Latest news with #Biletnikoffaward
USA Today
08-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Travis Hunter honored with Bob Bowlsby Award, the Big 12's most prestigious award
Even after he is in the NFL, Colorado's Travis Hunter has taken home more college hardware. Hunter, 2024's Heisman winner, was announced as the Bob Bowlsby Award Winner by the Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark. The award is given to one male and one female student-athlete who exemplify leadership both on and off the field. BYU's track and field star, Meghan Hunter, was the female recipient. The former Colorado Buffalo won a plethora of awards in 2024 outside of the Heisman, including the consensus National Player of the Year and the Walter Camp Award. The two-way star brought home hardware from both sides of the ball, including the Biletnikoff award for best receiver and the Bednarik award for defensive player of the year. Hunter was taken No. 2 overall in the NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he signed a record-breaking rookie deal. Contact/Follow us@BuffaloesWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.
CBS News
28-02-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Mike Vrabel let Travis Hunter know about his own two-way talent when two met at Combine
When the New England Patriots met with two-way star Travis Hunter at the NFL Scouting Combine this week, head coach Mike Vrabel made sure the 21-year-old got a bit of a history lesson about his own playing career. In typical Vrabel fashion, he did so by talking some trash. There is a growing sentiment that Hunter, who won the Heisman Trophy after a dynamic season as a star receiver and corner for the Colorado Buffalos, could fall to New England at fourth overall in the upcoming NFL Draft. He's listed as a defensive back at the Combine, but given his explosiveness on the offensive side of the ball, he should also get some looks at receiver at the pro level. Vrabel knows a thing or two about bringing it on both offense and defense. While the former linebacker didn't play as much offense as Hunter, Vrabel was a touchdown machine for the Patriots in the red zone, catching a dozen touchdowns over his career. He made sure Hunter knew about those catches when the Patriots met with the two-way star in Indianapolis. "I'm sure Travis doesn't even know, but we were kind of jawing back and forth as he left last night," Vrabel told NFL Network on Thursday. "And I said, 'You're not the only one that played two ways. There were some other guys that did this too,'" Vrabel said on NFL Network. "He kind of like looked at me, and we laughed." Vrabes knows a thing or two about playing offense and defense 🤣 📺: #NFLCombine on NFLN — New England Patriots (@Patriots) February 27, 2025 If Hunter does end up with the Patriots, he's already got a pretty good idea of what to expect from his head coach. Travis Hunter's two-way threat Hunter made a name or himself and became one of the most dynamic players in college football as a wide receiver and cornerback at Colorado. His star power on both sides of the ball earned him the Heisman Trophy, and that wasn't the only award he took home in 2024. After catching 96 passes for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns for the Buffalos last season, Hunter received the Biletnikoff award as the country's best college receiver. On defense, he had four interceptions, 11 passes defended, and 35 tackles, which earned him the Bednarik award as the nation's top defensive player. Hunter would be a solid addition to the New England secondary and give the Patriots a strong one-two punch at corner along with Christian Gonzalez. He'd also potentially boost New England's receiving corps, which had an extreme lack of talent during the 2024 season. Hunter expressed a desire to play both sides of the ball when chatting with the media at the Combine. "Nobody has done it, but I feel like I've put my body through a lot," he said. "I do a lot of treatment; people don't get to see that part, what I do for my body to make sure I'm 100 percent each game. But I feel I can do it because nobody has done it. And I know I can do it." Vrabel made sure Hunter knew that somebody had done it when the two sides met. Mike Vrabel's offensive resume While Vrabel was a first-team All-Pro linebacker for the Patriots, he also came through whenever the team asked him to become a pass-catcher in the red zone. All 10 of his regular-season receptions went for touchdowns, and Vrabel added two other receptions for two more touchdowns in the postseason. If Hunter wasn't aware of Vrabel's offensive prowess, the youngster certainly does now. And if he does end up with the Patriots, it's something Vrabel won't let him forget.
