JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The whirlwind of an offseason for the Jacksonville Jaguars continued on Thursday night after the team made a blockbuster trade to obtain the No. 2 overall pick, using it to select Colorado two-way player and Heisman winner, Travis Hunter.
“The moment means a lot to me and my family,” Hunter said while speaking to the media following the selection, adding that he’s excited to move back to Florida, the state where he was born.
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“Last night I was looking at some houses, so I had a feeling, and about a week ago I was talking to my agent, and I was thinking this is a possibility,” Hunter said.
The biggest questions surrounding Hunter coming into the NFL were never about his talent, but more about how he was expected to be used in the league after playing on both sides of the ball in college.
Watch the full interview below:
Before the draft, the Heisman winner made it clear he intended to remain a two-way player in the NFL, even going as far as saying he would quit football if he couldn’t play both ways as a professional.
Now that he’s a member of the Jags, Hunter said he’s going to try his hardest to remain a two-way player, but is ready to do “whatever the coaches and organization think about me,” adding that when the Jaguars called him to inform him of their selection, he said he was able to speak to both the offensive and defensive coordinator.
“It was a blessing. I’m excited. They had both of them on the phone, so I know they believe in me and that I can do it,” he said.
He also said that he doesn’t really feel any pressure to perform, even after the team gave up a haul of picks to move up the draft board to get him, saying that he just has to go out there, do his job, and “be Travis Hunter.”
The two-way standout continued to express positivity about joining a team that he wasn’t necessarily a fan of growing up, but said he watched plenty of Jags games this season, and even expressed some admiration for one of the team’s top players, Brian Thomas Jr.
“Brian Thomas is tough, I always tell people,” Hunter said. “He’s very slept on, but very, very good. So I’m excited to get to meet with him and play with him, make that dynamic duo.”
As the conversation wrapped up, Hunter was asked about the sustainability of playing on both sides of the ball in the NFL, which is notoriously referred to as a quicker and faster game than the collegiate level, and the No. 2 overall pick answered in a way that only he could.
“It’s a faster game, but you get a lot more breaks,” he said. “I’m just excited to go out there and work.”
No matter where he is on the field, Hunter’s explosiveness and tendency to create big plays will be a treat to watch for Jaguars fans all season long.
