There are all kinds of ways to win the Heisman Trophy. You can start by playing quarterback. Thirty-eight have won the award, including 16 over the last 20 years.
You can revive a program and rank first in completion percentage in the nation. You can be responsible for 82% of your school’s offense, setting a conference record. You can turn into Mr. November, playing your best when it matters most.
There is one way to not win college football’s most coveted prize: humility and deference.
When given a platform to state his case with national writers last month, Shedeur Sanders, the man with the aforementioned statistics and accomplishments, made it clear that teammate Travis Hunter deserved the honor. He was right, but Sanders not joining him in New York this weekend is wrong.
Sanders’ right arm made Hunter the right man for the award.
He deserved to be included at the ceremony. His numbers are better than Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel and within a whisker of Miami’s Cam Ward. Had the CU Buffs advanced to the Big 12 championship — the pummeling by Kansas still stings — Sanders likely would have joined Hunter.
The duo certainly compared favorably to previous Heisman finalist teammates DeVonta Smith and Mac Jones, Baker Mayfield and Dede Westbrook and, most notably, Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush.
Hunter is a unicorn, a two-way star who has conjured images of leather helmets, Dick Butkus and Chuck Bednarik. With all due respect to UCLA’s Myles Jack and Michigan’s Charles Woodson, they pale in comparison to Hunter. They made cameos, not conversions. Hunter played nearly every snap of every game – 1,360 total (688 on defense, 672 on offense).
And yet, I can say with a straight face that Hunter’s tornadic frenzy of activity was special because of Sanders. Hunter as a corner can operate on an island, requiring no help, just winning coverage matchups with his breathtaking athleticism and uncanny instincts.
On offense, Hunter and Sanders worked in concert, turning Saturdays into recitals of greatness. Hunter distinguished himself as a stunning offensive weapon, leading Power Four schools in receiving touchdowns (14) while ranking second in catches (92) and touchdowns (14).
In pursuit of his own goals, his own elevation in the sport, Sanders launched Hunter into his own orbit. Would Hunter have been special with another quarterback? Of course. Would he have been the clear favorite to win the Heisman? Absolutely not.
Sanders wanted it this way, recognizing after the demolition of Central Florida that Hunter’s path to the Heisman was an SUV lane. He could be the sidecar, the Robin to Hunter’s Batman.
Sanders made an important distinction, reflecting his nickname “Grown.” He realized that he could prove he is college’s top quarterback — all sane predictions cast him as the first off the board in the spring NFL Draft — while Hunter claims the top prize. This is a win-win that is not nearly as common as people would like you to believe, given the marketing opportunities and name recognition connected to the Heisman.
Hunter makes it easy to do the right thing and do right by him.
“Travis just cares about winning. When the game is tight, of course he wants the ball,” Sanders said. “He holds everyone accountable. And you have that feeling where don’t want to let him down.”
The friendship between Sanders and Hunter defines their relationship. They have been helping each other for years. It was Sanders who convinced Hunter, as the top-ranked recruit in the country, to flip tradition on its head and join him at Jackson State. How’d he convince him?
“We got everyone together. And I said, ‘Bruh if we make this TikTok video, you have to commit,’” Sanders recalled. “The rest is history.”
Sanders and Hunter spent two seasons at CU making history, teaching lessons to defensive backs and frazzled coordinators. Were there times Sanders force-fed Hunter? Obviously. But when Hunter shows the dexterity of Gumby, can you blame him?
Thirty years after Rashaan Salaam became CU’s only Heisman winner, Hunter will validate his status as a card-carrying member of college football’s hallowed elite.
But let’s not forget the role played by Sanders, the quarterback who passed on the chance to push his candidacy to help his teammate.
Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams.