Chiefs' Hunt credits teammate support for helping him rebound from early fumble

An unforgettable night for Kansas City Chiefs rookie running back Kareem Hunt started with a play he needed to quickly clear from his mind.

After not losing a single fumble in his four years at Toledo, Hunt gave one away on his first career NFL carry Thursday night against the New England Patriots.

"I had some ups and downs, especially at the beginning of the game," Hunt said in his postgame press conference. "I just had to keep playing through it, not get down on myself and keep making plays. Honestly, that's not the way I wanted to start. It was a rough one because I don't remember the last time I fumbled. It was early in my college career, and I actually got it back."

Despite the mistake and deficit, Hunt's teammates continued to support the rookie.

"The guys on the sidelines stuck with me, especially the defense, they said we got your back. They were just letting me know to forget about it and come back and make plays," Hunt said.

The encouragement led Hunt to an NFL record of 246 yards from scrimmage in a player's first game, and three total touchdowns.