Who is Henry Blackburn? CSU player receiving death threats after "dirty" hit on Travis Hunter

Henry Blackburn came under the spotlight during the weekend after a "dirty" hit on Colorado star Travis Hunter in the Rocky Mountain Showdown. The Colorado State defensive back is one of the top players on the Rams’ roster and played a crucial role on Saturday.

Following the hit from Blackburn during the first quarter, Hunter was transported to a local hospital in Boulder at halftime for necessary medical attention. The Buffaloes two-way player is expected to be out for at least two to three weeks.

Blackburn is playing his senior season with Colorado State, having been with the program since 2020. He became a starter for the team last season, appearing in 10 games and recording 53 tackles, eight passes defended, two tackle-for-loss, one sack and one interception.

The 6-foot-2, 205 lbs senior safety is a native of Boulder, Colorado. He went to Fairview High School and played under coach Tom McCartney. Blackburn was a three-star prospect and ranked No. 15 in Colorado per a 247Sports composite.

Henry Blackburn chose CSU over other schools, including Pennsylvania, Air Force, Central Michigan and Columbia.

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Henry Blackburn receiving threats from Colorado fans

Since the on-field incident on Saturday, Henry Blackburn and his family have allegedly been subjected to online abuse, including death threats. The Colorado State University Police Department, along with local authorities, have begun an investigation into the alleged threats.

Notably, the threats directed at Blackburn and his family commenced before Colorado's double-overtime win ended 43-35. The cellphone numbers of both Blackburn and his mother were publicly exposed on the internet, leading to various threat calls.

In addition to cellphone numbers, Henry Blackburn's campus address and his family's home address were also made public, which poses safety concerns for him and his family. Colorado State athletic director Joe Parker noted the school is working alongside the police on the ongoing investigations concerning the threats.

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Deion Sanders condemns the threat received by Blackburn

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders strongly condemned the death threats against Henry Blackburn following the controversial illegal hit he delivered on Travis Hunter during Saturday's game. Coach Prume made his opinion known during his weekly press conference on Tuesday.

“Henry Blackburn is a good player who played a phenomenal game," Sanders said Tuesday. "He made a tremendous hit on Travis on the sideline. You could call it dirty, you could call it, 'He was just playing the game of football.' But whatever it was, it does not constitute that he should be receiving death threats."

Coach Prime believes Blackburn was simply giving his best efforts and made a mistake. He further noted that everyone within the Buffaloes' team, including him and Travis Hunter, has forgiven Blackburn. He subsequently urged Colorado fans to move on from the incident.