“It kicked my butt pretty good”: Hunter Renfrow opens up about battling illness and finding new purpose in NFL return

This isn’t just another player trying to make an NFL roster. This is Hunter Renfrow, former walk-on, Clemson hero, Pro Bowl receiver, fighting his way back onto the field after an entire year away from football. His new gig with the Carolina Panthers isn’t just a signing; it’s a second shot at everything the game once promised him. And this time, it means more than ever.


Hunter Renfrow’s story always reads like a football fairytale. From being a no-name walk-on at Clemson in 2014 to catching the game-winning touchdown in the 2016 national championship, he became a fan favorite through grit, smarts, and sure hands. He even bagged the Burlsworth Trophy in 2018, awarded to the top player who started as a walk-on. That underdog energy never left him.
He brought the same spark to the NFL, rising to Pro Bowl status with the Raiders and proving himself against bigger, flashier names. But in 2024, just as fans expected another solid year, Renfrow vanished from the scene. No injuries were reported, but he quietly slipped out of football.

Turns out, the game hadn’t left Renfrow. His body had. In a recent interview, he revealed he’d been fighting ulcerative colitis—a chronic autoimmune disease that wreaked havoc on his health. The worst of it? Days on end with 103-degree fevers and dramatic weight loss that dropped him to 150 pounds.

"It kicked my butt pretty good," Renfrow admitted. Football was out of the question. He didn’t have the strength to train, let alone compete. It wasn’t just a lost season; it was survival mode.

Now healthy and weighing in around 187 pounds ("too many Oreos," he joked), Renfrow signed with the Carolina Panthers. But this move isn't just about a comeback, it's about coming home. He was born in Myrtle Beach, played his college ball at Clemson, and idolized Panthers greats like Cam Newton and Luke Kuechly.
"I’m from the Carolinas... the people are special to me, the place is special to me," he said. For a player who knows what it’s like to be overlooked and underestimated, returning to Carolina is the perfect full-circle moment.
He knows the Panthers' wide receiver room is stacked, and nothing is promised. But if there's anyone who knows how to earn his spot, it's the guy who once signed a blank page to walk on at Clemson. He’s done the improbable before and now, with a fresh perspective and a healthy body, he’s ready to do it again.
Also read - “His Sister Suck My D***” : Antonio Brown reignites beef with Ben Roethlisberger in an ugly tweet about 2011 Pro Bowl incident