NEW YORK—For the first time since the late Rashaan Salaam won the Heisman 30 years ago and just the fourth time ever, the Colorado Buffaloes are sending a finalist back to New York, as Travis Hunter has been named one of four finalists for the award, the Heisman Trophy Trust announced Monday.
Hunter has had a season unlike any seen in college football history. He has become the first to truly play both sides of the ball at a dominant level in modern college football history. He finished the season with 92 receptions, ranked first in the Big 12 and fifth in the NCAA, with 1,152 receiving yards which is third in the Big 12 and sixth in the country, 14 receiving touchdowns to lead the conference and is second in the NCAA, and 21 receiving plays of 20 yards or more which led the entire country at the end of the regular season.
But that’s just on the offensive side of the ball. Defensively, he put up a staggering 31 tackles, 11 pass breakups tied for first in the Big 12 and eighth in the country, four interceptions tied for second in the Big 12 and 17th in the NCAA, 15 passes defended ranked first in the Big 12 and fifth in the country, as well as a game-winning forced fumble on defense.
Hunter has been adding to his list of first and only to do something. He became the first player to be named a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, given to the top receiver regardless of position, and the Bednarik Award, given to the top defensive player in the country.
Hunter is just the third player to be a finalist for the Heisman that also played at an HBCU. The first was Doug Williams in 1977 at Grambling State, who would go on to win the Super Bowl XXII MVP. The second was future NFL MVP Steve McNair, in 1994 at Alcorn State.
Aside from Salaam’s win 30 years ago, Colorado has also had finalists in New York in 1989 with Darian Hagan and 1990 with Eric Bieniemy. Hagan finished fifth in 1989 and Bieniemy third in 1990. The award began bringing finalists to New York in 1982.
Prior to 1982, Byron White finished second in 1937, and Joe Romig finished sixth in 1961. Several other Buffs have garnered votes in the Heisman and finished lower down, most recently Sefo Liufau in 2016, who picked up five points. Chris Brown finished eighth in 2002, when he was on pace for a 2,000-yard rushing season before being injured in the season’s final two games.
Bobby Anderson finished 11th in 1969, Charlie Daivs 16th in 1971, and when Bieniemy took third in CU’s 1990 national championship season, CU had two others receiving votes, with Hagan taking 17th and Mike Pritchard picking up two points. Hagan also finished 20th in 1991 as the only CU player to receive votes in three seasons. CB Deon Figures finished 30th in 1992 and CU’s WR duo of Charles Johnson (15th) and Michael Westbrook (61st) both had points in 1993. In 1994 when Salaam won, Kordell Stewart also finished 13th.
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Story by Aiden Tank, Athletic Communications for CUBuffs.com. Content courtesy of the University of Colorado at Boulder.