DFW's best athlete: SMU's Margus Hunt is the winner

SMU's Margus Hunt, an Estonian who made his mark as a world champion discus thrower before discovering football in 2009, is the winner of a "Best D-FW Athlete" contest sponsored by The Dallas Morning News.

Margus Hunt of SMUSMU's Margus Hunt, an Estonian who made his mark as a world champion discus thrower before discovering football in 2009, is the winner of a "Best D-FW Athlete" contest sponsored by The Dallas Morning News.

The contest was conducted like a tournament, with Hunt having to garner more online votes than opponents at each level to advance to the next round. On his way to victory, Hunt defeated such local celebrity athletes as Dez Bryant (Dallas Cowboys), Josh Hamilton (Texas Rangers) and Jamie Benn (Dallas Stars).

Majoring in business, the 6-foot-8 athlete won gold medals in the shot and discus at the 2006 World Junior Championships in Beijing, becoming the first junior athlete to ever achieve such a double. He is the current world junior record holder in the discus throw. Hunt came to Texas in 2009 to train as a discus thrower with SMU track coach Dave Wollman, who suggested he consider playing for the Mustangs football team. And since then, he has been a stand-out as a defensive end.

Earlier this year, CBS Sports put Hunt at the top of its "Freak List - The 10 craziest athletes in college football," praising him for his athleticism, size and achievements. 

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