By Nunnie Robinson, Westside Gazette Sports Editor
The Heisman voters got it right, although reticence and trepidation couldnât be avoided until the winner was publicly announced. Coloradoâs Travis Hunter was undoubtedly the best college football player in 2024, excelling as a receiver and defensive back, displaying rare skills comparable to Bo Jackson, Shohei Ohtani, Charles Woodson and his coach and mentor, Deion Sanders. Hunter won with 2,231 total points, as compared to Boise Stateâs Ashton Jeanty, who finished with 2,017 points. The 214-point difference was the smallest margin of victory since Alabama running back Mark Ingram beat out Stanford RB Toby Gerhart in 2009. It shouldnât have been that close though Jeanty had a tremendous year rushing the ball for nearly 2,000 yards. During the season, Travis after a great play scoring a touchdown or making an impactful interception, consistently displayed or mimicked the Heisman pose first introduced by Michigan’s Desmond Howard. I believe his actions were viewed negatively by many voters, seeing it as presumptuous, arrogant and self-serving. Voting your prejudices or personal feelings is certainly not unprecedented, particularly in todayâs political climate. Then as Coach Prime rightfully promoted Travis as the overwhelming favorite, those voters displeased with Deionâs persona as a player and coach, could easily expressed those sentiments via their vote. With the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the best defensive back, there was opposition against Travis winning the award based on an insufficient number of tackles. Even Stevie Wonder can see how ridiculous that argument is. A lot of tackles indicates that the player allowed many receptions leading to tackles after catch. The voters got it right!
Congrats to Coach T.C. Taylor, his Tiger football team and coaches and the Jackson State University community for winning the 2024 Celebration Bowl, symbolic of the HBCU National Championship.
The College Football Playoffs begin in earnest this week, starting Friday night, featuring Indiana against Notre Dame in South Bend and Saturday with SMU facing Penn State in Happy Valley. Something to consider: the CFP has a problem created by the transfer portal which allows players to enter before the season ends. Penn St. backup quarterback, Beau Pribula, has entered the transfer portal, leaving PSU scrambling for answers as they prepare for the most important game of the year. Rules allowing players to enter portal or transfer at will, whether of their own volition or not, is detrimental to the game. This will not be the last time you hear about this.
Shawn Gibbs was recently hired as the head football coach at North Carolina A & T University. Some of you may be wondering why I bring this up. Two years ago, Gibbs, then the head coach at Division II Ft. Valley State in Georgia, led his team to victory against Johnson C. Smith in the inaugural Ft. Lauderdale based Florida Beach Bowl. Later that year, then FAMU athletic director Tiffany Sykes wanted to hire Coach Gibbs as the Rattlersâ head coach. However, the powers that be nixed that decisions, which eventually led to her dismissal as AD. Apparently, Ms. Sykes was on to something. He has a sterling record as an assistant and head coach at several stops including A& T, Grambling State, and his alma mater, North Carolina Central. Based on last yearâs one win season, a total rebuild is in order. My fraternity brother, Feirmon Johnson, an A&T alum, and I will be chronicling the Aggiesâ progress.
North Carolina A & T competed in the Big South Conference in the 2022 season before moving to the CAA, aka the Colonial Athletic Association in 2023.
