Henry Blackburn is a defensive back for Colorado State University and a 3-star recruit from Fairview High School who gained widespread attention after a controversial hit on Colorado’s Travis Hunter. The incident led to severe online backlash, not only toward Henry but also his family, including death threats and harassment. Even though the Buffs and Travis Hunter were not holding any grudge against Henry, fans constantly gave him and his family a hard time. 

Joe Blackburn is Henry’s father. The name of his mother is not publicly available. Despite this, her phone number was leaked online, leading to further harassment. His father was quite active on X until Sep 17, 2023, but later deactivated his account following the intensity of the death threats directed at his family. The Blackburn family has faced significant hostility since the game, with life-threatening warnings being sent to them before the matchup even concluded.

Due to the seriousness of the incident, local police are now involved in the case, providing protection and investigating the sources of the harassment. The family’s social media presence has been heavily affected. Even Henry himself disabled comments on his Instagram posts to prevent further attacks.
The Blackburn family has no athletic background but has strongly supported Henry throughout his football career. However, his controversy with Travis Hunter has kept his family’s security at stake. People constantly give a dual opinion on the topic, making it difficult for Henry to move on.

The Colorado team came in support of Henry Blackburn 

The Colorado State athletic director, Joe Parker, has recently stated that Henry did not intend to harm anyone and condemned the death threats against the family. While many in the college football community viewed Henry’s hit on Travis Hunter as unsportsmanlike, there is a growing consensus that the response, particularly the death threats, is excessively harsh and unnecessary. Even Colorado football head coach Deion Sanders publicly stated that while the hit was a mistake, it does not justify the threats made against Henry Blackburn and his family.

Henry Blackburn is an exceptional player in terms of his timing and instincts. Last year, he scored double-digit tackles against Washington with a high number of stops. Henry achieved 2.5 sacks throughout the season, one each against Utah State and San Diego State. He also had three interceptions, including a 23-yard return against Nevada. 

His constant backing helped the Colorado Buffs secure a final score of 4-8 last season, and he has emerged as one of the key assets for the Buffs’ defense this season. But it seems his efforts on the field don’t matter much to the fans, as the “hit” incident continues to follow Henry and his family.