NEW YORK — Travis Hunter he won the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night, ending a season in which he dominated on both sides of the ball Colorado.
The star running back and receiver became the second Buffaloes player to win college football’s most prestigious award, following running back Rashaan Salaam in 1994.
Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty and quarterback Dillon Gabriel With Oregon AND Cam Ward With Miami were the other finalists.
A dominant player on both offense and defense who rarely leaves the field, Hunter is a throwback to generations past and the first full-time, true two-way star in decades.
On offense this season, he had 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns, helping the Buffaloes (9-3) earn their first bowl appearance in four years. Defensively, he made four interceptions, broke up 11 passes and made a critical fumble that secured the overtime victory over Baylor.
The junior from Suwanee, Georgia, followed brilliant coach Deion Sanders from Jackson State, an HBCU team playing in the lower-division FCS, to the Rockies and has already earned a stunning combination of accolades this week, including: AP Player of the Year, Walter Camp Award for national best player of the year, the Chuck Bednarik Award for best defender and the Bikretkoff award for best winger.
He is projected to go first overall in next year’s NFL draft ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr.
This report used information from the Associated Press.
