Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders put on a show for all 32 NFL teams at Colorado's pro day
Travis Hunter flashed his talent while running routes and catching passes from quarterback Sheduer Sanders at Colorado's pro day
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Shedeur Sanders insisted Friday he doesn't necessarily need the bright lights of Broadway or the Bellagio at the outset of his NFL journey. He suggested he could just as easily thrive for the “Dawg Pound” fan base in Cleveland.
“I could bring cameras and eyes anywhere I go," Sanders declared after throwing passes to a fantastic foursome of two-way star Travis Hunter, Jimmy Horn Jr., Will Sheppard and LaJohnty Wester at Colorado's pro day, dubbed the “We Ain't Hard 2 Find Showcase."
“It don’t matter where I go, I know ... the influence I have on the society and the culture," Sanders said. "So wherever I go it’s definitely going to be an improvement than what it was before I got there.”
Sanders proclaimed he's the top quarterback in the NFL draft on April 24, although most mock drafts have the Tennessee Titans taking Miami QB Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall pick, followed by either Sanders or Hunter, the 21-year-old two-way star and Heisman Trophy winner who skipped the testing periods Friday but shined while running routes and catching passes — without gloves — from Sanders.
Hunter also shunned the post-workout podium after scores of NFL talent evaluators from all 32 teams descended on Colorado’s campus for the showcase whose moniker was a nod to one of “Coach Prime” Deion Sanders’ mottos. NFL Network broadcast the event and ESPN also was on hand.
The Browns own the second overall pick in the draft, followed by the New York Giants. Although both Sanders and Hunter figure to be selected in the top three picks, the Las Vegas Raiders could try to move up from sixth.
Deion Sanders has said he wants Shedeur to go to the right team with the right fit and he portrayed the Browns as an ideal possibility when asked about Shedeur and Hunter having dined with Browns bigwigs Thursday night.
No matter where he lands, Shedeur Sanders will be part of a rebuild, something he said he used to: “I don't think Jackson State or Colorado had a winning history before I got there. So, it's just another day in the office, another year in the office for me. It's the same thing over and over.
“I'm just thankful for the opportunity and whoever drafts me ... will be very lucky to get me.”
Deion Sanders stuck by his proclamation that Shedeur and Hunter should go 1-2 in the draft, although he didn't say who should be the top pick.
Hunter and Shedeur Sanders both skipped workouts at the NFL scouting combine and the Big 12 Pro Day. Sanders' brother, safety Shilo Sanders, skipped the bench press and vertical jumps that began the day at the Buffaloes' indoor practice facility Friday, citing a sore right shoulder. But he ran the 40-yard dash in an impressive 4.52 seconds before cheering on his brother's passes in the afternoon.
All eyes were on Shedeur Sanders and Hunter, the 21-year-old two-way star who had 96 catches for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns on offense and 35 tackles, 11 pass breakups, eight forced incompletions and four interceptions on defense while allowing just one touchdown last season when the Buffaloes went 9-4.
Hunter, who won the Heisman, Chuck Bednarik and Fred Biletnikoff awards, wants to play both offense and defense in the NFL, something that Hall of Famer Champ Bailey, the last true two-way player to come out of college, said will depend on where he lands on draft night.
“It's about what the team allows him to do,” Bailey told The Associated Press while watching the action. “When you call the defense out there, he's going to run out. When you call the offense out on the field, he's going to run out. But who's your coach? What will they allow him to do? Where he goes is going to determine how those first couple of years play out and the opportunities he gets. He's just got to get with the right team.”
Asked what it was like throwing to this group of receivers one last time, Shedeur Sanders said, “I'm not sure that one of these guys won't be on my team. I know them. So, who knows? Who knows if Shilo's going to be on my team? So, there's a lot of I-don't-know's right now.”
What he does know is his favorite part of pro day was having his brother cheering him on.
“It was cool that he was able to be there and support me. I wish I was there to watch him run his 40-yard. I think he ran a 4.52. So, he's been training hard to get that done, so I'm excited that we're all here, we're all shining and we're all going to be legendary.”
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