Lee 'The Fridge' Hunter's nickname, explained
Here's the awesome story behind Texas Tech DL Lee Hunter's nickname, 'The Fridge.'
Lee Hunter helped anchor one of college football's most fearsome defenses last season in Texas Tech. With Hunter set to be selected in the 2026 NFL Draft this weekend, all eyes are on the nose tackle and his fitting nickname: "The Fridge. " While the nickname is obviously inspired by William "Refrigerator" Perry, Hunter revealed its origin story during an interview with NBC Sports in February.
"I was at practice one day. My defensive coordinator walked over and said, 'I'm gonna call you 'Fridge,'" Hunter recalled . "I'm like, 'Why, Coach?
' He's like, 'If people want to eat, they've gotta get through you. ' So if you're hungry, you gotta get through the 'Fridge' if you wanna eat. Not many have been able to get past Hunter.
The 6-foot-3, 322-pound defensive lineman consistently ate blocks to open up rush lanes for David Bailey and Romello Height, and as a result Bailey became one of the draft's most prized prospects. Hunter tallied 42 tackles, 11 TFLs, three sacks and a forced fumble in his lone season with the Red Raiders. He finished his career in Lubbock after a redshirt year at Auburn and three productive seasons under Gus Malzahn at UCF.