sound crazy, but my dad not being there no more. Like I said, I felt like it was a test from God. You know, I'm gonna see if you really still want this. I'm gonna take this guy away, you know. I mean, you know
I've away and see how much you really wanted. See if you're gonna still keep grinding, If you are, you're gonna still keep your grades up? Are you going try to be that person he was for your family?
You know?
And I just took it and just ran with it, you know. I just stepped up, kept going, kept pushing, worked ten times even harder, worked ten times even harder in school, trying to be the best man I can be for my family, the best son I could be for my mother, and just kept pushing it, just kept using this motive, kept saying my dad's still with me, my dad still with me, like he'll be proud of me right now. And I got to keep going to make him happy, make my family happy. So that's what
I'll say. I use the situation as motivation.
Was it times when that confidence wavered where you know your pops told you, hey, this is what you can do, this is what you can do in life if you just stay focused. But now you're on your own essentially, right, you don't have him there. Did you have times when you were like, man, I can't do this football thing no more.
It reminds me too much. Did you have those moments? Nah?
I never had them. Wow, because I knew I always always knew what I was capable of, always knew my true potential and what I was able to do on the field just in general, you know, just by just from the things that he taught me. You know, the jokes that we went over every day, and we kept kept going over, going over going to the field wise thunderstorment outside me and my two brothers were still working. So it's like going through all that, it molded in my head and that's just how I am now, Like
no one's going to outwork me. I'm going to try to be the hardest worker on the field all the time, no matter what I do it I don't got to be on the field, could be in my regular life. I'm trying to be the hardest worker, and I want to be that guy for my family, my personal family now because now I have a baby's team rather Congress, so for my personal family, my family in general, and just be that guy that he was, you know.
Yeah, man, and you not only you know, take care of your own family, but you're looking out for others as well. We had a mind cause my cleats not too long ago, and you decided to have something about gun violence on your pleased to represent that. Why was that an important message to get across? And how have you tried your best to help others now.
Go through what you and your family went through.
That's very important for me because, like I told you, I lost my dad through gun violence, but I lost multiple friends, like a lot of friends through gun violence, like over twenty more. Just I don't even know. It's it's That's what I'm saying. Being from a key sport, like it gots it's ups and it also has its downs. Like I remember, probably like three four years ago, it was like ranked like the top five most dangerous cities
in the US. So so there's a lot of stuff you gotta deal with, a lot of stuff you got to keep pushing through. Like I said, I lost a lot of people, a lot of family, a lot of friends from gun violence. So that hold that whole that that's a heavy feeling in my heart, you know, yeah, for sure, for sure, And I just want to And what I try to do is I try to preach the word to you know, stay out the streets and do what's right. And like I said, don't have to
be through football. It could be through any avenue. Like I said, doctor, then it's whatever you want to do, you can do it. If you don't want to go down this path to where you know, you're walking around with guns and stuff like that, or you're just around bad energy, to bad environments like that, because nothing good is happening. Nothing good happens out of being around being
around being around things like that. So I tried to push it every day when I'm talking to my friends, when I'm talking to the youth back at home, talking to growing ups back at home. I try to always push for peace, you know what I mean, for peace and positivity, you know, because I know I know how I feel to lose, to lose someone very close to you because of gun violence. So I tried to spread that so no one else has to feel that same pain that I felt.
What's feeling that pain going through those things? Losing so many people? Was that part of the reason why you decided to head over to Michigan for college because a lot of guys you talked we talked to us a little bit before the show started in I asked you, like most guys that we talked to here, they stay close to home.
They don't want to go nowhere.
I don't know how many Virginia Tech people we talked to called this team.
But you decided to go very far from home and go to Michigan.
When it went into that decision, it didn't have anything to do with the things you were trying to leave behind back in PA.
I'll say it had a a little bit, I'll say a little bit, but really I wanted to get away from home but also be close enough to where my family could still come to the games. And it really came down to Penn State or Michigan. Uh. In Penn State, there was a couple of things that happened with the with the coaching staff and me, and that wasn't really feeling. But towards the end of my senior year that that love for Penn State started coming back a little bit.
But when I went up to Michigan on my visit, it was just it was a rap. It was a kochar Ball had just that was I was his first recruiting class. That was his second year at Michigan. We just had changed over. We became a sponsored by Jordan.
Oh. Yeah, so they laid the kicks out for you when you pulled up.
Yeah.
Also with that, the schooling and education from a college like Michigan is like, you know, can't beat that for real? Uh yeah, I mean That's how I made my have to say, I really I want to go go go far away, but stay close enough to my family can still support for me.
It seemed like you made the right decision. Man.
And before we move forward through college, Man, it's actually something happened. I think it happened in like twenty fifteen. We do a research year and next man, you know what I'm saying. So I saw this video of you like jumping over a brother that looked like he was like six five six six, and you just like vertical jump over him and then do like the crazy one hand snag.
