Colorado football coach Deion Sanders blasted the fact that Travis Hunter was not selected as a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award on Tuesday, saying the omission was “idiotic” and devalued the integrity of the award.
The Thorpe Award is awarded annually to the nation’s top defensive back. Hunter plays cornerback and receiver for Colorado and is the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, according to BetMGM. But he wasn’t listed among the three finalists for the Thorpe Award, released Tuesday: Jahdae Barron of Texas, Caleb Downs of Ohio State and Malaki Starks of Georgia.
Sanders himself won the award at Florida State in 1988.
“How is Travis Hunter snubbed by the Thorpe Award?” Sanders said at his weekly news conference Tuesday in Boulder. “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. So Travis can have my Thorpe Award, because if this ain’t the most idiotic thing in college football, that he’s not a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award and he is, I would say arguably, but I don’t think it’s really an argument about this young man being the best defensive back in college football.”
Who runs the Thorpe Award and what is response to Sanders?
The Thorpe Award is run through the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. A screening committee of Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame members narrows the field of candidates to 10-15 semifinalists near midseason, then reconvenes near the end of November to select three finalists, according to the organization’s website.
The executive director of the Hall of Fame, Mike James, said in an email to USA TODAY Sports Tuesday that “we offer no criticism of Coach Sanders and wish our former award winner the best.”
He also gave a statement:
“Since 1986 the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame and Jim Thorpe Association selection committee has done their due diligence to identify the top defensive backs across the college football landscape,” the statement read. “Although no easy task, committee members pour measureless amounts of time, energy, and resources into doing just that. Each year presents scores of challenges for our committee and this year was no different. Numerous young men were in contention for the coveted finalist position; be that as it may, the committee was tasked with the difficult job of picking our top three. I commend all the coaches who believe that their players deserved greater recognition. We look forward to announcing our winner and welcoming that deserving young man into the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award fraternity.”
‘He rarely gets thrown at’
By contrast, Hunter has been named one of three finalists for the Biletnikoff Award, which is given to the best receiver in major college football.
He has caught 82 passes for 1,036 yards and 11 touchdowns on offense. On defense, he has three interceptions, nine pass breakups and 30 tackles, but much of what he does on that side of the ball doesn’t show up statistically. For example, opposing quarterbacks avoid his side of the field because of his ability and football smarts.
“He rarely gets thrown at,” Sanders said, adding that “they just messed up all the integrity of the award and he can have mine. Whoever’s voting down there, whoever’s bringing it home, thank you. Because I don’t even want mine now. God bless you.’
Colorado (8-3) finishes the regular season Friday at home against Oklahoma State (3-8) and still has an outside chance to get in the Big 12 championship game Dec. 7. After suffering a damaging loss against Kansas last week, the Buffaloes would need at least two other Big 12 teams to lose certain games on Saturday in order to get into the Big 12 title game.
The Thorpe Award winner is announced Dec. 12. Heisman Trophy finalists will be announced Dec. 9, followed by the announcement of the Heisman winner on Dec. 14.
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com