Hunter Lee Nourzad (born November 26, 2000)[1] is an American professional football center for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Cornell Big Red and Penn State Nittany Lions and was selected by the Chiefs in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft.
| No. 60 – Kansas City Chiefs | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Center |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | November 26, 2000[1] Marietta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight: | 317 lb (144 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | The Walker School (Marietta, Georgia) |
| College: | Cornell (2018–2021) Penn State (2022–2023) |
| NFL draft: | 2024 / round: 5 / pick: 159 |
| Career history | |
| |
| Roster status: | Active |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Early life
editFrom Marietta, Georgia, Nourzad attended The Walker School where he was twice the football team captain and also competed for the lacrosse and track and field teams.[2] He won all-region honors in shot put and was all-state, a three-time all-region honoree and the regional lineman of the year with the football team.[3][4] He received little attention as a recruit and committed to play college football for the FCS Cornell Big Red, being an unranked prospect.[5]
College career
editIn Nourzad's first season, 2018, he saw no playing time.[4] The following year, he earned a starting role at right tackle and was named second-team All-Ivy League.[6] After the 2020 season was not played due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Nourzad returned as a starter for the 2021 season.[6] He started all 10 games and helped Cornell place fifth nationally for fewest quarterback sacks allowed per game while also setting the program record for fewest sacks.[6] He was selected first-team all-conference, the Ivy League Offensive Lineman of the Year by Phil Steele, and was a second-team choice for the All-America team as selected by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA).[7][8]
Nourzad transferred to the Penn State Nittany Lions in 2022.[9] He changed his position to guard at Penn State, having previously been a tackle at Cornell.[10] He played 11 games, eight as a starter, and was named honorable mention All-Big Ten Conference in the 2022 season.[11] He returned for a final season in 2023 and moved to center.[12][13] He was selected a second-team All-Big Ten selection in 2023.[14] He was invited to the East–West Shrine Bowl and participated at the NFL Scouting Combine after the season.[15][16]
Professional career
edit| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Bench press | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 3+1⁄8 in (1.91 m) |
317 lb (144 kg) |
33+1⁄8 in (0.84 m) |
10+3⁄4 in (0.27 m) |
27 reps | ||||||||
| All values from NFL Combine[17][18] | ||||||||||||
Nourzad was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round (159th overall) of the 2024 NFL draft.[19]
References
edit- ^ a b Mead, Tom (February 24, 2024). "2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Penn State IOL Hunter Nourzad". Steelers Depot. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
- ^ "Hunter Nourzad". Penn State Nittany Lions.
- ^ Flounders, Bob (August 4, 2022). "Penn State's 25 most intriguing: An FCS standout can make a big difference in the run game". PennLive.com.
- ^ a b "Hunter Nourzad". Cornell Big Red.
- ^ Gallen, Daniel (January 3, 2022). "Penn State makes top 5 schools for Ivy League offensive lineman transfer". PennLive.com.
- ^ a b c Champion, Aidan (February 20, 2024). "Raiders NFL Draft Prospect: Center Nourzad of Penn State". Sports Illustrated.
- ^ McGuire, Kevin (May 17, 2022). "Penn State officially adds Cornell transfer Hunter Nourzad". USA Today.
- ^ Evans, Kyle (January 11, 2022). "Cornell's Hunter Nourzad captures second All-America honor, leads eight honored by Phil Steele". WGVA.
- ^ Snyder, Audrey (February 7, 2022). "Penn State adds Cornell transfer OL Hunter Nourzad, beating out Auburn, Iowa, Illinois, Virginia Tech". The Athletic.
- ^ Kubas, Shayne (February 28, 2024). "2024 NFL combine prospect profile: Hunter Nourzad, Center". USA Today.
- ^ Callaghan-Croley, Dylan (August 8, 2023). "Penn State Football 2023 Top 25 Countdown: OL Hunter Nourzad". Rivals.com.
- ^ Jones, Ben (November 8, 2022). "Penn State Football: Nourzad Announces Plans to Return in 2023". StateCollege.com.
- ^ Jones, David (August 7, 2023). "Not center of attention but at center of action, Hunter Nourzad is central to Penn State's success". PennLive.com.
- ^ Flounders, Bob (March 16, 2024). "Penn State's Hunter Nourzad, still on the mend, looks like a solid fit for an NFL team with O-line needs". PennLive.com.
- ^ McGuire, Kevin (January 29, 2024). "Penn State center Hunter Nourzad a prospect to watch in Shrine Bowl". USA Today.
- ^ Flounders, Bob (March 4, 2024). "Penn State O-line recap at the NFL scouting combine: How did Olu Fashanu, Caedan Wallace and Hunter Nourzad fare?". PennLive.com.
- ^ "Hunter Nourzad Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
- ^ "2024 NFL Draft Scout Hunter Nourzad College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
- ^ "Nourzad Selected By Chiefs in 2024 Draft". Cornell Big Red. April 27, 2024.