Meet Travis Hunter: cornerback, receiver, anthropology nerd and lover of cheesy chicken
College football superstar Travis Hunter has a favorite subject to study at the University of Colorado.
It’s all about the science of human beings:
Anthropology.
After previously choosing psychology, he changed his major for a reason.
“I’m an anthropology major, and I really enjoy learning about different cultures and how they interact with one another,” Hunter said in an email interview with USA TODAY Sports. “Being able to learn about these cultures and skills is incredibly beneficial to me even when playing football. I have the opportunity to learn the importance of accepting and interacting with other people and playing with other people despite their cultural or ethnic makeup.”
This is part of what makes Hunter a human specimen worth studying in his own right – a stellar student and two-way sensation who has become quite unlike anybody else who’s ever played the game, and not just because of his freak athletic ability. He’s also a budding business juggernaut who has a particular way of recharging his energy at home, often wearing onesie pajamas and eating his fiancée’s home-cooked meals, especially her cheesy chicken and shrimp-stuffed potatoes.
This week as Colorado (2-1) prepares to play Baylor (2-1) in a sold-out game Saturday at Folsom Field, Hunter shared some insight with USA TODAY Sports about how he does it all, including managing his energy, his future plans, Heisman Trophy hopes and a growing financial portfolio of endorsement deals.
How does Travis Hunter do it all for Colorado?
To start with:
∎ He has fueled himself with gummy bears at times to help him play almost every play week after week. Last week, he played 123 of 138 snaps from scrimmage as a cornerback and receiver in a 28-9 win at Colorado State, according to Colorado.
∎ When not playing his first “first love” of football, he’s often glued to a screen. He said he takes all of his college classes online and sometimes has played football video games four hours a day. This helps him recharge and manage his time.
∎ His passion for fishing makes him happy. In Colorado, he often fishes on a friend’s private lake and sometimes goes fishing with his coach at Colorado, Deion Sanders.
∎ He gets big support behind the scenes from Leanna Lenee, his fiancée. They got engaged in February and celebrated with a weekend of paintballing, riding trails on ATVs and hosting a barbecue.
∎ He also is growing wealthy through his many deals for his name, image and likeness. He talks to his financial manager every week and recently announced a deal with NerdWallet, a personal finance company, in which he decided to put 20% of the money into a savings account.
Hunter, 21, said this partnership “gave me the tools to take charge of my long-term financial future by prioritizing my financial health now.”
If he had to choose, would Travis Hunter pick offense or defense?
Hunter discussed this and more in the email interview arranged through the NerdWallet partnership. But there was one question he wouldn’t really answer because of the way it limited his options:
If an NFL team makes you choose to focus mostly on offense or defense, which will you choose and why?
“My goal is to continue to be a 2-way player,” Hunter wrote in his response, refusing to pick a side. “I believe my versatility is one of my greatest strengths, and playing both offense and defense allows me to contribute to the team in various ways. I love the challenge of learning and excelling in both roles and pushing my limits. If given the opportunity, I’d strive to continue making an impact on both ends of the field, helping my team wherever they need me most.”
Hunter showed how last week when he produced a stat line that Colorado said is believed to be the first of its kind in modern college football history – 13 catches for 100 yards and two touchdowns, five tackles, an interception with a 38-yard return and a pass breakup while playing 123 of 138 snaps from scrimmage. He ranks second nationally in catches per game (10) and touchdown catches (five). Off the field, as of January, he also had a cumulative grade-point average of 3.6, according to Colorado.
“I don’t know how he do it,” Colorado running back Micah Welch said Tuesday. “But he’s the best player in college football.”
How is Travis Hunter 'everywhere?'
After Colorado’s season-opening win against North Dakota State Aug. 29, United Airlines took advantage of Hunter’s three-touchdown game by pushing out a short commercial on social media. It shows Hunter in a Colorado uniform doing it all for United as an employee: He’s tagging luggage, marshalling planes, serving as a flight attendant and sitting in a window seat as a passenger.
Not only was Hunter “everywhere,” as the commercial says, but he also surprised teammates who wondered when Hunter had found the time to film a commercial, too.
“When did you do this,” teammate Shilo Sanders asked on Instagram.
