Deion Sanders Sent Two-Word Message to Travis Hunter Amid Criticism Toward Fiancé

Sanders shared his message to Hunter as he and his fiancé faced ongoing criticism.

Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Travis Hunter is congratulated for his touchdown by head coach Deion Sanders / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

As Travis Hunter racked up award after award in December—including the Heisman Trophy— following the 2024 college football season, he was also the recipient of significant criticism. These messages and criticism primarily took aim at Hunter's relationship with his fiancé, Leanna Lenee. In the wake of these comments, Hunter and Lenee temporarily deactivated their social media accounts.

Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders revealed on the Tamron Hall Show Friday his message to Hunter during that time: "Don't stop."

'It hurt me that he [deactivated his account]," Sanders told Hall. "What the enemy wants you to do is stop ... Keep on moving. Don't let the enemy get you when you're still and you having a pity party on yourself."

#DeionSanders shares what advice he gave to #TravisHunter after he decided to deactivate his social media accounts. pic.twitter.com/GQGpOrJ7O7

— Tamron Hall Show (@TamronHallShow) January 10, 2025

Sanders also did not want Hunter to deactivate his account because of the financial impact. "You have endorsements, you have people that are sponsoring you to talk about their product. We can't deactivate, we've gotta activate right now."

Sanders previously showed support for Hunter amid the criticism prior to the Buffaloes' bowl game against BYU. "I want you to know this in front of everybody," Sanders said in front of the team. "You know we love you, We got you. We appreciate you. You are him."

Hunter has re-activated his account since, and was spotted alongside Lenee in Las Vegas earlier this week on the red carpet for Sports Illustrated's annual awards, where he was named the 2024 Breakout Star of the Year.

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