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Kendall Hunter has become the 49ers second-string running back in his rookie season out of Oklahoma State. After getting some home cooking and spending time with his family during the bye week, Hunter said he’s looking forward to facing the Cleveland Browns at Candlestick Park on Sunday. Here’s an update on Hunter, as told to 49ers.com.

The bye week was cool. I got the chance to go back home and see my family. We really didn’t do much, I just relaxed around the house with my mother, brother and my sister and it was great. I also had a chance to watch Oklahoma State play on Saturday. It’s cool to see that they’re still undefeated and I’m just really happy for them, especially the young running backs.

I think the best part about the trip was I was able to eat my mom’s cooking again. She cooked us up some steak, some broccoli and cheese and all that good stuff. I wish I could have eaten my grandma’s enchiladas, but I didn’t get to have any of those. The time off really helped my body heal up from the bumps and bruises you get throughout the season, but I’m happy to be back playing football again. We just need to keep improving; we’ve got a long way to go. It’s all about putting in the work and getting better every day.

It also helps to have a guy like Frank Gore to learn from. He teaches me a lot, helps me out. Anthony Dixon, too. The three of us really push each other in practice and we all get better because of it.

Once you get to this level, you also realize how much goes into pass protection. The athletes on NFL defenses are so good and the schemes are so complex that you really have to prepare. Frank and running backs coach Tom Rathman have helped me with that a lot. I just love to be out there, so I’ll do anything I can to help this team win.

It was also cool to have a chance to contribute to the team in the fourth quarter in Detroit. It’s nice to see that the coaches trust me in that situation. When I’m out there, I’m just trying to take full advantage of every opportunity. As a football player, those games like the one we had in Detroit are what you play for. It’s like a life experience, you go through a lot but then you have to overcome it at the end.

Football is game of inches so that’s why I never stop my feet from moving when I have the ball. I was taught that when I was young – running backs should always keep their feet moving. That’s how you get those extra yards.

Cleveland looks like a good team this week, too. It’s going to be a hard-fought game this Sunday, but I’m glad we get to play in front of our home fans again. I’m slowly getting used to living in the Bay Area but there’s still a lot out there that I haven’t seen. Right now it’s just football, football, football. I haven’t really had much time to get out.

My rookie year experience has been great. It’s also helped to have other rookies like Aldon Smith, Chris Culliver and Bruce Miller to enjoy it with. What’s cool is we’ve all had a chance to contribute to the team right away. I’ve really become good friends with Bruce, we hang out after practice and joke all the time. I’ve also felt the love from the fans; the 49ers have a great fan base. It’s been crazy to be part of this season and I feel glad to be a part of this organization. Thanks for reading my blog, stay tuned for more updates later this season.