North Bay's Ryan Hunter aims to crack NFL Roster

You may be seeing a few more Kansas City Chiefs jerseys around the north this football season.

North Bay's Ryan Hunter has been turning heads as he competes for a roster slot with the National Football League's Kansas City Chiefs.

The 23-year-old offensive lineman signed a contract with the club, and played in their first pre-season game, a 17-10 loss to the Houston Texans Thursday night.

Hunter told CBC's Up North that it's been a challenge stepping out of college into the big leagues (Hunter played for Bowling Green University before being invited to training camp) but the 6-foot-5, 322 pound Ontarian said he's enjoying every minute.

"The days are long, but they go by quick," Hunter said. "We have a good group of veteran offensive linemen that are helping the young guys figure it out, so they've been really great with the playbook ...even down to proper nutrition and hydration."

"They've been great getting us ready for this long month and a half."

Hunter said that having another Canadian on the team, offensive lineman Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, is also helpful.

"Having Laurent here with me is really nice, we click really well, both being French-Canadian, so he's kind of a big brother I look up to."

And like his Canadian teammate who graduated from McGill University's School of Medicine, Hunter also has his sights set on life after the gridiron.

"I started my MBA last year," Hunter said. "And eventually want to do my law degree."

"Going through college you knew you only had a small opportunity to make the NFL or CFL, so I knew if I wanted to be a lawyer, I knew I had to get grades. So I took that just as serious as football."

So far, the Chiefs have him pencilled in as a third-string right guard. He's playing behind Tardif and veteran Jordan Devey.

Click the audio clip below to hear the full interview with Ryan Hunter.