After a controversial hit by Colorado State defensive back Henry Blackburn on Colorado’s Travis Hunter, threats were made against Blackburn and his family. The incident occurred during the double-overtime loss to the Buffaloes on Saturday. According to Rams coach Jay Norvell and athletic director Joe Parker, both campus police and local law enforcement have looked into the matter.
The hit took place in the first quarter when Hunter, who usually plays as a wide receiver, was on the offensive side of the ball. Trainers attended to Hunter immediately, and Blackburn received a penalty for unnecessary roughness. Although Hunter briefly reentered the game after the hit, he was later ruled out and taken to the hospital for further evaluation. As a result, Hunter is expected to miss several upcoming games against Oregon and USC.
Parker revealed that both Blackburn and his mother’s cellphone numbers were exposed on the internet after the game, resulting in numerous threatening messages. Additionally, Blackburn’s address at CSU and his family’s home address were also posted online. ESPN reported these developments as confirmed by Parker. “We’re very concerned about our player’s safety, as Henry and his family have continued to receive these threats,” Parker stated. He emphasized that Blackburn never intended to harm anyone on the football field and expressed hope for the threats to cease.
During a press conference on Monday, Norvell acknowledged the threats made against Blackburn and emphasized that the hit was unintentional. “Our university is supporting him, the police department is supporting him because of the seriousness of the threats that have come out of this,” Norvell said. He expressed his sadness regarding the current state of the world and called for the focus to remain on the sport, highlighting that dangerous plays are not endorsed or coached by the team.
Blackburn is currently in his third season at Colorado State, while Hunter is in his first season at Colorado after transferring from Jackson State. Hunter made the move to Colorado to follow coach Deion Sanders, who was hired by the Buffaloes to revitalize the program.
