While Shohei Ohtani goes through spring training, the next batch of NFL players are putting themselves on display at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. Among them is football’s own two-way star, Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter of the University of Colorado. Hunter was asked at the combine if his playing both ways is harder than what Ohtani has done in his career.
“Probably me, what I do in football because it’s a lot on your body,” Hunter responded to a reporter asking if he or Ohtani had the tougher job. “Ohtani, he’s a great player, but you got to do a lot in football.”
Ohtani is regarded as a unicorn in the baseball world. Last season, he won National League MVP without throwing a single pitch. He became the first player in league history to steal 50 bases while also hitting 50 home runs. He now looks to return to the mound, following surgery, where he has a 3.01 ERA. He even finished fourth in the American League Cy Young Award race in 2022.
What Ohtani is doing is extremely rare. The last player to pitch at least 100 innings and make 200 plate appearances was none other than Babe Ruth in 1919. However, Hunter’s accomplishments on the football field are just as rare. According to Yahoo Sports ‘ Alex Butler, he played over 1,400 snaps last season.
Unlike in baseball, where position players occasionally pitch in all but decided games, football is no stranger to players making an impact on both sides of the ball, albeit rarely at the frequency that Hunter is.
Hunter’s college coach, Deion Sanders, was an impact player on offense, defense, and special teams. Sanders also played in MLB while playing in the NFL. Sanders, an NFL Hall of Famer, had 770 career scrimmage yards on offense and three touchdowns. The NFL has seen players like Julian Edelman, Mike Vrabel, J.J. Watt, Troy Brown and Dontari Poe make an occasional impact on the other side of the ball, as Sanders did.
However, the closest thing to Hunter may be Chuck Bednarik, who played as the linebacker and center for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1949-1962. Hunter takes exceptional care of his body, knowing the strain he puts on it by playing both sides. There are questions about whether teams will let Hunter play both ways as he did in college, but he assures his critics he is capable.
“Nobody has done it, but I feel like I put my body through a lot,” Hunter told media at the combine, according to Butler. “I do a lot of treatment. People don’t get to see that part, what I do for my body to make sure I’m 100% each game.”
“But I feel like I can do it, even though nobody has done it. I know I can do it. I did it at the college level where … we rarely get breaks and there are a lot more breaks in the NFL,” Hunter said.
Ohtani puts his body through a lot, just as Hunter does. There is no doubt football is a more physical game, but the question for Hunter will be whether he can play at an MVP level on both sides of the ball like Ohtani.