Right. Do you remember what I'm talking about? Yeah? I remember that. Man, talk to me about what's going with you about it? That video?
And did you know it was going to make the impact on your life at the time when you made it.
I did not know, And it's crazy because I still stand on this today in twenty fifteen. I did that, and then right after that, all these other people around the world start doing like trick catches, backflips, catching two hands.
People got whole careers off of that.
Now, yeah, I'm like, you know, I'm like, I peep it.
I peep it for real. You the trend set up.
I'm the trend sector for real. But yeah, I remember that moment. Man, that's crazy, and I did not know it was going to go viral. That for me doing I'm like, say nothing, I just I've been doing this since I was a kid.
Just I mean, it looks crazy. We're going to show it, like right now, looks it looks nuts what you do.
Because brother looked like he was pretty big man, and you're not a little guy either. For like to just be bouncing like that then to catch the pass, it's pretty impressive.
I don't know if I got that bounce like that no more. That was a couple of years ago.
But I still give you a little something.
Yeah, Well, clearly you are a superb athlete and clearly worked out for you in Michigan. Man, you get drafted in the fifth round by Washington. Take us back to that day, man, at that moment. I love hearing these stories. Where were you at? What was you doing when you got that call when you got drafted?
Man? To bring us back there.
Yeah, So I wasn't back in Pittsburgh, and it was during COVID, so I couldn't have the event that I really wanted to have.
For all my tough man, that's tough.
I really had something set up. I wanted to do something in my hometown to where like literally everybody came and was like behind me, like literally down to the whole city and I was, you know, wait for a phone call and stuff like that. But COVID had messed
it up. But I had like an air and b had some close family there and that day was kind of like all the day, so I knew probably I knew I wasn't gonna go the first day, but the second day or third day was like really nerve wracking, just waiting, waiting, waiting, then somebody random might call like yo, what are you doing, like like leave my photo alone.
But I got called on the third day, uh, you know, by Washington, and it was it was probably still to this day, the best feeling ever, the best for I've ever had in my life. Wow, because it was just
it was just a so real moment. You know, like you work your whole life to get to you know, the NFL, and to get that call one day, and when you're in a moment and it actually happened, it's just like I just like immediately just started like tearing up, crying and stuff, like my mom is right here, all my family's here, and like I'm just thinking about my dad listening. I really don't remember what they were saying on the phone. I just just whenever he stopped talking,
I just started saying thank you. I appreciate it so much because it's just so many things was like, you know, going through my mind, especially my dad, just knowing he was so.
Proud of me.
And you know, after everything had calmed down, I had left cause I had an airbnb in Pittsburgh. I left and drove back to my Keysport, which is probably like twenty five minutes away, and I went to my dad's grave site, and I was very emotional for me as well. I went by myself that good by myself. I think I went by myself and I was just just talking to my dad for about five to ten minutes, just telling them, you know, I made it, and you know it doesn't
stop here. We got more work to do, you know, trying to be the best, trying to be the best player and just do what I can.
You know.
And like I said, that was just one of the greatest moments for me, just the phone call, going to my dad's gravesite, my family being there, being able to experience that moment with me. So just yeah, the whole experience is just mind blowing and I still can't believe it to this day. Still can't believe it to this day. But yeah, so.
You said you went over to your pop's grave site, Man, thank you for sharing that.
What do you think your pops would have said to you?
Man? If he could have been there with you when you had that phone call? Man, you think he would have said to you?
I don't even know he would know, y'all don't know. I know what he said. I knew what he would have said, going crazy. He could have been saying some funny stuff, but he would have just been proud. Man, He's just been so happy. Yeah, he'd have been saying some funny stuff.
Man.
That is so cool man, Just to see the way you light up thinking about your dad. Man. And you know, I know you lost a lot of time, man, but I have no doubt. Man, he's been watching you do your thing.
Man.
And you know, it's been a long career for you in the NFL.
Man, Which is year four for you? Now? Yeah?
Year four and year four has been a lot different than the first three years. First three years it was a lot of prove it. It was a lot of yo, I belong here? How was year four been different for you? And your own words?
For me personally, I feel like the way I think about it is like I don't want to prove nobody wrong. I just want to prove myself right, you know what I mean. I know my capabilities and I know what I can do on the field. You know, I'm confident in myself. So but it's like this fourth year has been there's been a lot of ups and downs. You know. Earlier in this season I wasn't playing as much. But later in this season I've been getting more opportunity and being able to get a chance to show what I
can do. So I'm just grateful because I remember last year, going into my third year, I got cut at the end of camp and that was probably the lowest if I ever felt in my life. You know, Yeah, that was probably the lowest ever felt in my life. I was kind of like questioning was I good enough? Which is crazy, you know, because a lot of things is just flying around in your head when you get cut. It's like I do something wrong? Did they not see? So it was hard, but I felt like that situation
propelled me into the next part of my life. It showed me, It showed me a part of myself. I never knew that I was there, you know, I never my whole career, always been one of the best on the team, if not the best on the team. I always been playing, you know, I never been off the field like I always been on the team, you know.
