Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter wins Heisman Trophy as college football's top player
Travis Hunter turned every play into prime time 맥스카지노 on both sides of the ball 맥스카지노 and ultimately took home the Heisman Trophy.
Now he맥스카지노s got a leg up on his celebrity coach at Colorado.
The two-way star won college football's most prestigious award Saturday night, punctuating a tireless performance all season by a dynamic player with a unique combination of skills.
맥스카지노Never thought I would be in this position,맥스카지노 a tearful Hunter said as he thanked everyone from his fiancee to family members and former and current coaches. 맥스카지노It's crazy. Belief takes you a long way.맥스카지노
While posing for countless photos with the iconic statue over the past two days, Hunter made a point not to put his hands on the Heisman. He said he didn't want to touch it unless it was his.
Once it finally was, he grabbed the trophy hard with two hands and let loose a happy scream: 맥스카지노Let's go!맥스카지노
Next stop, a local spot he reserved to celebrate with teammates.
맥스카지노I don't like to be out late, but I'm going to be out late tonight,맥스카지노 Hunter said, smiling.
A big-play wide receiver and lockdown cornerback, Hunter dominated on offense and defense for coach Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes, joining late running back Rashaan Salaam in 1994 as the only Heisman winners in school history.
Hunter received 552 first-place votes and 2,231 points in a comfortable victory. Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty was the runner-up with 309 first-place votes and 2,017 points, the closest margin since 2009.
Hunter garnered 80.14% of possible points, the 11th-highest in Heisman Trophy history, and joined Michigan cornerback Charles Woodson (1997) as the only full-time defensive players to claim the prize. Woodson also made big plays at wideout but didn't play nearly as much on offense as Hunter.
Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel came in third and Miami quarterback Cam Ward finished fourth in balloting for the 90th Heisman Trophy, which has been presented annually since 1935 to the nation맥스카지노s most outstanding player. This year맥스카지노s ceremony was held at Jazz at Lincoln Center in Manhattan, where Sanders was in attendance.
It marked only the fifth time this century a quarterback didn맥스카지노t win. The last time no signal-caller placed in the top two was in 2015 when running backs Derrick Henry of Alabama and Christian McCaffrey ran 1-2 in voting.
Hunter also won The Associated Press Player of the Year, among a string of other individual awards this week. He helped spark an impressive turnaround at Colorado, from 4-8 in 2023, when he missed 3 1/2 games because of injuries, to 9-3 this year in Sanders맥스카지노 second season. The 20th-ranked Buffaloes got their first bowl bid in four years and will face No. 17 BYU (10-2) in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 28.
Hunter has pledged to play rather than skip the game to prepare for the NFL draft and prevent any possible injury, as many top prospects do. The 6-foot-1-inch, 185-pound junior from Suwanee, Georgia, plans to pass up his senior season in Boulder and is expected to be a top five pick by the pros 맥스카지노 perhaps even No. 1 overall.
맥스카지노He wants to be great at everything,맥스카지노 Sanders said. 맥스카지노He wants to have a commitment to excellence in everything he does 맥스카지노 including fishing.맥스카지노
Showcasing his blazing speed and explosive playmaking, Hunter rarely came off the field this year 맥스카지노 making him an every-down throwback to generations gone by and the first full-time, true two-way star in decades.
On offense, he had 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns, plus a rushing score. On defense, he made four interceptions and 32 tackles, broke up 11 passes, and forced a critical fumble that secured an overtime victory against Baylor.
With the Buffaloes winning games and challenging for a Big 12 title, he soared from a long-shot underdog in Heisman futures last summer to a heavy betting favorite this week.
All the while striking the Heisman pose with teammates to celebrate big plays as it became more and more clear Hunter was the man to beat.
맥스카지노I definitely can kick, (too). I맥스카지노ve just got to practice,맥스카지노 he said. 맥스카지노I can맥스카지노t stop moving when I맥스카지노m not on the field.맥스카지노
Hunter played nearly 700 snaps each on offense and defense 맥스카지노 the only Power Four conference player with 30-plus snaps on both sides of the ball, according to Colorado research.
It would seem an overly exhausting workload for any player these days, both mentally and physically, but not Hunter.
맥스카지노I think I laid the ground for more people to come in and go two ways,맥스카지노 he said Friday. 맥스카지노It starts with your mindset. If you believe you can do it, then you맥스카지노ll be able to do it. And also, I do a lot of treatment. I keep up with my body. I get a lot of recovery.맥스카지노
Rated the country맥스카지노s top recruit in the 2022 class, Hunter stunned many observers when he committed to play for Sanders at Jackson State, a school that competes in the lower-level Football Championship Subdivision, with the promise of playing both offense and defense.
맥스카지노A lot of people told me I couldn't do it,맥스카지노 said Hunter, wearing white shoes and a light blue suit 맥스카지노 his favorite color. "I always say I'm going to prove them wrong, and I'm going to prove myself right."
After one season, Hunter followed Sanders to Colorado and was a consensus All-America selection as an all-purpose player last year despite sitting out three games with a lacerated liver caused by a late hit.
Following his recovery, a healthy Hunter finished strong in 2023 and then really took off this season, catching passes from Shedeur Sanders, the coach맥스카지노s son, and becoming Colorado맥스카지노s first Heisman Trophy finalist in 30 years.
The 21-year-old Hunter, who plans to get married in May, is the sixth transfer to take the award over the past eight years and the first winner to begin his career in the FCS.
맥스카지노Look where I'm at. It paid off,맥스카지노 Hunter said.
맥스카지노I wanted to be different,맥스카지노 he added later. 맥스카지노Me being different makes me feel more comfortable than doing the norm.맥스카지노
Deion Sanders, nicknamed Prime Time during his playing days 맥스카지노 seemingly by himself 맥스카지노 was a two-time All-America defensive back at Florida State and finished eighth in the 1988 Heisman voting.
An electrifying kick returner who also played major league baseball, Neon Deion went on to a Hall of Fame career as an NFL cornerback but mostly just dabbled on offense besides a 36-catch season with the 1996 Dallas Cowboys.
Nothing quite like Hunter, who now has Heisman bragging rights on Coach Prime forever.