Former Super Bowl Champ Sounds Off on Travis Hunter

Tyson Campbell might eventually see more huddle time with Travis Hunter than Brian Thomas. In fact, some believe Hunter could soon be in the offensive huddle only a few snaps per game.

The prevailing thought among current and former NFL veterans is that it’s a matter of when, not if, Hunter eventually shifts to one side of the ball. Count former Super Bowl champion Willie Colon in that group. Colon, who played nine combined seasons as a guard for both the Steelers and Jets, joined Cam Jordan as the latest from the player fraternity who doesn’t believe Hunter can do it long-term.

“I know how I would approach a guy like this,” Colon said on Friday’s edition of Breakfast Ball. “I'm going to test his armor. I'm going to see how tough you really are. If you want to be a two-way player in the NFL, I'm going to see if you're strong enough to be a two-way player. So, when I'm pulling around that corner, I'm going to test that 12 on your chest.

“And so, for me, if I'm the Jacksonville Jaguars, listen to what the players are saying. They're curious if he can finish an 18-week season going both ways. I promise you he won't. They’ll move him to one side of the ball and that's cornerback, and allow him to be the best cornerback he can be. Because not only will you have to make tackles, you're going to have to withstand getting hit, too.”

Getting hit is an obvious concern for the 6-1, 185-pound rookie, and the team has a load-management and treatment plan. Jacksonville might even stagger his snaps strategically depending on its week-to-week gameplans. However, whether he’s on offense or defense, Colon said veteran players will view Hunter the same way they view other rookies. And because of that, Colon said, Hunter should approach the season with a bit of caution.

“He approaches it with a target on his chest,” Colon said.

As current and former NFL players try to wrap their heads around one of their colleagues consistently playing on offense and defense, everyone can agree on one topic. Whether Hunter earns Pro Bowl or All-Pro honors, or whether he leads the Jaguars back to the postseason, leading the league in snaps and doing it multiple years would serve as incredibly impressive in its own right.

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