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“We Will Miss You in Colorado”: Fans Get Emotional as Travis Hunter Surprises Hardworking Teenager Near His Home

Triston Drew Cook
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The Jacksonville Jaguars first-round pick, Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver and defensive back Travis Hunter answers questions during a press conference Friday, March 25, 2025 at Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla.

Having been born just a few hours up the road in Palm Beach, Florida, Travis Hunter has had no issue making himself at home with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Even though he’s currently being bombarded with assignments from both his newfound coordinators, the rookie is still taking the time to make the most of his newfound influence.

After seeing a local athlete exercising and working on his form outside, the former Colorado Buffalo took the time to come over and say hello. Hunter was kind enough to accept the excited fan’s request for a picture and even imparted some words of encouragement to the young man.

Keep working, you’ll only get better. You’ll be on the stage soon, if you keep working.”

The positive interaction proved to be a hit with fans online, causing the video to go viral. Since then, several commentators, specifically Colorado fans, have suggested that Hunter’s presence will be a net positive for the Jacksonville community.

Last Christmas, Hunter and his wife Leanna Lenee bought Christmas gifts for five underprivileged families in Colorado as a way of giving back to the community that had given so much to Travis. The couple picked out presents such as cars, Spider-Man action figures, Barbies, fake make-up and nails, as well as t-shirts, sweaters, pants, and shoes. The Jaguars’ superstar even bought a PS5 for one of the boys he chose to give.

Given the amount of charity that he was known for doing in Boulder, some even took the opportunity to let Hunter know that he is sorely missed.

If his time in Jacksonville proves to be anywhere near similar to his time in Colorado, then it’s safe to say that the phenom rookie has plenty more surprises in store for fans this season.

For all of the hype that he continues to get off the field, the second overall draft pick appears to be backing it up. Early reports coming out of Jacksonville’s minicamp and OTAs all see Hunter receiving glowing remarks from personnel on both sides of the ball, suggesting that the team is already more than thrilled with its decision to trade away its 2026 first-round pick in order to move up on drafting him.

While the spectacular catches and highlight-friendly reps coming out of training camp were to be expected from Hunter, many have still had concerns about his ability to handle both offensive and defensive responsibilities. Nevertheless, his coaches insist that he has been just as impressive in the film room as he has been on the practice field.

According to the Jaguars’ defensive coordinator, Anthony Campanile, Hunter is “doing extra every day” to ensure that he’s able to fully understand as many of the team’s concepts as possible.

He’s a special guy because he’s really, really a bright guy. I know you guys (media) have gotten an opportunity to meet him, but all the coaches, everybody’s been really impressed with his ability to retain the information.”

While OTAs and minicamps are far from being conclusive, the early reports flooding out of Jacksonville are exactly what you want to see for a prospect who enters the league as one of the most celebrated players in recent memory. Now that he’s passed the sniff test, Hunter’s next goal will presumably be to convince his coaches to play him both ways in Week 1.

The Jaguars are expected to limit him to playing just the receiver position to begin his career. However, should he continue to prove himself capable of handling everything that the team throws at him, then he’ll have a strong argument to make.

Regardless of how many positions he winds up playing in Week 1, Hunter’s professional debut will likely be the most anticipated of any this year. For better or worse, fans are expecting to see history be made.

If the Jacksonville coaching staff is telling the truth, then they may just get to see it.

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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