CSU 'very concerned' with death threats aimed at DB, family

Colorado State Rams defensive back Henry Blackburn (11) Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Colorado State officials 'very concerned' with death threats aimed at DB, family

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated Sep 19, 2023 8:37 AM ET

Colorado State defensive back Henry Blackburn and his family have been harassed on social media and through phone calls and text messages in the wake of the senior's controversial late hit on Colorado's Travis Hunter on Saturday.

According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, Blackburn has received death threats and "by the time the game ended" on Saturday both his and his mother's cell phone numbers had been published online. Additionally, his campus address and his family's home address were reportedly also published.

Spoke to Colorado State athletic director Joe Parker about the harassment of defensive back Henry Blackburn, who delivered a controversial late hit on Colorado’s Travis Hunter on Saturday. 1/5
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) September 18, 2023

By the time the game ended on Saturday, both Henry and his mother’s cell phone numbers had been published on the Internet. They’ve been inundated with threatening calls and text messages. Henry’s campus address and his family’s home address were also published. 3/5
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) September 18, 2023

It’s not what we teach or coach. We hope that the irrational vitriol directed at Henry stops immediately.” 5/5
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) September 18, 2023

Skip Bayless reported on Monday morning's episode of "Undisputed" on FS1 that Hunter suffered a lacerated liver during the much-hyped game between the Buffaloes and Rams. The two-way star went down after Blackburn delivered a controversial late hit on Hunter (who was playing wide receiver at the time).

The play resulted in an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, but plenty of analysts said that Blackburn should've been ejected. Some have also called for his suspension.

Carl Reed Jr. of CBS Sports and 247Sports reported that Colorado head coach Deion Sanders said the cornerback/wide receiver will miss three weeks due to the ailment. That means that the Buffaloes will be without Hunter for at least their upcoming games against No. 10 Oregon, No. 5 USC and unranked Arizona State.

Colorado State head coach Jay Norvell, meanwhile, could still suspend Blackburn for the hit, but because athletic director Joe Parker said, "Henry never intended to put anyone in harm's way on the football field," it'd be a surprise.

Regardless of how bad Blackburn's actions were on Hunter during Saturday night's game, nobody should face what kind of vitriol that the senior and his family are reportedly dealing with.

One of the earliest things children learn in school makes perfect sense in this situation: Two wrongs don't make a right.

Victor Barbosa

Victor Barbosa is a passionate follower of MLB, the NBA and NFL, with a deep interest in Boston-area teams. He graduated from Springfield College -- The Birthplace of Basketball -- in 2013 with a degree in Communications-Sports Journalism. Previous bylines include FanSided, Heavy and Syracuse

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