Travis Hunter has thrust himself into the Heisman Trophy conversation with sparkling play on both sides of the football this season. When one watches Hunter’s electric play, one can’t help but conjure up memories of his coach Deion Sanders’ spectacular college career. While Sanders would certainly love to see his protégé go on to achieve the same level of success he did, he isn’t interested in comparisons between the two special athletes.
“It’s not me against Travis,” Sanders told reporters Tuesday. “I had my turn, man. I’m not a door knob anymore. You can just turn me on and off like a lightswitch anymore. I don’t do that. Travis is everything. He is ‘it.’ It’s his turn now. I want him to have all the accolades, all the praise, all the love, all the attention and all the focus that he desires. I’ve had my turn.
Sanders was a two-way star at Florida State, a two-time All-American, Thorpe Award winner and member of both the College Football and Pro Football Halls of Fame. Now, Sanders says, he’s far more focused on using his extensive experience to put Hunter in the best possible position to succeed.
“I’m that old boxing coach in the corner that says, ‘Left. Right. Left. Right. Hit him right here. Come on over to the corner. Let me tell you this,'” Sanders said. “That’s who I am right now. I’ve had my turn. It’s not me against him.”
Now in his second season with the Buffaloes, Hunter has quite literally been all over the field. As a wide receiver, he leads the country with 46 receptions, and he’s turned those into 561 yards and six touchdowns. Defensively, Hunter has racked up 16 tackles and a pair of interceptions as a lockdown cornerback.
If Hunter continues to follow in Sanders’ footsteps, he is going to help his team get closer to a Big 12 Championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff. This weekend, Colorado has a huge conference showdown against Kansas State in Boulder.
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