When five-star recruit Travis Hunter flipped from Florida State to play for Deion Sanders at HBCU Jackson St., college football traditionalists lost their minds.
Media personalities like Fox Sports’ Doug Gottlieb ripped into Hunter at the time, saying “Twitter celebrating a kid making an obvious mistake is hilarious.”
Hunter went on to have a good season for the Tigers before moving to Colorado with Coach Prime and his family in 2023.
While that season began with a media frenzy and three straight wins over TCU, Nebraska and Colorado State, the season ended on a sour note as the Buffaloes finished 4-8 in Sanders’ first season.
Many laughed at Sanders for his losing record and chose to ridicule him for his first season in Boulder.
Yet Sanders knew he had something special, particularly in his son, Shedeur, and Hunter, both of whom are expected to be top picks in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Hunter has showcased his talents as a lockdown corner at Jackson St., and then solidified his reputation at Colorado to a wider broadcast TV audience.
But in his first year in Boulder, he also began to show what he could do on offense as a wide receiver with 57 receptions for 721 yards and 5 TDs. This past season, he solidified his receiver talents with 92 receptions for 1,152 yards and 14 TDs and, of course, the Heisman Trophy.
Yet while most celebrated his season and Heisman win, others were investing their time into belittling him and making personal attacks.
First came the Heisman Trophy debate between Hunter and Boise St running back Ashton Jeanty, whose season put him in the category of legendary college running backs.
While Jeanty had the stats to backup Heisman worthiness, what Hunter did at Colorado couldn’t be overlooked.
He was a two-way player who rarely came out of the game, shut down opposing receivers and dominated opposing cornerbacks on the offensive side of the ball.
Then he won the Biletnikoff Award (most outstanding WR) and the Bednarik Award (best defensive player) and the hate stormed down on him.
While San Jose State’s Nick Nash had a better statistical season at receiver than Hunter as he finished first in receptions, receptions per game, receiving yards, receiving yards per game and receiving TDs, dismissing what Hunter did is ridiculous.
Not even college football legends like Georgia’s Champ Bailey and Michigan’s Charles Woodson, who in 1997 became the first defensive player to win the Heisman, didn’t put a season together like Hunter.
But then the Heisman debates turned into personal attacks on Hunter and his now fiancée Leanna Lenee.
Social media thugs called her ugly and a gold digger. They pointed to her interactions with Hunter during his last home game in Colorado and when he won the Heisman. They also ripped her outfit at the Heisman Awards and even questioned her heritage (she’s Black, Mexican and Filipino and born in London before moving to the US when she was 10).
The attacks became so venomous that Lenee had to post a video on social media to address all of the hate.
The personal vitriol was also aimed at Hunter, some calling him ugly and dumb, the latter despite the superstar being named an Academic All-American at Colorado.
“The junior from Suwanee, Georgia, is an anthropology major carrying a 3.798 cumulative GPA,” stated the university in a release. “In the fall of 2023, Hunter earned a 4.0 GPA and followed that up with a spring 2024 semester GPA of 3.908, earning him first-team All-Academic Team honors.”
He success on and off the field earned the praise of CU Boulder Chancellor Justin Schwartz.
“While I’ve marveled at his performance on the field, playing both offense and defense, I’m equally impressed with his performance in the classroom, where he is a dedicated student and an Academic All-American,” said Schwartz. “His positive presence and the obvious joy he finds in the game are a sight to behold. In everything he does, Travis is a shining example of what it means to be a Colorado Buffalo.”
Hunter is not only the second Buffalo to win the Heisman Award (runningback Rashaan Salaam won it in 1994), he’s also, according to the release, the “first Academic All-American to win the Heisman since Florida quarterback Tim Tebow accomplished the feat in 2007.”
These accomplishments, both as a player and personally, make you wonder why there’s so much hate for a young man who has done nothing but succeed in ways that he should.
Is it jealousy, racism or is it due to him playing for Coach Sanders?
It’s probably combination of them all. Regardless, it’s pathetic as Travis Hunter is a role model for players who want to succeed on the field, in the classroom and in life.
Hunter, unfortunately, had to address all of this hate, but now he’s back on the practice field with him teammates as they prepare for the Alamo Bowl later this month.
I’m sure the next wave of hate will come in April at the NFL Draft, but these haters should just save their breath and bellyaching for Travis Hunter will keep winning while they’re simply whinning.
