Colorado State AD details harassment of Henry Blackburn after hit on Travis Hunter

Colorado State athletic director Joe Parker told ESPN of harassment of Rams defensive back Henry Blackburn. Blackburn delivered a late hit on Colorado’s Travis Hunter Saturday night in a loss to the Buffaloes.

Blackburn received a lot of flack, but it accelerated which led to the involvement of Colorado State police. Hunter ended up in the hospital and did not come out for the second half on the game.

ESPN’s Pete Thamel had more after speaking with Parker.

“Spoke to Colorado State athletic director Joe Parker about the harassment of defensive back Henry Blackburn, who delivered a controversial late hit on Colorado’s Travis Hunter on Saturday,” Thamel wrote in a Twitter thread. “Parker said that Colorado State police has worked in concert with local authorities to look into the threats – which have included death threats – on social media against Blackburn and his family.

“By the time the game ended on Saturday, both Henry and his mother’s cell phone numbers had been published on the Internet. They’ve been inundated with threatening calls and text messages. Henry’s campus address and his family’s home address were also published.”

Parker released a statement to ESPN and Thamel.

“We’re very concerned about our player’s safety, as Henry and his family have continued to receive these threats,” Parker told ESPN. “Henry never intended to put anyone in harm’s way on the football field. It’s not what we teach or coach. We hope that the irrational vitriol directed at Henry stops immediately.”

While Hunter returned to the field after the late and vicious hit, he was apparently not well enough to return to action after evaluation in the locker room.

Hunter won’t see the field for a couple of weeks, according to head coach Deion Sanders.

“I think coach Ray is going to the hospital to check him out,” Sanders said postgame. “First thing I heard is that he would be out for a few weeks. I heard that for sure.

“But we’re gonna do what we gotta do to take care of him. So I know Travis like a book. He probably is gonna want to be out for two weeks, but we got to make sure his health is more important than this game.”

Hunter ran a go route down the left sideline in the first half of the 43-35 double OT win, but had no chance to make a catch on a pass from Shedeur Sanders thanks to a pass interference penalty on the defender. Right as the ball came down in front of Hunter, however, Blackburn came across and delivered a crushing blow.