Travis Hunter is seeking advice from tried-and-tested NFL players. And he just got a solid one from a former WR who spent 14 years in the NFL. This week, the Colorado Buffaloes star was present at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. While he won’t be performing, he’s focused on team meetings and interviews. The Heisman winner has dropped his desire to continue what he does best — play both ways, in the NFL. But is it too much to risk? 

“I don’t think he realizes how many 100 snaps is in the NFL. People don’t realize that. There’s a difference between college [and the NFL].” That’s Shannon Sharpe’s blunt message for Travis Hunter. But unlike him, another pro football veteran has solid wisdom for the young and eager talent ahead of his major leap. 

Ex-NFL star WR Anquan Boldin joined him in the latest episode of The Travis Hunter Show on March 1. The first piece of advice? “Just come in with a willing attitude to learn.” It may not sound like a lot but it carries weight. “I always say like a person that knows everything can’t learn anything,” he said. Boldin went on to explain that the more you’re eager to learn, the more others will want to take you under their wings which is the first step to building a big career in the league.

The second piece of advice that the 3x Pro Bowler gave him is — “Learn as much as possible. A lot of people say that like when you get to the NFL, it’s the speed of the game is different. And it is different. But I’ve always felt that the more that you learn and the sooner that you learn, the more the game slows down.” These words carry depth as they come from an SB champ who played over 200 NFL games for 13,779 yards and 82 touchdowns. 

Now, Shannon Sharpe’s concerns on his Nightcap podcast also hold meaning. He brought in the instance of the Colorado vs Stanford game in October 2023 where WR Elic Ayomanor had a game-changing 294 yards and three TDs on 13 catches. “I mean, that receiver, the Stanford receiver that put 200 on him, I don’t know if that guy’s in the league, and if he is, he ain’t playing a whole lot.” He went on to state why CBs are slated for tough times in the NFL as they’ll be up against star WRs like Justin Jefferson, Tyreek Hill, and Courtland Sutton, among others week after week. But it looks like Hunter has made up his mind. 

Travis Hunter and his desire to play as CB-WR in the NFL

“I’m a different person,” Travis Hunter boldly declared. And this difference is what could allow him to play both ways in the NFL despite many critics weighing in their opinions. After all, he won the Heisman Trophy as a two-way phenom after stacking up 1,258 yards and 15 TDs on offense while locking in four interceptions on defense. He’s attending the Combine as both a CB and a WR and is already making a pitch for himself as a dual-edge threat. 

“Nobody has done it [playing both ways full-time in the NFL],” Travis Hunter stated. “I know I can do it. I did it at the college level, which the game is, we barely get breaks and there’s a lot more breaks in the NFL.” And he’s already winning the support of the Titans HC Brian Callahan who holds the No. 1 pick. “He’s big, a really unique ability to do a lot of different things,” he said. And for the 21-year-old, it could be his dream landing in Tennessee. “That was one of my dreams. Go No. 1 and be the best I can be,” he stated. 

Now, the question is: Can Travis Hunter take Boldin’s advice beyond his show and execute it on the field? He has both the skills and the eagerness but it remains to be seen if he can translate these qualities in the pro league.