Colorado football coach Deion Sanders is not happy with the fact that Travis Hunter wasn’t named a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, which honors the top defensive back in college football. Sanders called the decision “idiotic” and said it hurt the integrity of the award.
Hunter plays both cornerback and receiver for Colorado and is even a Heisman Trophy favorite. But despite his impressive performance, including three interceptions and nine pass breakups on defense, he didn’t make the cut for the Thorpe Award’s top three finalists. The finalists this year are Jahdae Barron from Texas, Caleb Downs from Ohio State, and Malaki Starks from Georgia.
Sanders, who won the Thorpe Award back in 1988 at Florida State, expressed his frustration with the snub. He said, “How is Travis Hunter snubbed by the Thorpe Award? You can have my award. It’s just sitting there collecting dust. So, Travis can have mine. If this isn’t the most ridiculous thing in college football, I don’t know what is.”
The Thorpe Award is managed by the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame, and their executive director, Mike James, responded politely. He said in a statement that the selection committee works hard each year to pick the best defensive backs in college football. He acknowledged the challenges of narrowing down the candidates but assured Sanders that the committee did its best.
While Hunter was left off the Thorpe Award list, he has earned recognition as a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, which honors the best wide receiver in college football. On offense, he’s had an outstanding season with over 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns. Sanders pointed out that Hunter’s skills on defense are so good that opposing quarterbacks avoid throwing to his side, which doesn’t always show up in the stats.
As Colorado’s season wraps up with their final game against Oklahoma State, Sanders is still upset over the Thorpe Award snub but is hoping for the best as the team aims for a potential Big 12 Championship. The winner of the Thorpe Award will be announced on December 12, and the Heisman Trophy finalists will be named just a few days earlier, on December 9.