Danielle Hunter is now set to become one of the most valued linebackers in the league, hitting free agency soon. This happened for the first time since 2018 when he signed a $72 million contract for five years. In the 2023 season, he recorded a career-high 16.5 sacks, becoming a big deal in the Vikings’ defense. He is hoping for a yearly salary of more than $20 million.

But at one point in his life, the veteran LB couldn’t even fathom being so successful in the National Football League. That’s because he didn’t even come to the US before he was eight, before which he lived with his aunt. Hunter was a “wild child” and had humble beginnings in Jamaica. But everything changed when he was united with his parents: mother Kimara Bonitto and stepfather Cheikh Ndiaye.

Coming to the US changed Danielle Hunter’s life

Danielle Hunter’s mother moved to New York to seek a better future and live with her mother. She attended Monroe College, and Hunter stayed in Jamaica with his aunt. His mother now works as an accountant and has two daughters, Aisha and Mareme.

“I had to leave him in Jamaica, or I would have had to stay and not have the opportunity to bring him to America at all,” said Kimara Bonitto in a Vikings article. However, Hunter has met his biological father only once or twice.

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However, the LB’s stepfather, Cheikh Ndiaye, has been a catalyst in accelerating his NFL career. He didn’t know football until 2002 and only had vague knowledge about it. The Vikings article cited that he “couldn’t understand why his stepdad would want to spend every Sunday in front of a TV cheering for a guy named Michael Strahan to get something he called a ‘sack.'”

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But it wasn’t till he was nine years old that he discovered his power. He played tag with his friend Jamaal Holmes, who was on roller skates. Hunter still caught up to him, which impressed Jamaal’s father, Jerry Holmes. Jerry inducted Hunter into his ADC Raiders of the Houston Youth Football Association team. He played left tackle mainly but tried his hands on every position, except QB and punter.

From playing in Katy High, Texas, to getting admission to LSU three years later, Hunter was knee-deep in football. Then, he got drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the third round of the NFL Draft in 2015. He played eight seasons with the team and may be on the cusp of departure.

Per Spotrac, Hunter’s projected market value this year would be about $20 million. The Vikings desperately need a quarterback right now. That’s because of the situation with Kirk Cousins, who is also nearing the end of his contract. So, the Vikings must prioritize whether they need a QB so badly or want to focus on the defense. Many people think that if the Vikings don’t sign him, the Dallas Cowboys have a space for him in their roster.

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