Surprised by Mostert? Those who coached, played at Purdue with him aren't

MORE: Thieneman headed to Super Bowl with 49ers: 'It is hard to put into words'

Raheem Mostert is an instant celebrity.

That’s what happens when you rush 29 times for 220 yards and four touchdowns in a NFC championship game win vs. Green Bay to become the only player in NFL annals with over 200 yards rushing and four rushing touchdowns in a playoff game. Not bad for a guy who entered 2019 with 41 career carries for 297 yards and one touchdown.

"Same old, same old," said former Purdue teammate and fellow running back Akeem Hunt. "All he needed was a chance. I am not surprised at all about what he did."

Now, Mostert will look to star--again--this Sunday on the biggest stage in the sports world when the 49ers play the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 54 in Miami.

"We stay in touch," said Hunt. "We text. I usually hit him up each week before games."

What did Hunt text Mostert--who has 772 yards rushing and eight TDs this season to go along with 14 catches and two TDs--prior to his breakout vs. the Packers?

"I am proud of you my brother. Keep being you. All love this way. Enjoy your day. Visualize but stay calm."

Danny Hope wasn't always calm on the sidelines while coaching Purdue from 2009-12, but he always knew Mostert—whose rushing total in the 37-20 win vs. the Packers was the second-most in playoff history—was special.

"He has great talent, and he always has been a great worker," said Hope. "He can really burst and go north in a short space, more than others who aren’t as as strong as him. I am not surprised. We always thought he was a special athlete and a special person."

Hope signed Mostert in 2011 as part of a recruiting class that also included Hunt, Frankie Williams, Robert Kugler, Michael Rouse, Randy Gregory and Brandon Cottom.

Mostert was a 5-11, 180-pound receiver--yes, receiver--from New Smyrna Beach, Fla., given a three-star rating by rivals.com. He also had offers from Illinois, Wake Forest, Rutgers, Indiana and Marshall, among others.

"We put him out at wideout," said Hope. "He’s really strong and fast. We didn't think people could get their feet up close enough to him to really wrap him up and tackle him. You can’t arm tackle him. He’s too strong."

Why didn't Hope put Mostet at running back?

"We had some other guys at running back at the time," said Hope. "Akeem Hunt, Akeem Shavers and some other guys who were strong runners. Hunt was really fast."

Mostert got playing time right away for Hope, but he failed to make a catch in either of his first two seasons. Instead, Mostert was used as a ball carrier. He ran 16 times for 108 yards and two touchdowns in 2011 as a true freshman. Mostert carried 16 more times in 2012, gaining 85 yards with a TD as a sophomore.

Hope was fired after the 2012 season, as Darrell Hazell took over. In 2013, Mostert remained at wideout, catching one pass in 2013 and running 11 times for 37.

Finally, as a senior, Mostert was moved to running back, rushing 93 times for 529 yards and three touchdowns while also making 18 receptions for 116 yards. He finished his Purdue career with 136 carries for 759 yards rushing with six TDs and 19 receptions for 122 yards.

"He had a lot of redeeming qualities that really stood out," said Hope, who played at Eastern Kentucky with Mostert's high school track coach. "One, he was very, very tough. He competed in weight-lifting and wrestling. He was really good at wrestling. In Florida, power-lifting is a big sport, especially in the area he is from. He was on the power-lifting team one year. He was tough, strong and fast."

Mostert did most of his damage as a kick return man while in West Lafayette. He is Purdue’s all-time leader in kickoff return yards with 2,289, averaging 26.0 yards per return with two run backs for TDs on 88 returns. And his 837 kickoff return yards in 2011 are the third most in a season in school history.

"He was a top kick returner in the state," said Hope, who was an assistant at EKU last year. "He did a great job on the returns, lots of good highlights of him on the perimeter. We liked him all along. He needed reps and was a developmental player."

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While at Purdue, Mostert made more headlines running track. He won the 60-meters and 200-meters at the 2014 Big Ten Indoor meet. And he qualified for the 2014 NCAA Outdoor meet in the 100-meters and 200-meters.

"Oh, he was fast," said Hunt, who also ran track at Purdue and lived 2.5 years with Mostert.

Former Boilermaker safety Jake Thieneman noticed Mostet's speed, too, back when the two played the 2014 season together in West Lafayette.

"He could run," said Thieneman, a safety signed to the 49ers practice squad late this season who will be on the sidelines this Sunday in sweats. "But the way he treated people also stood out. I was just a freshman walk-on when he was a senior. And he took the time to talk to me and offer help. I'll never forget that."

The NFL took notice of Mostet's wheels, too, but he still went undrafted. Thus began a peripatetic career that tested his willingness to hang in there.

Mostert was cut the Eagles ... cut by the Dolphins ... cut by the Ravens ... cut by the Browns ... cut by the Jets ... cut by the Bears. But he never flinched. He never wavered.

"He never came close to quitting," said Hunt, who played in the NFL with the Texans and Chiefs and now is a personal trainer in St. Louis. "We were together in Baltimore. I was on the practice squad. We stayed in the same hotel. He kept grinding."

Said Mostert after the NFC title game two weeks ago: "I actually still have the cut dates that I look at before every game. When I got cut, been on several different teams and the journey's been crazy. Not everybody can deal with that type of stress and pain and agony that I went through. But, like I said, I kept the faith in myself and whoever gave me the opportunity. And this organization has done a great job with that."

"We all are happy for him," said Thieneman. "Just like at Purdue, he was welcoming to me here, too. When I walked into the locker room the first time, he came over to greet me and offer help."

Hunt will be watching. And, he'll send a text, too.

"I don't like to bother him too much," said Hunt. "But I am proud. I can't wait to see what he does in the Super Bowl. He deserves this."

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