'How The Hell?' Falcons Coach Arthur Smith Shares Caleb Huntley Injury Story
Atlanta Falcons coach Arthur Smith announced Monday that running back Caleb Huntley will miss the rest of the season with an Achilles injury that will require surgery.
Huntley, Atlanta's No. 4 rusher with 366 yards and a touchdown on 76 attempts, suffered the injury on Atlanta's second play from scrimmage in Sunday's 21-18 loss to the New Orleans Saints.
But that wasn't Huntley's last play of the game.
Somehow, someway, Huntley showed no signs of ailment and played a snap in an NFL game ... with an Achilles in need of surgery.
It makes for a crazy story, one that sums up the former undrafted free agent's toughness and perseverance - but is absolutely stunning to think about, even for Smith.
"It was one of the most unusual things I've seen," Smith said. "He injured his Achilles the second play - he didn't go down, he stayed in there. I don't know how the hell he did that, to be honest. He went in there and played a snap, actually made a block in pass protection and then jogged off the field."
Smith shared postgame that Huntley's injury didn't sound good, and the test results confirmed Monday morning confirmed the idea that the former Ball State Cardinal won't return this year. It's a devastating blow for Huntley, who started the season on the practice squad before establishing himself as a legitimate presence in Atlanta's backfield.
But even when his season turned upside down, Huntley put the team above himself - only adding to the absurdity of the overall situation.
"I (told) him (Monday) morning, 'I don't think I've ever seen that,'" Smith said. "He said 'Well, I knew you wanted to go no huddle early and I didn't want to come out.' I'm like 'you're injured here, you could've gone down.' I don't know how the hell he did it. I feel awful for him - he's a great, great person, a guy we've had in our program. I know he'll attack the rehab, but I do want to put that out there I don't know how the hell he did it."
Though his season was cut short, Huntley truly proved himself - he proved he's a great fit in Smith's offense, he proved he can produce with both limited and extensive touches and, perhaps most importantly, proved that he's built to stick around for years to come.
When the Falcons needed somebody to step up after starting running back Cordarrelle Patterson was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury, Huntley did, including a 16-carry, 91-yard effort against the Carolina Panthers in his final opportunity before Patterson returned.
From being waived at the end of training camp to taking on a significant role in a top-five rushing attack, Huntley's season was one for the books - and if there's one thing he's proven, it's that he's more than capable of overcoming this obstacle.
"He made a lot of progress coming in here and learning what we expect of guys in the program," said Smith. "Nothing for Caleb in his life has come easy; all he knows how to do is work, and (he) works extremely hard, (has) persistence. All those things that you look for, the qualities that we value, Caleb's got them. It's a credit to him and how he stayed with it; he's improved a lot as a player and I'm sure he'll attack this rehab the same way."
Smith's confidence in Huntley's ability to "attack this rehab" was reinforced by the second-year runner's statement on Twitter, in which he said, "I'm in a good state of mind, I'm locked in."
Overcoming injuries, especially one like an Achilles, is difficult for running backs in particular - but if there's anybody built to do it, both physically and mentally, it's Huntley.
After all, he's already proven he can do it ... creating a true "how the hell?" moment for Smith and everybody else involved.
You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft
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