Travis Hunter Jr. inherited his football talent from his father

Travis Hunter Jr. is finally in the National Football League after the Jacksonville Jaguars traded up to get him. While it’s uncertain if the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner will remain a two-way player, what’s definitive is that he could be a high-impact player.

This generational talent could turn the fortunes of a franchise that won only one playoff game in the last seven NFL seasons. As Hunter starts his pro football journey at his home state, his father will be rooting for him.

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree as Travis Hunter Jr.’s football genes came from his father, Travis Hunter Sr. An article by The Palm Beach Post briefly discussed Hunter Sr.’s athletic career at Boynton Beach High School. In addition to playing football, Hunter Sr. also participated in track and field and ran the 100-meter sprint in 10.82 seconds as a freshman.

During his junior year (2004), Hunter Sr. helped establish the school’s record in the 4×100 meter relay at 41.63 seconds. Meanwhile, the football team utilized his speed as they lined him up on all three units. Though Boynton Beach wasn’t competitive during his time, Hunter Sr. still had his football moments. In one game, he scored touchdowns off a kick return and an interception.

The father of Travis Hunter Jr. dreamt of playing college football. However, he held off his ambition for his children. Instead, he played semi-professional football in the Florida Football Alliance and the Southern States Football League.

While Hunter Sr.’s football journey ended without fanfare, Hunter Jr. is making noise as a high-impact player on both sides of the ball. In addition to the Heisman, the younger Hunter won the Biletnikoff Award after tallying 96 catches for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns in his final year at Colorado. Those numbers, as well as his impact on defense, made him last year’s Associated Press College Football Player of the Year.