Travis Hunter shuts down Thorpe award snub question with a perfect response: “I have the Best Trophy in College Football"

Even though Travis Hunter didn't win the Jim Thorpe Award, the Colorado Buffaloes' didn't let the potential snub take away from a historic awards weekend.

When asked about his thoughts on not getting the award recognizing the best defensive back in the nation by former Super Bowl winner Prince Amukamara, Hunter pointed at the awards he won.

"They already decided who they pick, and I don't want to talk about the Thorpe. I mean, they made their decisions. I got the best trophy in college football, so how it looks on them don't look bad on me; it look bad on them," Travis Hunter said.

Hunter became the first two-way player to win the Heisman Trophy since 1997. He also won the Bednarik Award (Defensive Player of the Year), the Maxwell Award (Player of the Year), and the Biletnikoff Award (Wide Receiver of the Year).

However, the wide receiver/cornerback wasn't even a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award. Instead, Texas Longhorns' Jahdae Barron. Ohio State Buckeyes' Caleb Downs and Georgia Bulldogs' Malaki Starks were named finalists.

Hunter ended the season with 32 tackles, 11 pass break-ups and four interceptions. "Pro Football Focus" had him as the top-rated cornerback with a 90.9 score. So the decision to leave him out of the finalist list was confusing.

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders ripped the voters in late November when the list of finalists was presented. He even offered to give Hunter his own Jim Thorpe Award.

“How is Travis Hunter snubbed by the Thorpe Award?" Sanders said. "You can have my award. You can have it back. Matter of fact, I’m going to give him mine. I ain’t using it. It’s just sitting up there collecting dust," Coach Prime said.

Sanders, a former cornerback himself, won the Thorpe Award in 1988 when he played for the Florida State Seminoles.

The Jim Thorpe Award is given by the Oklahoma Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame and the Jim Thorpe Association. Their panel votes on the most outstanding defensive back in the country.

Yet, Travis Hunter has a point. Regardless of the Jim Thorpe Award snub, there is no bigger individual award in college football than the Heisman. Hunter got that hardware despite facing tough competition from Ashton Jeanty, the Boise State running back who ran for 2,497 and 29 touchdowns.

Hunter has one more college football game, as Colorado will face the BYU Cougars at the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 28.

Who won the Jim Thorpe Award after Travis Hunter was left off the finalists?

With Travis Hunter out of the finalists, Texas cornerback Jahadae Barron got the Thorpe Award. Barron finished the season with 47 tackles, nine pass break-ups, five interceptions, a sack, and a fumble recovery.

Ohio State safety, Caleb Downs had 61 tackles, one interception, half a sack, and three passes defended during the year. The other finalist, Malaki Starks, had 73 tackles, one interception, and three passes defended.

While all three players had a solid 2024 it's hard to envision Travis Hunter not even being one of the top three defensive backs in 2024. Charles Woodson, the only other defensive back to win the Heisman Trophy, also won the Jim Thorpe Award in 1997.