Meet Albert Kunickis, Northwestern’s one-handed running back commit

On paper, Albert Kunickis appears to be like any other Northwestern incoming freshman football player.

The running back commitment is 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds. He was a star at Lemont (Ill.), where he ran for more than 1,000 yards this season. On the surface, you wouldn't be surprised to learn that he will be playing Division I football next fall.

Once you get a closer look at a photo or his highlight film, though, you'll notice what makes Kunickis' journey to Evanston so remarkable: his right arm stops at his elbow.

The apparent disability of having just one hand didn’t stop Kunickis from playing football when he was a youth. It didn’t stop him from making all-state this season. And it didn’t stop him from earning a preferred walkon spot at Northwestern.

Because, as Wildcat coaches told him, “a good player is a good player.”

Kunickis is the most extraordinary recruit of head coach Pat Fitzgerald's 16-year tenure at Northwestern. Maybe in the school's history. He's a unicorn.

The story of how he got to this point begins last June 24th, when Kunickis got the attention of Northwestern's coaches during a one-day camp. Kunickis may not have looked like the other campers that day, but his play certainly stood out to the coaching staff.

After the camp, Kunickis was given a tour of the facility, and Fitzgerald wanted to meet him one-on-one in his office. It's safe to say Fitzgerald was impressed.

Northwestern's staff kept tabs on Kunickis as he emerged as one of the best players in the Chicagoland area in 2021. Northwestern came through with a preferred walkon offer and Kunickis snapped it up.

"At first I didn't think I would get a chance to play D-I football," he said. "Luckily, the Northwestern coaches reached out and gave me this opportunity."

Kunickis earned that offer, as well as first-team all-state honors from the IHSFCA, with his play on the field this season.

Kunickis ran for 1,393 yards (9.1 YPC) and 22 touchdowns to lead Lemont to an 11-1 record and the 6A state quarterfinals. He also handled kicking duties. His best game came in the third round of the playoffs, when he rushed for 256 yards and six touchdowns in a 73-36 win over Springfield.

And yes, he can catch the ball, too. Kunickis had 14 catches (on 15 targets) for 169 additional yards and a pair of touchdowns. (If you're wondering how he does it, Kunickis typically catches the ball with his left hand and pins it against his chest, though he can also make one-handed catches, or tip a high pass into the air before cradling it in his arm.)

Kunickis said that being able to stay near home was part of what drove him to commit to Northwestern.

"I'm able to play for Chicago's Big Ten team," he said. "The first class shown by the coaching staff, the facilities, everything, all first class. I watched them for a long time growing up; it's cool."

One way Kunickis has gotten an opportunity to play at a Big Ten program is confidence. That natural confidence, paired with hard work, has driven him to where he is today, he says. The added motivation of being overlooked because of his physical challenge helps set him apart and fuels his determination.

On film, Kunickis is a relentless, punishing runner between the tackles. But he also shows the speed and cut-back ability to take the ball to the house once he gets in the open field. He runs, as some like to call it, hungry.

"I feel as if I run with heart and passion," he said. "Every carry I get, I try to (get) the most yards possible."

When asked what his goals are once he arrives in Evanston, he has just one: "To bring a national championship to Northwestern," he says.

With the Wildcats coming off of a disappointing 3-9 2021 season, that may seem a bit far-fetched. But Kunickis being an all-state performer and D-I football player with just one hand seemed like far-fetched goals at one point, too.

Yet here he is.

Albert Kunickis has never let anyone tell him what he could or couldn't do. He's not going to start now.