Why Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter is ‘two players in one’ and such a rare talent in college football

One of the rarest qualities in all of team sports is the ability to impact a game in multiple ways.

Athletes are seldom able to sway contests both offensively and defensively to an equal degree and those who are – referred to as two-way players – become some of the most highly coveted stars in their respective professions.

The term two-way player has become everyday parlance in various sports when referring to greats such as basketball’s Giannis Antetokounmpo or baseball’s Shohei Ohtani, but it is incredibly unique when it comes to football.

Only a handful of players have carried out multiple roles on the football field, like Devin Hester, Deion Sanders and Julian Edelman. Now, Travis Hunter is the latest to prove that one can excel on both offense and defense. The newly crowned Heisman Trophy winner has starred for the Colorado Buffaloes on both sides of the ball in equal measure during a remarkable collegiate season.

Playing at both wide receiver and cornerback, Hunter has put together a year for the history books, which culminated in joining the select few to win the Heisman Trophy.

‘A standout on both sides’

The Buffaloes star has been a revelation on both sides of the ball throughout his time in Colorado and this season he has taken his game to the next level.

“There have been guys who have played both sides, though honestly not many that have done it full time, but not at this level,” Stewart Mandel, editor-in-chief of college football at The Athletic, told CNN Sport.

“He is one of, if not the, best cornerbacks in college football and he’s a 1,000-yard receiver, it’s incredible.”

Hunter’s unique ability to create an impact on any given snap is what has separated him from the rest of college football during the season.

Hunter runs with the ball against the North Dakota State Bison. – Ron…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/why-heisman-trophy-winner-travis-124110246.html

Author : CNN Sports

Publish date : 2024-12-15 12:41:00

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