Travis Hunter Sr. walked so that his son could run. For instance, he recorded 10.82 seconds on a 100-meter sprint as a 15-year-old freshman. In 2004, along with Odiles Jeune, Jodson Noel, and Cameron Rolle, he set the Boynton Beach school record in the 4×100-meter relay: 41.63 seconds. This record still hasn’t been broken despite close misses by relay teams starring future Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson in 2014 and 2015.

Travis Hunter Sr.’s background and football career

Before Travis Hunter Jr. sparked whispers among the fans and coaches, there was his father, who planted the seed of greatness. Travis Hunter Sr. grew up in Boynton Beach, Florida, and was a star for the track and football teams at Boynton Beach Community High School. On the field, he used his speed to overwhelm the opposition, despite the Tigers not being the most competitive team. In fact, in 2004, Travis Hunter Sr. recorded an 82-yard kick return and a 46-yard pick-six against Martin County. This secured a much-needed win for his school and snapped a 14-game losing streak.

An interesting fact is that Travis Hunter Jr., the wide receiver and cornerback of the Colorado Buffaloes, gets the speed from his father. He recorded a speed of 21.4 MPH during a chase-down tackle against Colorado State running back Avery Morrow. This took place in the fourth quarter of the Buffaloes’ 28-9 win over the Rams in Week 3.

A 2005 Boynton Beach High graduate, Hunter Sr. wanted to play college football. Back in the day, he had shared that he dreamt of joining a JUCO roster in Kansas after graduation but had to let go of it as he had children to take care of. Instead, he started playing semipro football in the Florida Football Alliance and Southern States Football League. He even won the Offensive Rookie of the Year for the latter in 2007.

Back then, as a 22-year-old, he stated, “I am trying to chase a dream… I would be willing to go arena first and I’ll go from there. I’ll see who picks me up. I will go to the Canadian League, or the NFL, whoever wants me. I just want to play ball. I was supposed to go to Dodge, Kansas [after graduation], but I had two kids so I couldn’t leave them.” His sacrifice seems to be paying off, as his son, Travis Hunter, is living his dream as a college football player.

Why couldn’t Travis Hunter’s dad be at the Heisman Trophy ceremony?

When Travis Hunter Jr. took the spotlight on the center stage of the Heisman Trophy ceremony, one noticeable absence was felt: Travis Hunter Sr., a missing seat that weighs heavier than many people can realize. His dad said that he skipped the Heisman Memorial Trophy ceremony to be present at his son’s most important life events, like the wedding day and NFL draft. “I don’t want to go [to the Heisman Trophy ceremony]. I want to be there when he gets married and when he gets drafted. I’m going to watch this from home. I really don’t feel no different because I always know he could win, if he put his mind to win. He’s always had that, since he started playing football when he was four years old,” said Hunter Sr.

Hunter is due to be drafted into the NFL as a first-round pick in April 2025 in the Green Bay Packers’ home of Wisconsin, before he then prepares for marrying Leanna Lenee in the following month of May. He has averaged 104.6 snaps per game at Colorado in the last season, and he wants to make history in the NFL. Hunter Jr. was named the Biletnikoff Award winner as top receiver in the nation. And led the FBS with 1,483 plays, appearing in 84.6% of the Buffaloes snaps from scrimmage. He also wants to play both ways in the NFL and Deion Sanders, the HC of Colorado, who’s arguably the best corner in league history. He has been identified as a trailblazer, with high doubts of finding another one like him.

But regarding what Hunter Sr. said, Hunter Jr. has quite contradicted his father’s statement by saying that his dad wanted to be there but couldn’t. But he didn’t really mention the cause for his absence. His words seemed as if there lies an external factor due to his absence rather than what Hunter Sr. said about prioritizing which events to attend. “I know you wanted to be here and you can’t. But trust me, I got you. I’m bringing the trophy home. I love you,” Hunter Jr. said on the stage. It seems like his dad has a lot to deal with before being completely transparent to the media.

Travis Jr. was born in May 2003, so one can understand how his father had responsibilities on his shoulders. Once, in a video released by ‘Reach The People Media’ on YouTube, Junior recalled having a rough childhood. When asked about how it felt to be back home, the athlete responded, “I don’t like coming back home, though,” owing to his childhood experiences, though he didn’t elaborate much about it. But what he did state was the fact that he successfully made it out.

Regardless, the father has been a part of his son’s football journey, and they even posed together on the field when the now-Colorado star was at Jackson State. While not much information is available about his current occupation, we do know that the father closely watches his son’s games and the college football scene, as he posts about it on Instagram quite often. He even referred to his son as “The Future” in some of his posts. On the other hand, his mother, Ferrante Harris, is a digital creator who also follows football closely. The love of a son for his dad is absolutely at its epitome to get unnoticed.

Travis Hunter honors his father in a historic speech

In a room filled with football royalty, flashbulbs, and applause, Hunter Jr. gave a moment to the football world that transcended sports. Standing in the middle of the stage, he didn’t just stop after thanking his coaches and teammates; he dug deep into his soul and put out a tribute, especially to his dad, that brought tears to the eyes of people in the room. “I want to say something to my father. He’s not here. But I know you’re watching on TV,” he said, tearfully. “Dad, I love you. All the stuff you went through, man. Now, look at your oldest son. I did it for you, man. All the times that you ain’t get to see me, and the times that you came to see my games. From probably two games in high school to seeing me on TV every weekend and coming to see me, man, that means so much to me,” said Hunter Jr.

While Deion Sanders is not related to Travis Hunter Jr., he does see his coach as a parent. “He’s like a father figure to me,” Hunter said during an Oct. 8 interview on ‘The Richard Sherman Podcast.’ Both son and father admire Deion Sanders.

In a 2023 interview, Hunter Sr. spoke about his son, his team, and his coach, Deion Sanders. What did he say?

He was happy that ‘Prime Time’ was his son’s coach because of the discipline and accountability that he brought in. “I’m happy that coach Prime is his coach.” 

“Coach Prime being his coach and I know he know my son. So he know how he moved, he know how he act, he know how his body is exactly. That’s a good thing,” he stated. Even Sanders have recognised the talent that Hunter Jr. perceives. Amidst healing from a recent injury, “You see what he’s able to do at 60 percent. 60 percent of Travis Hunter is worth 100 percent for a lot of people,” said Coach Prime. This depicted a mutual respect and love among the trio. Although Hunter Jr.’s playing days never rose to where he had dreamed, Hunter Sr. saw to it that his son never lacked chances. He inspired a young Travis to become the best that he could be, but he never stopped preaching his love for football. The result?

Hunter Jr. gained respect as he was one of the highest-rated prospects, left Jackson State, and followed Deion Sanders to Colorado.

Hunter Jr. once said, “My dad taught me to always keep fighting. No matter the situation, stay hungry.” And stay hungry, he has. He transformed himself into one of the most exciting players in college football today.

Well then, who is Travis Hunter’s father? It is the man who has sacrificed his ambitions for his children. The baton has been passed, and Travis Hunter Jr. is picking it up. Every time he makes a throw, one feels his Hunter’s father’s dreams coming true. What do you think?