Travis Hunter, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, is facing some pushback over his response to a question about the difficulty of being a two-way athlete.
Former NFL stars and current podcast co-hosts Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson were among those who shared criticism after learning Hunter said that playing both offense and defense in football was more challenging than hitting and pitching in baseball like Shohei Ohtani has done so successfully.
During last week's NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Hunter was asked if being a two-way football player was more challenging than throwing from an MLB pitching mound every five days while also being a full-time designated hitter.
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"Probably me, what I do in football, because it's a lot on your body," Hunter said. "Ohtani, he's a great player, but you gotta do a lot in football."
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Johnson, who spent the majority of his pro football career with the Cincinnati Bengals, spoke of Hunter getting in a batting cage.
"I got to get Travis Hunter in the batting cage," the former wide receiver said during an appearance on "The Stephen A. Smith Show" after hearing Hunter's take. "As athletically gifted as you are, I want to see you hit a 95 mph fastball in the cage. The comparison is not even close.
"The two most difficult things in life are hitting a baseball and keeping a woman happy, long term."
Sharpe also disagreed with Hunter, concluding that the comparison between what Hunter does on the football field and what Ohtani does on the baseball diamond "aint even close."
"Hey Trav, until you can get in that batting cage, just the batting cage … just the machine. Tell them to turn that up to 90-95 miles per hour and let me see you hit it. Just the fastball, I ain't talking about no slider. I ain't talking about no curve. I ain't talking about no sinker," Sharpe said during a recent episode of "Nightcap."
"The most difficult thing to do in this world is hit a baseball coming at you. Just the fastball," the Pro Football Hall of Famer continued. "As difficult as the game of football is, and I love you, you're an exceptional talent. But it's not even comparable."
While NFL team decision-makers debate whether Hunter should be deployed as a full-time offensive or defensive player, the former Colorado star views himself as a two-way player.
"Did some meetings at receiver. Did some meetings at DB. So, still up in the air," Hunter responded to questions at the NFL Scouting Combine about playing significant snaps on offense and defense in the pros.
"They say, 'Nobody has ever done it, for real, the way I do it,' but I tell them, 'I'm just different.'"
Hunter played wide receiver and cornerback at Jackson State and Colorado under head coach Deion Sanders. Hunter excelled on both sides of the ball in college, playing more than 700 snaps on offense and defense.
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Bodybuilder Jodi Vance died last Thursday in Columbus, Ohio, after suffering a fatal heart attack.
Vance was just 20 years old.
Vance’s family posted on social media the reason behind the heart attack at the Arnold Sports Festival.
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"Her heart stopped due to complications of severe dehydration," the post read on Vance’s Instagram page. "Despite all efforts by the hospital, they were unable to revive here.
"She was a beautiful person inside and out, and she will be missed every single day. This was sudden and unexpected. Please give her family time to process this loss in peace. If anyone takes anything from this, please put your health first."
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Vance was not at the Arnold Sports Festival to compete on stage, but rather to help coach those doing so, according to TMZ Sports.
Justin Mihaly, Vance’s coach, alleged in an Instagram video that he knew the reason behind the severe dehydration, which ultimately led to the fatal heart attack: "extremely hazardous substances."
"Jodi made a serious error," Mihaly said in the video. "Jodi used two extremely hazardous substances to improve her physique — I assume just for the Arnold Expo — without my knowledge, my approval, without family’s knowledge, their approval. … There is no reason that she should have been dehydrating."
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Mihaly said he had consent from Vance’s mother, Jenny, to post the Instagram video explaining what he believed led to the severe dehydration.
"You are welcome to direct your blame towards me if that’s how you believe we can best honor Jodi," Mihaly continued in the video.
Vance recently placed third in the 2024 NPC Battle of Texas in the Women’s Physique division.
Vance used her fitness page as a place to show her physique progress, while also providing motivational quotes for her followers.
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In December, the Chicago White Sox traded pitcher Garrett Crochet to the Boston Red Sox. Shortly after joining the Red Sox, Crochet made it clear he was seeking a long-term contract extension from his new team.
The request raised some eyebrows, considering the White Sox were not successful in their reported attempts to move Crochet ahead of last July's trade deadline. Crochet was also on an innings restriction last season, but he did manage to pitch 146 innings in 2024.
Crochet is projected to take the mound for the Red Sox on opening day next month. As April nears, the 25-year-old is sharing some details about what led to him being described as a "greedy" player.
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"I know when it came out a lot of people were looking [at it] as greedy," Crochet said during an appearance on "Baseball Isn't Boring" in reference to his contract demands going public.
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Crochet explained that his push for an extension centered around him moving from a reliever to a full-time starter.
"I didn’t, by no means, feel like I was demanding it because I wanted money or security by itself. It was more so in the fact that I was establishing myself as a starter and kind of getting away from the idea that teams viewed me as a potential high-end reliever."
Crochet emerged from the bullpen 54 times in 2021 when he was with the White Sox. He was deployed as a reliever a total of 18 times in 2020, 2022 and 2023 due to injuries.
Crochet moved from the bullpen to the starting rotation last season, making 32 starts and finishing the year with a 3.58 ERA. Crochet acknowledged the important role his health played last season.
"I was having a good year, and I was staying healthy for the first time in my career," he said. "In 2020, flexor strain. In ’21, I had the back thing.
"Then I blow out. … Now I’m starting on a set routine, and I’m feeling good every fifth day. And I’m able to go out and perform. Why should I jeopardize that for a team I don’t really owe anything to?"
Barring a contract extension, Crochet would be eligible to enter the free agent market after the 2026 season.
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