To Airline Passenger, NFL’s No. 2 Draft Pick Was ’the Nicest Young Man’

Travis Hunter, the Jacksonville Jaguars’ two-way rookie, impressed a fellow passenger with his kindness. ‘I will be buying tickets,’ she said.

Travis Hunter of the Colorado Buffaloes runs for a touchdown against the North Dakota State Bison at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colo., on Aug. 29, 2024. Andrew Wevers/Getty Images

Recent Heisman Trophy winner and former Colorado football star Travis Hunter could easily become the face of the Jacksonville Jaguars for years to come.

United Airlines passenger Sandy Hawkins Combs didn’t know of Hunter when she met him on their recent flight. Hawkins Combs shared about the interaction on social media and how Hunter’s “down-to-earth” interaction impacted her.

Jacksonville took Hunter with the No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft last month, and he was flying back to Jacksonville after walking in Colorado’s May 8 graduation ceremony. The two-way star from Georgia could quickly become one of the best-known players in the league this fall for his ability to play both wide receiver and defensive back at a high level.

“I had the most wonderful flight home from Denver. I met the nicest young man who sat next to me. He offered to put my bag in the overhead compartment and helped me with my tray,” Combs wrote about Hunter in a May 11 Facebook post, which included a picture of the two. “He was always polite, saying ‘yes ma’am’ or ‘no ma’am.’ Anyone would be proud to have him as a son or grandson—so polite.”

Hawkins Combs then explained how she found out who Hunter is during the interaction. Hunter didn’t tell her right away.

“People walking by were saying congratulations, great job, or even taking pictures,” she wrote. “I turned and asked him, ‘Who am I sitting next to?’ I looked at his Jaguar pants, smiled, and asked, ‘Are you an athlete?’ He smiled and said, ‘I’m Travis. Yes, I was drafted by the Jags.’ I already told my sons I want his jersey.”

“He’s so humble and down-to-earth—I would have never guessed he was a professional athlete,” Hawkins Combs continued. “JACKSONVILLE JAGS, you did good! I will be buying tickets. United Airlines, thank you for my seat assignment!”

Jacksonville traded with the Cleveland Browns to move up and pick Hunter. The former Jackson State and Colorado standout played three seasons for head coach and NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders at both schools.

Hunter had 171 receptions for 2,167 yards and 24 touchdowns, plus 80 tackles, nine interceptions, and 22 pass deflections in that span.

Jaguars Pajamas Under the Gown

While Hunter walked in the May 8 ceremony, he will officially graduate from Colorado in December during his rookie year with the Jaguars. He gave a shout-out on social media to the Colorado fan base on the morning he walked. Hunter admitted that he wore Jaguars attire—pajamas specifically—under his graduation gown during the ceremony.

“That’s the first thing I ordered off Amazon when I got drafted,” Hunter told reporters on May 10.

Hunter also talked about the significance of graduating for his family. He majored in psychology at Colorado.

“I mean it was a blessing to be the first person in my family to walk across the stage, but you know, I was just thinking about getting back to work and come back and playing football,” Hunter said.

That’s a Lot of Snaps

Hunter has been back with the Jaguars since graduation, and he’s looking forward to taking on the challenge of being the NFL’s first full-time two-way player in 60-plus years. Former Philadelphia Eagles center and linebacker Chuck Bednarik last did it between 1949 and 1962.

“It’s been a blessing, you know, to come out here with the guys, with the rookies, and, you know, just come out here and work every day, try to get better,” Hunter said. “It definitely feels real coming out here for this team.”

Hunter has more work to do than the average rookie since he is learning both offense and defense. He’s also used to a large number of snaps—he had 2,625 snaps between offense and defense at Colorado the past two years.

“I’ve been already getting integrated to the defense,” Hunter said. “I’ve been doing offense and defense the past two days. I just came out here and did offense.”