Vincent Frank
Colorado head football coach Deion Sanders was on the sideline Saturday night when star two-way player Travis Hunter went down after taking a vicious hit from Colorado State safety Henry Blackburn.
Hunter was eventually taken to the hospital and diagnosed with a lacerated liver. Following Colorado’s double-overtime win to move to 3-0, it was noted that Blackburn had received death threats for his hit on Hunter.
Well, Deion is having none of this craziness. In talking to the media ahead of this week’s road date with the 10th-ranked Oregon Ducks, Sanders condemned the threats in every way imaginable.
“He does not deserve death threats over a game. Very unfortunate. I’m saddened if there’s any of our fans that’s on the other side of those threats — I would hope and pray not.”
Deion Sanders on deat threats made against Henry Blackburn
For his part, Hunter followed suit by echoing what his head coach said. “It’s football at the end of the day,” Hunter said, “that stuff happens.”
The University of Colorado and local authorities in Boulder have investigated threats that allegedly came via phone calls, text messages and on social media. “At the end of the day, this is a game. Someone must win, someone must lose. Everybody continues their life the next day,” Sanders told reporters.
Sanders and the Buffaloes are one of the hottest stories in college football right now. He has Colorado at 3-0 on the season and ranked No. 19 in the nation heading into this week’s big game against Oregon in Eugene.
Colorado won just a single game last season and is looking to move to 4-0 for just the second time since 1998. The Buffs will have to do it without Hunter for at least the next few games starting Saturday against Oregon.
