Travis Hunter Is Changing the Game in College. But These NFL Players Did It First

Travis Hunter is coming for all the glory. The 6’1″ Heisman Trophy Winner is setting himself apart from the rest of the players in college as he now looks to break from tradition. The Jacksonville Jaguars are considering using their No. 2 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to select a two-way player, which has many people speculating that it could change the NFL forever.

Hunter has already made his mark on the sport from his previous season at Colorado, and he now looks to achieve the same results with the Jaguars. However, even though his new role as a two-way player places him in an elite class, he’s still not the only two-way star in NFL history.

Travis Hunter’s Two-Way Dominance Isn’t New, But It Is Rare

Travis Hunter has showcased outstanding playmaking potential in his position as a wide receiver-defensive back. The world saw a glimpse of his dominance in the Jacksonville Jaguars’ preseason debut, where the 185-pounder logged around 20 snaps. The team now seems to be going all-in on their plans for Hunter.

The Jaguars have Hunter listed as a wide receiver and backup at cornerback on their initial depth chart. It seems that the team has noted his excellent season at Colorado as a two-way starter, where the 6-foot-1 athlete logged around 750 snaps on offense and 773 snaps on defense, which accounts for nearly 85% of the team’s total snaps. This level of dominance is remarkable and silenced the critics who had previously been skeptical about him.

However, while we should all take a moment to applaud his skill as a two-way player, all of this certainly isn’t new and has been done before. While we hate to step on someone’s moment, the NFL has seen some two-way players achieve remarkable results in their respective teams, and perhaps other coaches might look to replicate this tactic with others.

NFL Legends Proved This Was Possible Long Before Prime Star’s Pupil

The Jacksonville Jaguars and their general manager, James Gladstone, have placed an enormous level of trust in Travis Hunter. Even though he might not be the very first two-way player in NFL History, he has landed himself in a group of NFL Legends. We’ve seen this happen with the following two-way NFL players:

Brian Dawkins: The hard-hitting safety cemented himself as the third-ever player to record a receiving touchdown and an interception in the same game.

Deion Sanders: Hunter’s coach back in college started on both offense and defense in eight games for the Dallas Cowboys in 1996.

Marcus Jones: The third player to record a touchdown and return an interception in the same game. He repeated the same feat twice.

Julian Edelman: Made himself an all-in-one Swiss Army Knife by playing 15+ snaps on offense and defense in a single game.

J.J. Watt: Proved himself as a useful defensive end with three career touchdowns in a limited time

Mike Vrabel: Scored multiple touchdowns in his career on offense while being a defensive wall.

While all of these accomplishments from these NFL Legends are extraordinary in their own right, we’re not taking anything away from Travis Hunter’s capabilities on the field. We’re sure that the 2024 Heisman Trophy Winner has everything that it takes to change the sport forever as he handles his two-way duties for the Jacksonville Jaguars.