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“Used to be That Kid”: Young Boy Makes Travis Hunter Reminisce the Days He Worked Out With His Dad & Cousins

Triston Drew Cook
Published

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) meets with the media following rookie minicamp at Miller Electric Center.

With less than 50 days left to prepare for the upcoming NFL season and his debut with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Travis Hunter appears to be doing everything he can to sharpen his tools. He can’t wait for the Week 1 matchup against the Carolina Panthers, but is also keen to be NFL-ready when the moment arrives.

The 22-year-old phenom recently made use of a local outdoor field and park for training. While going through his drills, Hunter spotted a young athlete training by himself.

The former Colorado Buffalo went into a nostalgic reverie almost immediately. Hunter was taken back to his childhood, the youngster reminding him of the way he used to work on his game with his family around.

“That’s what I love seeing, man,” Hunter exclaimed after taking a moment to watch the young man work on his form.

I used to be that kid. I still am that kid, but I used to be that kid. Working out with my cousins, my dad, and my brother, just doing our own thing. They didn’t understand it, but guess what? I understand it now,” added Hunter.

After stating “it’s a blessing” to get a reminder of the effort that his younger self used to put in, Hunter jokingly clarified that “I still put in the work, I just got older.” Once his workout got into full swing, he was primarily focused on running routes.

Hunter’s session hinted at the Jaguars’ plan to primarily feature him as a wide receiver in the first few weeks of the season. At one point, he did admit that if he was ever asked to play at quarterback, his arm would likely be good for one solid play.

After tossing a 30+ yard pass to one of his trainers, Hunter jested towards Trevor Lawrence: “If I was a quarterback, that’s about as far as I could throw, and I only got one. My elbow be bugging. I’m good for one, after that, y’all can have it.”

Hunter clearly appreciates the former Clemson star’s talents. Given the amount of pressure that Lawrence is facing ahead of his fifth season as a starter, that chemistry will come in handy.

Coming into the league, Lawrence was heralded as the would-be savior of whichever franchise proved lucky enough to draft him. That proved to be the Jags, who invested the first overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft into the darling of the College Football Playoff National Championship.

Since then, however, Lawrence has produced a lackluster regular-season record of 22-38. He has just one playoff win to his name. Apart from that, there’s nothing but a lone Pro Bowl nomination to round out the rest of his professional resume.

While some of Lawrence’s struggles can certainly be attributed to a lack of consistency at the head coaching position, the 2025 season still appears to be a potential make-or-break point for his career. If he wants to justify the five-year, $275-million contract extension he signed in the 2024 offseason, then he’ll need to produce some meaningful wins sooner rather than later.

Thankfully, the Jaguars have done their part by providing him with two of the most dynamic wide receivers in the league today: Brian Thomas Jr. and Hunter. Now, the pressure to perform is solely on Lawrence.

Should he somehow manage to waste the talents of these two young stars, then fans shouldn’t be surprised to see Lawrence’s name appear on the trade block.

About the author

Triston Drew Cook

Triston Drew Cook

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Triston Drew Cook is the NFL Journalist at The SportsRush. With a bachelor's degree in professional writing, Drew has been covering the NFL and everything that comes with it for over three years now. A journalist who's provided work for Sports Illustrated and GiveMeSport, Drew predominantly focuses his reporting on the world of football

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