Deion Sanders took a moment during his Tuesday press conference to blast those making death threats against Colorado State’s Henry Blackburn after a vicious hit that injured Colorado player Travis Hunter.
During Saturday night’s intense rivalry showdown between the two in-state schools, Colorado State’s Henry Blackburn delivered a late hit to Hunter’s midsection near the sideline.
Hunter had to leave the game and was transported to a local hospital, where he was diagnosed with a lacerated liver.
Blackburn was assessed a 15-yard personal foul for the hit. However, the Colorado State player also received death threats on social media. Sanders made it clear that threatening Blackburn’s life was “absurd.”
“That’s absurd for people to be threatened,” Sanders said. “I don’t mind getting death threats. I get them every week. But a kid, it’s not good. He does not deserve a death threat over a game. At the end of the day, this is a game.”
“Henry Blackburn is a good player who played a phenomenal game,” Sanders said. “He made a tremendous hit on Travis on the sideline. You could call it dirty, you could call it was just playing the game of football. But whatever it was, it does not constitute that he should be receiving death threats.
“I’m saddened if there’s any of our fans, that’s on the other side of those threats,” Sanders emphasized. “I would hope and pray not, but that kid was just playing to the best of his ability. And he made a mistake. … Let’s move on. That kid does not deserve that.”
Colorado State head coach Jay Norvell said Monday that police were aware of the threats and investigating. Travis is expected to be out of action for several weeks.