"I was hoping I was gonna be great": Travis Hunter receives 2024 Chuck Bednarik honor at Maxwell Awards Gala

Travis Hunter had an incredible 2024 season with the Colorado Buffaloes on an individual level. The two-way star solidified his status as the best player of the season by winning the Heisman trophy. Apart from this, Hunter also won several other accolades, including the Walter Camp Award, the Fred Biletnikoff Award, the Paul Hornung Award, and the Chuck Bednarik Award.

The Chuck Bednarik Award is given to the best defensive player of the season. Travis Hunter was announced as the winner of this honor in December during the 34th Annual College Football Awards Show on ESPN.

On Friday, during the 88th Annual National Football Award held by the Maxwell Football Club, the two-way star finally received the Bednarik trophy physically. After receiving the award, Travis Hunter expressed his gratitude for the honor and talked about leaving behind a successful legacy in college.

"It's a blessing," Hunter said. "I was very blessed to be able to do what I do with football. Very proud of myself."

"You've been playing this game since you were four years old. You look back, you think younger you knew what was in store," the host asked.

"Nah, I didn't know what was in store. But I was hoping I was gonna be great. My work ethic was always the same..very talented but I always wanted to play football," Hunter replied.

Travis Hunter helped the Buffs to a 9-4 campaign last season. On offense, he totaled 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns receiving, while also making an impact on defense with 36 total tackles and four interceptions as a cornerback. The two-way star is projected to be a top-three pick in this year's NFL draft.

---

Travis Hunter shares his 2025 NFL Combine experience

The 2024 Heisman winner was one of the four players from Coach Prime's team to be invited to this year's Scouting Combine. However, Hunter decided not to participate in the workouts in Indianapolis.

On Wednesday's episode of his eponymous show, Hunter talked about his experience at the Combine. He said that he had a great time in Indianapolis despite a very busy schedule.

"The Combine was fun, it was actually lit," Hunter said. "I didn't know what to expect since I had never been there before, but it turned out to be a great experience. I really got to work."

"You just have to be ready to give your whole day, or a couple of days you're there to the Combine and the NFL staff. You have to be prepared for everything they throw at you because there's a lot going on. For the most part, it's just busy work." (TS- 0:25 onwards)

Travis Hunter utilized the Combine to meet with NFL teams and have interviews with them. There are still doubts about him being able to play both sides of the ball professionally in the NFL, but Hunter continues to be adamant about being a two-way player for the team that drafts him in April.