Deion Sanders, the head coach of Colorado, made headlines this week by declaring that he no longer wants his Jim Thorpe Award, which he won in 1988. The legendary cornerback turned coach is furious that his star player, Travis Hunter, was not named a finalist for the prestigious award, given annually to the best defensive back in college football. Instead, Sanders has promised to give the award to Hunter, who has had an outstanding season on both sides of the ball for the Buffaloes.
Deion Sanders to hand the prestigious award to Travis Hunter
Travis Hunter, who has 31 total tackles and three interceptions this season, was overlooked in favor of Texas’ Jahdae Barron, Ohio State’s Caleb Downs, and Georgia’s Malaki Starks, all of whom were named finalists. Despite Hunter’s impressive stats, including his versatility as a wide receiver with over 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns, the selection committee chose other players for the honor. Sanders, who won the Jim Thorpe Award during his playing days at Florida State, expressed his frustration with the decision.
Colorado enters the final week of the regular season with an 8-3 record and will face Oklahoma State on Friday. While the team’s chances of making the Big 12 title game are slim, both Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders are projected to be top NFL Draft picks next spring. Regardless of Colorado’s playoff chances, Sanders is committed to ensuring that his stars will play in the team’s upcoming bowl game, marking the program’s first appearance since 2020.
