Travis Hunter has the potential to redefine the football meta with his two-way capabilities. Having successfully bankrolled a 2024 Heisman campaign into a top-three selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, the 21-year-old’s resume already has the makings of a potential Hall of Famer.
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Before his highly anticipated pro career takes off, however, the former Colorado Buffalo took the time to reflect on his journey by meeting up with his first-ever trainer. On the latest episode of the aptly titled Travis Hunter Show, the dual-threat sensation joined his beloved Coach Drew in revisiting the early days of their relationship.
According to his former coach, Hunter was far removed from the talented prospect that he is today. In fact, he even suggested that Hunter take up a different sport altogether.
“You came out there like a baby deer. You weren’t very good… He could track the ball, he couldn’t catch it. I was like, are you sure you don’t just want to hoop? But nah, we put that work in and he trusted me,” Coach Drew revealed.
While it certainly took Coach Drew a bit of time to develop Hunter’s instincts, the end result certainly appears to be worth it. His role in the origin story of the NFL’s next big star proved to be a crucial one that would leave a lasting impression on both of them.
Upon being asked to share some of his favorite memories of Hunter, the veteran trainer recounted the moment when Hunter finally put it all together.
“We were outside at the field and I threw this crazy ball. He kind of caught it in a weird kind of way, behind him, and he was like ‘I got it.’ I was like, ‘What do you mean, you got it?’ He said, ‘I get it now.’ From then on, he barely ever dropped the ball. It was crazy.”
Coach also recalled the moment in which he realized that Hunter could be an athletic phenom. After traveling to watch him play basketball in middle school, Drew finally realized what he had in Hunter.
“He said he wanted to be the best that I ever trained and he did it… He came out there and he just went and got a rebound. The way he went and got the rebound, he twisted in between people. I just seen him catching the ball over the middle. I was like, yea, this could be it.”
Upon being asked to share some advice to everyone involved with Hunter’s ongoing draft process, Coach Drew clarified that teams will have little to no issues with Hunter from a behavioral standpoint. However, he does have one concern. H
In noting that Hunter’s lone struggle will likely come in the form of a playbook, his original tutor found himself simply hoping for the best situation possible.
“Wherever he goes, I just hope he gets on of those OG pros that can just kind of take him up under there and just show him that path. I think he’s going to grasp everything pretty good. He’s got a great foundation around him.”
Hunter is primed to be the second player off the board on April 24th, as mock drafts from around the nation are forecasting a Cleveland Browns selection in his near future. Given the Browns’ track record throughout the past several decades, the 21-year-old phenom will simply have to make the most of the situation.
Thankfully, according to Coach Drew, he has all of the tools at his disposal to be able to do so.
