As Colorado football star Travis Hunter made history once again in Week 5, his offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur had a unique take for the Heisman trophy contender.
“I've said this probably to all 32 NFL teams, but he has some superpowers,” Shurmur said via John Brice of FootballScoop.com. “And his most obvious one is his ball skills. So when you're playing corner, it's very, very important that you affect the ball. He gets interceptions as a defensive player.
“But he knows where he's supposed to be, he makes tackles when it's time to tackle. So, anytime you can affect the ball, I think that's good.”
Hunter has a record that only a few FBS players have ever achieved. In two seasons, Hunter had at least five receiving touchdowns and two interceptions. One of the most notable names on that list was Charles Woodson when he was playing for the Michigan Wolverines in 1997. Woodson ended up playing the cornerback position and dominated in the NFL. He became an NFL Hall-of-Famer and a multiple-time all-pro.
Why did Colorado football OC Pat Shurmur endorse Travis Hunter?
Shurmur knows talent when he sees it. He helped lead a 2013 Philadelphia Eagles offense that numerous team records. This included points (442), total net yards (6,676), touchdowns (53), passing yards (4,406), and fewest turnovers (19) and helping the Eagles secure the NFC East title. Mind you, Shurmur coached DeSean Jackson who is one of the most explosive players the NFL has ever seen.
Regardless of the potential at both positions, Hunter has received criticism from former NFL players. One of those was Richard Sherman. He played wide receiver at Stanford University but ended up switching to cornerback once he went to the league. Despite the uncertainty from Sherman and other former players, Shurmur understands that he has a generational player in Hunter.
“I think any team is going to be lucky to have Travis and then they just have to decide where they want to play him,” Shurmur said. “He's displaying every week why he could be an impact player on both sides of the ball. Those are the decisions that the teams, teams as they prepare for the Draft, or the team that chooses him what they're going to do.”
Even with people concerned about him playing every single snap in the NFL, he's done it at the collegiate level with ease. Hunter has had all but one game with under 100 receiving yards. On the defensive end, he has two interceptions, one forced fumble and three pass deflections.
It remains a mystery if Hunter can play both positions effectively in the NFL but either way, any team will love his skill set.
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