The advertisement actually was shot on a camera phone in July at Denver International Airport. He showed up in his Buffaloes uniform and caused a stir at the airport among those who recognized him.
“We were naturally drawn to him,” United’s chief advertising officer, Maggie Schmerin, told USA TODAY Sports. “We see a lot of synergy between everything that he does in a single game and everything our employees do to get a single flight off the ground, let alone close to 5,000 flights that we have a day.”
Other brands have coveted a sponsorship deal with him for similar reasons. Asked about the source of his endurance during games, Hunter still cited some basic fundamentals.
“My fiancée is an incredible cook, so she usually makes me a well-balanced meal and reminds me to stay hydrated to help maintain my energy,” Hunter said in the email. “I sometimes have a hard time getting the number of carbs I need before games and have resorted to having a bag of gummy bears."
Travis Hunter's background before Colorado
Hunter’s rise as a player and commercial pitchman follows a familiar path, led by his coach and role model, Deion Sanders, a Pro Football Hall of Famer. Both grew up in tough environments. Both are from Florida. Hunter was born in West Palm Beach before moving to Collins Hill High School in Suwanee, Georgia, where his family of five was living back then in a converted motel room, said Drew Swick, the coach at Collins Hill.
Swick said Hunter’s grades started dropping at one point before another coach, Frontia Fountain, let him move in with him.
“From there on, Travis kind of flourished,” Swick told USA TODAY Sports.
Hunter recently bought his mom and stepfather a new house in the Savannah area, where his younger brother Trayvis is a sophomore receiver.
It runs in the family. Hunter’s father, Travis Hunter Sr., is a former high school football and track star in Florida.
Deion Sanders as Travis Hunter's mentor
In college, Hunter now has another father figure in Sanders, who treats him like a son and shares his love of fishing.
“We talk about everything,” Deion Sanders said at a news conference Tuesday.
Hunter stunned the college football world in 2021 when he decided to play for Sanders at Jackson State in Mississippi instead of sticking with his commitment to Florida State. As the nation’s No. 1 recruit for 2022, he then transferred from Jackson State to Colorado after Sanders was hired there at the end of that year.
“I have the best coach (Coach Prime),” Hunter said in the email. “He is out on the field, teaching me new things every day, and I love having him as a mentor.”
Sanders’ oversight of Hunter includes another important factor to consider in the study of this unusual human – making sure he gets enough rest to recover from his nonstop action on the field.
How does Travis Hunter get his rest?
Sanders gives Hunter extra days off early in the week when his team is practicing. Hunter also has a routine after morning practices.
“Being a two-way player, I prioritize my recovery as much as possible and am grateful my coaches allow me to spend a few extra days recovering,” he said in the email. “I usually will nap after practice before my classes and meetings, and then try to go to bed as early as possible, but sometimes get locked in streaming the EA College Football 25 game!”
That game was made for him, so to speak. He happens to be on the cover of it, along with Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers and Michigan running back Donovan Edwards. He also is borderline obsessed with playing. On a recent edition of his podcast on YouTube, he said it helps as a football aid.
“You really pretty much study any play you want to study on the game,” he said on the podcast.
Travis Hunter on his Heisman Trophy hopes
The EA Sports cover had another effect on him, too. It increased his celebrity, which grows every week with his two-way highlights on national television. His team has played prime-time games this season on ESPN, NBC and CBS. On Saturday, he plays on Fox.
After the last game, the effect of his rising fame was on full display. He signed autographs for fans who tossed him a helmet and jerseys to sign from the stands at Colorado State. Each wanted a piece of him to save for themselves. Likewise, NerdWallet is promoting its partnership with him by offering a chance to win a “sports relic card” containing a piece of his contract with the company.
Many consider him to be the best player in college football. If he stays healthy, he could make that title official by winning the Heisman Trophy in December.
“I got no personal goals,” Hunter said after his first game this season on Aug. 29.
The Heisman is a little different, though. The anthropology major knows it takes a football village to make it happen.
“Earning the Heisman would mean so much,” he said in the email. “It’s more than an individual award — it’s a reflection of the hard work and dedication of my teammates, coaches, and supporters. It’s a collective achievement and a celebration for us all.”
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: [email protected]