WATCH: Travis Hunter hugs Prime, Lil Wayne as he wins Heisman
Dec 14, 2024, 7:13 PM | Updated: Dec 17, 2024, 2:01 pm
Travis Hunter became the 89th winner of the Heisman Trophy on Saturday and his first move was to thank his fiancee and mom then Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders.
But Coach Prime is one of the most famous people on the planet and a close friend to him is Lil Wayne. Hunter said in his speech he started listening to Lil Wayne recently and it is his music that inspires him before every game. Hunter had Wayne sitting in his corner for the ceremony and gave him a giant embrace moments after getting emotional with Shedeur Sanders and Deion.
Hunter heard his name and it all hit him—watch below:
no one more deserving.@TravisHunterJr x #HE12MAN
đź“ş: ESPN pic.twitter.com/n0mgWAdxux
— Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) December 15, 2024
The Heisman Trophy Trust presented Hunter with the award in New York City, where he beat out fellow finalists Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, Miami quarterback Cam Ward and Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty.
Hunter’s season has been unprecedented, becoming the first player to truly play both sides of the ball and do it at a high level in modern college football times. He finished with a Big 12-best 92 catches for 1,152 yards, which were the fifth and sixth-best in NCAA this year. Hunter’s 14 receiving touchdowns was a school record, conference-best and second-best in the nation. He’s also added a rushing touchdown on a jet sweep. It’s for all of this on offense that Hunter the Biletnikoff Award for the best wide receive for the best wide receiver in the country. Hunter joins DeVonta Smith, as the lone wide receiver to take home the Heisman in the last 50 years but unlike the former Crimson Tide standout, that was just half of Hunter’s game.
Defensively, Hunter racked up 31 tackles, 11 pass breakups, four interceptions, 15 passes defended as well as a game-winning forced fumble on defense. Those ball-hawking skills placed Hunter at or near the top of the Big 12 leaderboard which is why he won the Chuck Bednarik Award as the top defensive player in the country. Hunter is the first player to be named the country’s top pass-catcher and defender.
Hunter’s success and skills matched the mission of the Heisman— to recognize college football’s most outstanding player.
