Travis Hunter, the current winner of the Heisman trophy, faces some rejection for his answer to a question about the difficulty of being a bidirectional athlete.
The former NFL stars and current coanffitrions of Podcast Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson were among those who shared criticism after learning Hunter, said that playing offensive and defense in football was more challenging than hitting and throwing baseball as Shohei Ohtani has done it successfully.
During the NFL exploration combination last week in Indianapolis, Hunter was asked if being a bidirectional soccer player was more challenging than pulling a MLB launch mound every five days, while he was a full -time designated batter.
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Defensive of Colorado Travis Hunter during the combination of NFL 2025 at the Lucas Oil Stadium. (Tanner Pearson/Imagn images)
“Probably me, what I do in football, because it is a lot in your body,” Hunter said. “Ohtani, is a great player, but you have to do a lot in football.”
Travis Hunter firm in capacity to become a successful bidirectional player in the NFL: ‘I’m just different’
Johnson, who spent most of his career in professional football with the Cincinnati Bengals, spoke of Hunter getting into a batting cage.
“I have to get Travis Hunter in the batting cage,” said the former open receiver during an appearance in “The Stephen A. Smith Show” after listening to Hunter’s taking. “As atlectically gifted as you are, I want to see that you hit a fast 95 mph ball in the cage. The comparison is not even close.
“The two most difficult things in life are hitting a baseball and keeping a happy woman, in the long term.”
The Los Angeles Dodgers appointed the hitter Shohei Ohtani, on the right, heads first while based while the San Diego Padres Receiver, Luis Campusano, observes during the seventh entry of a inauguration baseball game at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, South Korea, March 20, 2024, in Seoul, South Korea. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-Man)
Sharpe also did not agree with Hunter, concluding that the comparison between what Hunter does in the football field and what Ohtani does in the baseball diamond “is not close.”
“Hello Trav, until you can enter that batting cage, only in the batting cage … only the machine. Tell them that make it 90-95 miles per hour and let me see you hit it. Only the fast ball, I am not talking about any sliding control. I am not talking about any curve. I am not talking about any synker,” Sharpe said during a recent episode of “night capacinization.”
Shannon Sharpe, on the left, and Chad Ochocinco speak on stage during the volume – live showcap with Shannon Sharpe and Chad Ochocinco on Redtail on February 8, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Joe Scarnici/Getty images for volume)
“The most difficult thing to do in this world is to reach a baseball that comes to you. Only the fast ball,” continued the fame hall of professional football. “As difficult as the football game, and I love you, you are an exceptional talent. But it is not even comparable.”
While the decision makers of the NFL team debate whether Hunter must be deployed as an offensive or full -time defensive player, the former Colorado star considers himself as a bidirectional player.
“He made some meetings on the receiver. He did some meetings in DB. Then, still in the air,” Hunter answered the questions in the NFL exploration combination of playing significant snapshots in the offensive and defense in professionals.
“They say: ‘No one has really done it, the way I do it’, but I say: ‘I am just different’.”
Hunter played open and corner receiver in Jackson State and Colorado under Chief Deion Sanders coach. Hunter stood out on both sides of the ball at the university, playing more than 700 snapshots in offensive and defense.
