Editor's note: This feature story appeared in the UTSA Digital Game Program for the Middle Tennessee game on Saturday at the Alamodome.
By Julia Maenius, UTSA Athletics Communications
For senior place-kicker Hunter Duplessis, leadership and a strong work ethic are the backbone to his success and contribution to the team.
Duplessis began his athletic career as a soccer player and cross country runner. Due to season overlap, he originally was not allowed to kick for the Cole High School football team, but after a shift in athletics directors, he took to the gridiron.
"Although I invested a lot of time in soccer, I thought football was the way to go," Duplessis said. "I started going to camps and learning a lot about kicking."
Once he realized kicking was an avenue he wanted to pursue, Duplessis reached out to multiple collegiate programs and UTSA offered him a tryout. The Roadrunners accepted the San Antonio native as a walk-on, and he joined the team in 2016.
"I saw a lot of promise in San Antonio because I just love the city," Duplessis said. "I love being close to home and having the ability for my parents to come see games because I knew they'd be stationed here at Fort Sam Houston. I thought there was a lot of development to occur in a program in such a large city, and that the opportunities would present themselves opposed to a culture or a program that's more established."
Having played for multiple coaching staffs at UTSA, Duplessis leans into the emphasis on character and morals that second-year head coach Jeff Traylor has implemented within the program.
"He loves people and he loves his players and his coaches," Duplessis said. "When you're able to do that in a program, people will give a lot for you. They'll be your biggest fan and they'll buy into a culture. He's established a lot of culture pillars — integrity, passion, mental and physical toughness, selflessness and perfect effort. It starts on the front end by caring for your people and then the rest follows."
From the start of his career, Duplessis has defied the narrative that kickers don't need to be physically strong, proving his strength and dedication to a physical program that pushes his limits as an athlete. For Duplessis, a rigorous strength training routine and emphasis on time spent in the gym allows him to regain peace of mind.
"It helps me clear my head when things are getting busy because I'm married, I work, I have school and then football on top of that," Duplessis said. "Being able to keep up with some of the guys because they're very gifted physically, and I don't want to come in and just be a cliche kicker, who can only bench 50 pounds and just be weak. I wanted to prove myself to the guys more and it's helping me in multiple facets of my life."
As part of a special teams unit that includes All-America punter Lucas Dean, Duplessis recognizes the need for strong camaraderie throughout a unit of success on and off the field.
"We definitely know our standards for one another," Duplessis said. "When we see that we're not meeting standards, or we can pick each other up, we definitely do that. It comes with a lot of smack talk because we're good friends that have that kind of relationship with one another. I feel like we're both very competitive people. I'll pick up a football and try to punt it just as far as him and I'll talk a lot of smack if I do that, which rarely occurs."
Duplessis places an emphasis on mentality and remaining positive in his game. The veteran kicker made 17 of 20 field goals and 40 if 41 extra points in 2020, ranking him ninth nationally.
"I put a lot of time and emphasis on my mechanics and the mental aspect of kicking as well, because I'm able to stay focused and do the things that I need to do to hit a good ball," Duplessis said. "The important thing to stay motivated is not to get too hung up on statistics. All of those kicks have no impact on the next that I have."
After graduating in August of 2020 as a double major in information systems and cyber security, Duplessis earned a 3.77 GPA. He was honored as a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy and also has received multiple Conference USA academic accolades.
"Budgeting my time and getting quality work in when I'm mentally focused, mentally prepared and I'm able to be in that mindset is very important," Duplessis said. "The mental dedication of kicking is that of in the classroom, where sometimes you may not be as focused on your homework as you would like to be and you have to train that focus back in, hone it in to do quality work and rely on what it is you're supposed to do."
With the beginning of the new season, single-digit jersey numbers were awarded to players who exhibited extraordinary leadership on and off the field. Duplessis was voted by his teammates to wear the No. 5 jersey for his final season at UTSA.
"I wanted to make a statement that a specialist can be tough too," Duplessis said. "Not exactly in the same fashion that you would think of defensive lineman, an offensive lineman or any other position on the field, but more of a mental warrior and a guy who can take command of a unit, be a good teammate to one another and also hold people to a standard."
As a member of the team's Leadership Council for three seasons and a member of the Society for Collegiate Leadership and Achievement, Duplessis' role as a veteran on the team is more than what happens on the field. Working to reinforce the culture around UTSA football and set an example for his teammates to step up as leaders themselves, Duplessis holds up the culture pillars of being a Roadrunner.
"You're supposed to be the example for others," Duplessis said. "Leading by example, but holding people to a standard, even when it's uncomfortable, is what a lot of leaders distinguish themselves with, and that's the missing link. An emphasis of ours is really empowering [the team] to step up and have a bunch of self-led football players."
Returning for his super senior season was an easy choice for Duplessis. After accepting a job opportunity with a local business and his wife receiving a promotion, Duplessis felt the opportunity to take the field one last time with his team was too great to pass up.
"I knew that there's something special going on at UTSA. I could see it in the coaching staff and I could see it in the players. I just love this team. I love the program," Duplessis said.
As the oldest member of the special teams unit, Duplessis sets the example of mental toughness for the team by taking time to focus during the game but allowing himself to balance relaxation and enjoyment of the game on the sideline.
"Nothing's really guaranteed," Duplessis said. "You have to be present in the given situation and be able to flip that switch and turn that focus on when it's needed. I've got to go out there and do my job for the team with my teammates in this very moment."
Duplessis has received multiple job offers, has considered enlisting in the Air Force and has the opportunity to work around the nation, but his main focus is on the present, not wanting to miss anything that is in front of him, especially the next kick.
