Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter faces several pushbacks to his answers to questions about the challenges of being a two-way athlete.
Former NFL stars and current podcast co-hosts Shannon Sharp and Chad Johnson were among those who, after learning Hunter, said playing both offensive and defensive in football is more challenging than hitting and pitching in baseball, as Shohai Otani did well.
During last week’s NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, Hunter was asked whether being a two-way footballer is more challenging than throwing from the MLB pitching mound every five days, while also being a full-time designated batsman.
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Colorado defensive back Travis Hunter during the 2025 NFL combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. (Tanner Pearson/Imagn image)
“Maybe I, what I do with football, is because there’s a lot in your body,” Hunter said. “Otani, he’s a great player, but you have to do a lot of stuff in football.”
Travis Hunter is steadfast in his ability to become a successful two-way player in the NFL: “I’m just not”
Johnson, who spent most of his professional football career with the Cincinnati Bengals, said that Hunter was in a batting cage.
“I was able to get Travis Hunter in the batting cage,” the former wide receiver said when he appeared on “Stephen A. Smith Show” after hearing about the Hunter’s take. “Like you, you’re talented to exercise, but I want to see him hit a 95 mph fastball in the cage. No comparisons are nearby.
“The two most difficult things in life are hitting baseball and keeping women happy in the long term.”
The Los Angeles Dodgers designated the batter’s shoes Hei ohtani. Right, on the San Diego Padres catcher Louis Campano watch, he heads first, March 20, 2024, during the seventh inning of his first day baseball game at Goshok Sky Dome in Seoul, South Korea. (AP photo/Le Jinman)
Sharp also opposed Hunter and concluded that the comparison between what Hunter does on the soccer field and what Otani does on baseball diamonds is “not close.”
“Hey trav, until you can get just the batting cage, the batting cage… just the machine. Turn it to 90-95 mph and let me see you hit it. The fastball isn’t talking about sliders. I’m not talking about no curves. There’s no sinker.
Shannon Sharp, left, Chad Okoshinko will speak on stage at the Night Cap Live Show in Las Vegas on February 8, 2024 in Red Tail with Shannon Sharp and Chad Okoshinko. (Joe Scarnici/Getty Images on Volume)
“The hardest thing in this world is to hit the baseball that comes you. It’s just fastball,” the Pro Football Hall of Fame continued. “A soccer game is difficult, I love you, you’re an extraordinary talent. But it’s not even the same.”
While decision makers for NFL teams are debating whether Hunter should be deployed as a full-time offensive or defensive player, the former Colorado star sees himself as a two-way player.
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“We had some meetings at the receiver, we had some meetings at DB, so we’re still in the air,” Hunter answered NFL scouting questions about playing important snaps on professional offense and defense.
“They say, ‘No one has done it, the truth, how I do it,’ and I say to them, ‘I just don’t.’ ”
Hunter played wide receivers and cornerbacks for Jackson and Colorado states with head coach Dion Sanders. Hunter excels on both sides of the college ball, playing over 700 snaps on offense and defense.
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