Michael Ciaglo-Imagn Images
Projected top three NFL draft pick and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter is making his intentions known ahead of the NFL Draft in a couple weeks: play him on both sides of the ball, offense and defense, or he’ll refuse to play for your team.
The last time the NFL had a player who played full-time on both offense and defense was in the 1960s when the “60 Minute Man” Chuck Bednarik did to prior to retiring in 1962.
While Hunter’s Colorado head coach Deion Sanders famously played on both sides of the ball in the NFL, he was never remotely close to being considered a full-time starter. Other than the 1996 season with Dallas, in which he had 36 catches for 475 yards and a touchdown, Sanders never had more than 7 receptions in a season.
Despite this, Travis Hunter is clearly convinced that he’s the exception to the rule and are giving NFL teams who are thinking about drafting him an ultimatum.
“If an NFL team told him it’d only allow him to play either wide receiver or cornerback, Hunter would make it clear he’s not playing football at all.”
“‘It’s never playing football again. Because I’ve been doing it my whole life, and I love being on the football field. I feel like I could dominate on each side of the ball, so I really enjoy doing it,’ Hunter said. ‘I just feel very confident in myself, and I got a competitive spirit that I can do whatever I put my mind to, and I feel like I can do it.'” [via CBS Sports]
During the 2024 season with Colorado, Hunter had 92 receptions for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns as a wide receiver, and 80 total tackles and 9 interceptions as a cornerback.
According to ESPN’s latest mock draft, Mel Kiper projects Hunter to be selected #2 overall by the Cleveland Browns. Mike Band at NFL.com also had Hunter going second to the Browns.