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“DeMeco is going to love him”: Danielle Hunter signing draws high praise from Footwork King

Newly-signed Houston Texans pass rusher Danielle Hunter training with 'Footwork King' Rischad Whitfield in Tomball in 2023. (KPRC 2/Click2Houston.com)

HOUSTON, Texas – The Houston Texans made a big splash in NFL free agency, signing defensive end Danielle Hunter to a two-year, $49 million contract with $48 million fully guaranteed. With a lavish price tag, the squad is looking to bolster a defense that lost several starters in the free agency cycle.

The Footwork King thinks Hunter’s unique traits— both on and off the field—will make a huge difference for the Texans.

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Rischad Whitfield, also known as “Footwork King”, is one of the top trainers in the NFL space. The Houston native has amassed a following of more than 147K on Instagram and worked with some of the NFL’s premiere talents, including Odell Beckham, DeAndre Hopkins and CeeDee Lamb.

Whitfield has also worked with Danielle Hunter, and he said the four-time Pro Bowler’s unique personality will resonate the team.

“Danielle is different,” Whitfield said. “... [He] is an old soul. Don’t have to worry about him getting into trouble. DeMeco is going to love him. Fans will love him.”

Hunter is familiar with the Houston area, having attended Morton Ranch High School in Katy. He is an avid car collector, owning extravagant vehicles such as a Nissan GT-R, a Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk and a Nissan Titan. He had a Ferrari but was “way too big for it.” He also prefers to see unique parts of the world over the generic tourist attractions of high-profile athletes.

“People go to Cabo San Lucas or wherever on vacation, and he’s going to fly to Tokyo and drift cars,” Whitfield said. “His personality is way different. While people are going to Cabo or Colorado, he’ll be in Sweden or somewhere. [He is] a world traveler. Very private and selective in his ways.”

Personal individuality is important for leaders in the locker room, but Whitfield thinks Hunter’s physical gifts also separate him from others at his position.

“He’s a freak of nature,” Whitfield said. “I don’t know any player in NFL that looks like Danielle. He’s not tight. Everything is long, long arms, long legs, striations everywhere.”


About the Author
Michael Horton headshot

Michael is a Kingwood native who loves visiting local restaurants and overreacting to Houston sports. He joined the KPRC 2 family in the spring of 2024. He earned his B.A. from Texas A&M University in 2022 and his M.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2023.

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