Both sides of the ball in high school. Yeah, after the ball.
So when that happened, it's just like whoa, Like it was like a shock to me, Like this don't feel right?
Like that day.
I cried, I smiled, I laughed, I was I had every emotion, every emotion you could think of. And yeah, last year, my third year, is probably the point of the hardest years of my life just overall, you know, just dealing with that and trying to find myself again. You know, like I said, like I was questioning was I good enough? Because like I told you, in any and everything that I do, I'm going to work as harder as I can, no matter what practice walk through.
I'm going to be focused. I'm going laser focused. I'm gonna do what I gotta do. And when you feel like you've done that but then you still fall short, it's kind of like it's the flating. Yeah, it's the flooding. It really is deflating. But I'm so glad that it happened. Though I needed that to happen, like I needed to. I needed to find myself, you know, in a situation
like that. I needed to have that feeling to having that feeling to being at the bottom and knowing that feel like so then you know it just it just helped me propel and just keep pushing and pushing, going even harder. Now I'm more ten times harder, And it got me to this moment now to where now I'm getting a couple opportunities to be very show what I can do, and I'm happy the way I've been playing, but you know, there's still more to go. Like I
ain't showed nothing yet, There's still more to go. So I truly feel that way, and that's what it is right now.
And in hindsight, you know, it's a little easy to be like, Man, I'm glad I went through that. I'm glad I went through that hard time because during the hard times, it's very hard to see. Like you said, that light at the end of the tunnel, this is young man from McKee McKey Sport, Keysport, Pennsylvania right now watching this that maybe we'll go through that as well. Maybe you'll go through a time when he's not at
the top of the roster. You know, how did you get through that and make it to this point?
Man?
What got you through what you said was the hardest time in your life?
I leaned on the people who was closest to me, because when it happened, my communication with a lot of people kind of disappeared, and not because I wasn't playing. They didn't want to call me or anything, no more like I kind of like stepped back and I'm like, all right, let me find myself. Like I'm in a situation now, no one's here to help me. How can I get myself out of the situation? And it always it always comes back to working hard, just hard work undefeated.
I said it. I said it after my third year when I started started one game, the last game of the season versus Dallas, and I received the game ball and I was able to say something to the team and the only thing I said was hard work is undefeated. Feel that way, you know what I mean? And that's what I did. Just kept working, kept my head down, control what I was able to control, and like I said, it got me to the situation I'm at now. And it was a lot of other things I was doing.
I was doing some uh, I was talking to therapists, you know, to help me with my mental you know, to keep going, stay on track and don't lose focused on what the task I hand is. And but I feel like the main thing was just going hard on the field. It was just going hard just and then eventually the opportunity will come, you know, because hard work is undefeated.
And you definitely go hard on that field. Man, it has been fun watching you did thing.
Brother.
I could talk to you all day long, but I don't want to keep you too long, because we do have one more game left on the season and it is a rivalry game against the Dallas Cowboys. That's your ISO cam right there, Brother, I want you to look into that cam right now and talk directly to Command this fans and let them know why the need to show up and show out at FedEx Field for our final game this regularly.
Surely y'all got to show up and show out. You know, it's the last dance, last game of the season, and there's gonna be a lot of guys out there again, huge opportunities, and we need y'all there to be able to support us, support the team, and so we come out with this victory.
And Collegue, Man, I cannot wait to see what you do, not only this Sunday Man, before the rest of your career. Brother, It's been a pleasure getting to know you. I appreciate your candedness.
Man.
I know some of those things aren't really easy to talk about, but man, you don't know how many people you're helping by sharing your stories College. So thank you so much. Command is family. This is the next Man of Pockets. I'm Brian Cooble JUNR. And I'm honored to be sitting next to Khalie Hutson.
Brother.
Congrats on all your success so far. Man, I know you have a lot more coming. Yes, I appreciate your time bro having me on.
Thank you man, Sir, Commander's Family.
This is the last that's right, the last episode of Next Man Up for the season, and we have had so much fun with you all. We cannot thank you enough for the love and support you all shown this show and we cannot wait to come back next season with some more great conversations. Special shout out to my producer Kayla Key for taking care of everything behind the scenes.
This show would not be what it is without you.
And of course thank you to every Commander's player who took the time to join us on Next Man Up. And although this is the last podcast episode of the season, we are not done giving you content this offseason. Tune in every Thursday to the Commander's YouTube page for weekly episodes of Command Center until next season. I am Brian Cooper Junior and this is the Next Man Up Podcast.