Upset Deion Sanders plans to give Travis Hunter his Jim Thorpe trophy after Colorado star declines

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) – Travis Hunter may receive his first trophy of the season – his coach’s 1988 Jim Thorpe Award. Deion Sanders doesn’t want his anymore.

Not after Colorado’s two-way standout and the Heisman Trophy hopeful was overlooked as a finalist for the award given to the nation’s top defensive back. Sanders, who won the award with Florida State, was upset Tuesday.

“How? How is Travis Hunter denied the Jim Thorpe award?” Sanders said, whose 23rd ranked Buffaloes (8-3, 6-2 Big 12, no. 25 CFP ) closes the regular season Friday against Oklahoma State, needing a win and plenty of help to make the conference title game. “You can have my prize. You can have it back. In fact, I’ll give him mine. I’m not using it, I’m just sitting up there collecting dust.”

The list above Thorpe finalists released Tuesday included Texas’ Jahdae Barron, Ohio State’s Caleb Downs and Georgia’s Malaki Starks — but no Hunter.

Hunter has three interceptions and nine pass breakups, although he has rarely been targeted due to his lockdown coverage abilities. He also preserved an overtime win against Baylor, forcing a game-ending fumble.

“If this isn’t the most idiotic thing in college football, that he’s not a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award,” Sanders said. “How in the world is Travis Hunter not a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award? They’ve pretty much destroyed the entire integrity of the award and he can get mine. Whoever votes down there, whoever takes it home – thank you, because I won’t once have mine now.”

It is one of the few awards Hunter has not been chosen as a finalist for in a season where he has dominated offense and defense. He is in the race Maxwell (most outstanding player), Biletnikoff (best receiver), Bednarik (top defender), Paul Hornung (most versatile) and Walter Camp (player of the year).

Then of course there is the Heisman, where he is the favorite, according to BetMGMas he rarely leaves the pitch. A frequent target of Shedeur Sanders, he catches 82 passes for 1,036 yards and 11 TDs.

The scary hit on Shedeur Sanders

Shedeur Sanders avoided injury on a terrifying hit by Kansas defensive end Dean Miller, who took out the quarterback’s leg after throwing a pass in last Saturday’s 37-21 loss.

Deion Sanders said both Jayhawks coach Lance Leipold and Miller reached out to him. The plan is for Miller to talk to his son.

“He’s going to apologize and Shedeur is going to accept it. I know because Shedeur’s not sorry,” explained Deion Sanders. “So let’s not make a big deal out of something that happened in the heat of the game. I know what it looked like. I know how it looked, but the guy is trying to make a play. He plays ball, but they want to communicate with each other, so there are no hard feelings.”

Bowl game for Shedeur Sanders and Hunter?

Friday’s game against Oklahoma State could be the last in a Colorado jersey for Hunter and Shedeur Sanders because they are likely top picks in the NFL draft. Deion Sanders downplayed the narrative Tuesday by saying that even if the bowl-eligible Buffaloes don’t make it to the Big 12 title, his talented tandem can play in a bowl game.

“It’s not the last time you’re going to see them in a Buff uniform,” Deion Sanders said. “Those two and all the other seniors have done a wonderful job of getting us to where we are and instilling so much anticipation in our fan base and expectations in ourselves.

“So we’re going to fight and try to go out there and kick some ass and end this thing on the right note. We’re going to a bowl game — and end this thing on the right note.”

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