An epidemic has infested society at large, and the college football sphere hasn’t been immune either. Social media has only fanned its flames. It’s the dangerously prevalent notion that public figures’ private lives are up for discourse. What’s worse is that people think their opinion has any bearing on affairs or that they know better than the actual individuals themselves. Begrudgingly, this epidemic swept across to infest Travis Hunter and his fiancee, Leanna Lenee, on the biggest night of his life. Out of sight and out of mind, they say. After seemingly removing herself from the limelight in the aftermath, Leanna finally seems to be comfortable showing her face.

From prodigy to proven. Travis Hunter’s tryst with rewriting history was completed when he stepped atop that podium in New York at the Heisman ceremony. Little did he know this celebratory mood would soon be dampened by some external hostility towards his fiancee. Winning the trophy was naturally emotional, with many of Travis’ loved ones in attendance to live his big moment. Amidst the concoction of mixed emotions, a rather distasteful one permeated through via a vocal minority. Which then turned into a national topic of media intervention. Leanna Lenee bore the brunt of some targeted hate online. Why? A small lapse of judgment.

Upon the announcement that Travis Hunter had indeed won the Heisman, he walked towards his mom, Leanna and Colorado HC Deion Sanders before getting onto the stage. Leanna remained rather nonchalant, not getting up from her seat to greet or embrace Travis. During the broadcast, Deion could be seen nudging her into standing up. This short, momentary exchange sparked a hating spree toward Leanna across social media and beyond. People viewed this as her being unbothered for Travis and his success.

The problem was that the same demographic of people was already on Leanna’s case and got more fuel. She’d once come out and acknowledged that she didn’t instantly take a liking to Travis when they first met, saying he “wasn’t her type”. This led to the lamentable thought that she was with him for materialisic reasons other than love or companionship. That Heisman ceremony episode just increased the heat, caused sentiments to boil over, and made a mess.

Over 4 months on, things have quelled. Leanna’s had time to heal, and so has Travis Hunter. He’s outwardly acknowledged that he knows his fans have a dislike towards Leanna. But does he care? Absolutely not. Travis and Leanna made their way to the OT7 Camp over the weekend. It’s a prestigious platform for high school kids to show out in front of a national audience. Travis’ younger brother, Trayvis Hunter, is attending the camp. In a video posted on Overtime’s IG handle, the two brothers can be seen chopping things up. Alongside them is Leanna, who appears to be in great spirits.

Travis Hunter and Leanna Lenne’s relationship being under the public lens from the jump hasn’t been particularly healthy. But that’s not their fault. Passing any sort of judgment or commentary based on some scattered clips and assumptions is unjust and very prejudicial. Alas, the couple doesn’t appear to be affected. This was the case during Travis’ Adidas campaign too, which Leanna was a big part of right after that Heisman ceremony debacle. It still is the case months on. It’s befitting how coming out to support Trayvis is when Leanna finally made a public appearance.

Travis Hunter’s privy to the masses’ feelings towards Leanna Lenee

It perhaps helps in blocking out the noise when you’ve got a lot weighing on your mind already. That appears to be the case with Travis Hunter. He’s got the NFL Draft imminent in less than 4 weeks. Simultaneously, he’s unsure about what his role is going to be once he turns pro. Conventional wisdom suggests he can’t continue playing both sides of the football, but when has Travis and conventions ever existed in the same breath? In fact, the way he deals with the haters is akin to how he plays football. By doubling down.

In a podcast appearance prior to his Heisman win, Travis Hunter stated that he rebels against the masses in his own twisted way. The more he hears untoward stuff about Leanna, the more he makes their relationship stand out. This includes him posting her on his socials more often than ever. 

The fact that Travis Hunter’s been posting about her less over recent weeks and months does suggest the discourse has indeed died down. Hopefully, things remain this way. With Leanna soft-launching herself back into the public eye, expect to see her on draft night, April 24th.