Colorado coach Deion Sanders dismisses Travis Hunter’s omission to receive the award

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Colorado football coach Deion Sanders blasted the fact that Travis Hunter was not selected as a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award on Tuesday, saying the omission was “idiotic” and devalued the integrity of the award.

The Thorpe prize is awarded annually to the country’s best defensive back. Hunter plays cornerback and receiver for Colorado and is considered the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, according to BetMGM. But he was not listed among the three finalists for the award released Tuesday: Jahdae Barron of Texas, Caleb Downs of Ohio State and Malaki Starks of Georgia.

Sanders himself won the award at Florida State in 1988.

“How does Travis Hunter get snubbed by the Thorpe Prize?” Sanders said at his weekly news conference Tuesday in Boulder. “You can have my award. You can have it back. In fact, I’m going to give him mine. I don’t use it. It’s just sitting up there gathering dust. So Travis can have my Thorpe Award, because if this isn’t the most idiotic thing in college football that he’s not a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, and he is, I’d say without a doubt, but I don’t think that’s a real argument that this young man is the best defensive back in college football .”

Who runs the Thorpe Award and what is the response to Sanders?

The Thorpe Award is run through the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. A screening committee of Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame members narrows the field of candidates to 10-15 semifinalists near midseason, then meets again in late November to select three finalists, according to the organization’s website.

Hall of Fame executive director Mike James said in an email to USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday that “we are not criticizing Coach Sanders and wish our former award winner the best.”

He also gave a statement:

“Since 1986, the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame and the Jim Thorpe Association selection committee have done their due diligence to identify the best defensive backs across the college football landscape,” the statement read. “Although it is no easy task, committee members spend countless amounts of time, energy and resources to do just that. Each year presents dozens of challenges for our committee, and this year was no different. Numerous young men were in contention for the coveted finalist position; Regardless, the committee was tasked with selecting our top three. I commend all the coaches who believe their players deserved more recognition. We look forward to announcing our winner and welcoming the deserving young man into the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award fraternity.”

‘He is rarely thrown after’

In contrast, Hunter has been named one of three finalists for the Biletnikoff Award, which is given to the top receiver in major college football.

He has caught 82 passes for 1,036 yards and 11 touchdowns on offense. On defense, he has three interceptions, nine pass breakups and 30 tackles, but much of what he does on that side of the ball doesn’t show up statistically. For example, opposing quarterbacks avoid his side of the field because of his ability and football smarts.

“He rarely gets thrown after,” Sanders said, adding that “they just destroyed the whole integrity of the award and he can have mine. Whoever votes down there, whoever brings it home, thank you. Because I don’t even want mine now. God bless you.”

Colorado (8-3) wraps up the regular season Friday at home against Oklahoma State (3-8) and still has an outside chance to make the Big 12 championship game on Dec. 7. After suffering a devastating loss to Kansas last week, Buffaloes would need at least two other Big 12 teams to lose certain games on Saturday to get into the Big 12 title game.

The Thorpe Award winner will be announced on 12 December.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: [email protected]