Travis Hunter isn't quite in a league of his own: The best two-way players in CFB history

Travis Hunter almost certainly deserves the Heisman Trophy, the Jim Thorpe Award, the Fred Biletnikoff Award, and more for the season he is having. The Colorado Buffaloes two-way player is making a name for himself on both sides of the ball and most likely has an extremely bright future ahead of him in the NFL.

However, Hunter isn't the first college football player to step onto the field on both sides of the ball for his team. Dozens of athletes have come before him, many of whom he tips his hat to as inspirations for his domaince.

So, yes, Hunter is one of the best athletes college sports have seen in a while but where does he stand amongst the all-time greats when it comes to two-way players?

One of the most contemporary two-way players was Shaq Thompson who spent three seasons on the Washington Huskies' squad.

Over those three seasons, Thompson brought down 233 total tackles, picked off 2 interceptions, and forced (then recovered) 3 fumbles for the Huskies. On the other side of the ball, Thompson had 61 rush attempts for 456 yards and 2 touchdowns while also bringing in 4 receptions for an additional 56 yards.

The final facet of Thompson's game was his kick returning. While he only had 2 punt returns for a minimal 8 yards, he had 2 kick returns for a resounding 46 yards. Thompson went onto a fairly successful career in the NFL but the Huskies will never forget their all-time great two-way player.

Over his 38 games for the Ohio State Buckeyes, Chris Gamble averaged at least one offensive reception per appearance. Not to mention, he also contributed 7 interceptions, including a pick six in 2002 to the Buckeyes' defense.

With 645 scrimmage yards, Gamble only scored one touchdown for the Ohio State offense but his dual-threat nature, on both sides of the ball, made him a star in Columbus.

Gamble stood out the most when it came to punt and kick returns. With 78 combined returns, Gamble amassed an astonishing 851 return yards throughout his collegiate career.

After serving in the US Air Force during World War II, Chuck Bednarik went to school and played college football for the University of Pennsylvania Quakers.

Over his collegiate career, Bednarik earned first-team All-Eastern honors (1946, 1947, & 1948), was a consensus All-American (1947), and a unanimous All-American (1948). The veteran turned football star played hundreds of snaps throughout his collegiate career as the Quakers' center, punter, and linebacker.

In the modern era, the Bednarik Award is given to the defensive player who is deemed the best in the country, according to the Maxwell Football Club.

Personally, Travis Hunter reminds me the most of Champ Bailey or Charles Woodson (someone you'll see farther down this list). As a cornerback and a wide receiver, Bailey excelled for the Georgia Bulldogs in the late 1990s before his 15-year-long career in the NFL.

With 978 receiving yards, 99 rushing yards, and 5 total touchdowns, Bailey was an offensive powerhouse. With 8 interceptions for 67 yards and 1 touchdown, Bailey was a defensive monster. With 560 total yards on punt and kick returns, Bailey cemented himself as an all-time great multi-way player.

Bailey earned two All-SEC honors throughout his career for the Bulldogs (1997 & 1998), was a consensus All-American (1998), and won the Bronk Nagurski Trophy (1998). All around, Bailey was a... champ... and he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2022.

Believe it or not, the reason Dick Butkus went to Illinois is because his dream team, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, didn't approve of players who were married. So, Butkus took his talents to another fighting bunch, the Fighting Illini and history was made.

Butkus played linebacker and center for the Illinois squad. He amassed 374 total tackles over three seasons for the Fighting Illini and was actually a Heisman finalist in 1964. The American Football Coaches Association named him the Player of the Year in 1964, he was a three-time All-Big Ten member, he was a consensus All-American (1963), and he was a unanimous All-American in 1964.

Two years in a row, Butkus was named the Fighting Illini's most valuable player and he went on to a storied career in the NFL. Butkus is in the College Football and Pro Football Hall of Fames.

Yes, believe it or not, Holy Cross football can lay claim to one of the five best two-way players of all time. Gordie Lockbaum played for Holy Cross in the mid '80s and excelled both as a running back and a defensive back for the team.

In 1986, Lockbaum received first-team All-American honors and has since been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. In 1987, he earned Defensive Player of the Week and Offensive Player of the Week... in the same week.

Against Dartmouth in 1986, he scored 6 total touchdowns to add to his season total of 22. The next year, he repeated his TD total. Over 1986 and 1987, Lockbaum amassed 4,244 all-purpose yards for Holy Cross, averaging 2,122 yards per season.

Travis Hunter hardly ever misses a snap, much less a big moment. With touchdown catches and interceptions throughout the season (in almost every game, in fact), the Buffaloes' star shines brightly on both sides of the ball.

Many have compared Hunter to a handful of athletes on this list and it seems like every week, he takes one step closer to being the greatest two-way player of all time.

Another player with a defensive award named after him, Bronko Nagurski was a monster off of the defensive line and almost all offensive units struggled to slow him down.

However, Nagurski also thrived with the ball in his hands as a fullback for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Now in the College Football Hall of Fame (and Pro Football Hall of Fame), he was actually drafted by the Chicago Bears for his elite running abilities.

Nagurski's jersey No. 72 has been retired by Minnesota. While on the Gophers' roster, he earned first-team All-Big Tenn honors (1929) and was named a consensus All-American (1929).

2. Jim Thrope – football player, baseball player, Olympian, HOFer

• College: Carlisle Indian School (PA)
• Positions: Running back, defensive back, kicker, punter
• Years: 1907-12

Arguably one of the greatest athletes that this world has ever seen, Jim Thorpe excelled at anything he set his mind to. In college, at the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania, Thorpe played running back, defensive back, kicker, and punter.

So, really, he was a three-way player in his own rights. He wasn't the first-ever person to play on both sides of the ball but he was the first person to do so in such great fashion.

Thorpe has been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, the Pro Football Hall of Fame, won two Olympic gold medals, and played in the MLB. His athletic career was incomparable and has since gone unmatched by everyone who has come after him.

The greatest college football player ever. Charles Woodson is the most recent athlete to win the Heisman Trophy while playing on both sides of the ball (since college football moved to the two-unit format in the 1960s) and it's been nearly three decades.

A national champion, the Heisman Trophy winner, the Walter Camp winner, the Bronk Nagurski. winner, the Jim Thrope winner, the Jack Tatum winner, the Chic Harley winner, the SN Player of the Year, and a Unanimous All-American, he quite literally did it all in 1997.

Woodson led the Michigan Wolverines to their national title in '97, which they didn't do again until 2023. Woodson played for the Wolverines' defense, offense, and special teams while he was on the Michigan roster – making him another three-way player on this list.

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