WATCH THE FULL ACTION SPORTS JAX INTERVIEW WITH TRAVIS HUNTER IN THE VIDEO PLAYER ABOVE
From a young age, Travis Hunter, the 2025 first-round draft pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars, knew his dream was to play in the NFL.
Growing up in South Florida, his father was a football and track athlete for Boynton Beach Community High School, so football was simply a part of who Hunter was as a young boy.
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“Since I first picked up a football, when I was about four years old, always wanted to be on the biggest stage,” Hunter said.
Hunter has played with that same level of energy his entire life. It’s fairly common to play both sides of the ball in high school. The twelve-minute quarters, running clock, and simplicity of the game at that level make it far more of a possibility than in college or the NFL.
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While Hunter might have been an elite athlete playing on both sides of the ball, it was simply his love for the game that led him to become who he is today.
“I think because a lot of people tell me I can’t do it, but also I love just being on the football field, I grew up playing both sides of the ball, and never coming off the football field. I have high energy, as you can tell. I just love being on the football field and do my job,” Hunter told Action News Jax.
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Wherever Hunter seems to go, dreams become reality and success follows. Whether it’s his five-star rating, state championship, Heisman trophy, or draft pedigree, Hunter’s success and the way he plays the game have never been seen before in the modern era.
It’s that propensity to break records and to change the way the sport is played that makes Hunter so intriguing as a player. Every play, Hunter is doing something never before seen.
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It certainly helps that he does it out of pure joy. Few seem to enjoy the game as much as Hunter.
It’s wholesome and endearing.
That said, Hunter isn’t looking to become a trendsetter and get more young athletes to attempt to play both sides of the ball. It’s just the path he chose.
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“A lot of people play high school ball or Pop Warner and play both sides of the ball pretty natural thing for an elite athlete, but do you think more people will try to do what you’re doing?” Action Sports Jax’s Brent Martineau asked.
“I don’t think they will try to do what I do. I hope they go out and be themself and if it comes to them, they go and do it, but I’m not trying to be a trendsetter, my journey is what I do,” Hunter said.
While it isn’t Hunter’s intention, it might be naive to think that kids won’t be looking to emulate the Heisman winner’s ability to play both sides.
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Hunter has immediately become one of the NFL’s most popular players, and intriguing stories.
Much like Shoehei Ohtani opened the way for two-way players in MLB, Travis Hunter has made the impossible possible in football.
The jury is still out as to what extent Hunter will play both sides of the ball, however, he’s certainly got the talent, and if his prior success is any indication, NFL fans may see history being made in Jacksonville.
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