Colorado's Travis Hunter labeled 'special' after securing backup plan in case NFL career falters

Travis Hunter is a legend in the state of Colorado, especially for the lasting impact he made in Boulder. A true two-way star, Hunter dominated on both sides of the ball—offense and defense—throughout his college career. His quarterback during that time was Shedeur Sanders; now, he'll be catching passes from the Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence.

Hunter is expected to eventually play both offense and defense in Jacksonville, or at the very least, he’s been given the possibility to do so. While his versatility may have been seen as a draft-night concern, several teams valued his rare ability to contribute on both sides, so it didn’t affect their interest.

"It's never playing football again," Hunter said. "Because I've been doing it my whole life, and I love being on the football field. I feel like I could dominate on each side of the ball, so I really enjoy doing it."

However, on Thursday, it wasn’t just Hunter’s athleticism that stood out—it was his academic excellence. The star athlete also shined in the classroom, finishing his college career with a perfect GPA and a degree, achievements that many professional athletes don’t always reach.

"On the academic front, Hunter finished with a 4.0 GPA, was an anthropology major and a two-time first-team academic All-American," Fox Sports reported.

Hunter’s graduation didn’t go unnoticed. Former NFL player Nate Jackson highlighted how special Hunter is, especially after earning his degree.

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"How many Heisman Trophy winners have their degrees? Shoot, how many NFL players have them? The answer is: not enough. This shows what a special young man Travis Hunter is. Something tells me this football thing is going to work out for him, but if not, he'll be just fine," Jackson posted.

Hunter is now heading straight to Jacksonville for rookie minicamp, but earning his degree shows just how grounded and focused he is. Now, he not only has the skills to excel in the NFL but also a solid backup plan for life after football.