The 2024 college football season has yet to be completed, yet University of Colorado junior Travis Hunter is already lauded as one of the top players in the 2025 NFL Draft.
He plays on offense and defense as a receiver and a defensive back and performs well at both positions.
Live interview with Travis Hunter coming up on ESPN College GameDay. Rare in person interview with a player from another team, with Colorado on a bye pic.twitter.com/q2UCO5tK2b
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) November 2, 2024
Draft analysts and the media have asked Hunter which position he would prefer to play in the pros or if he wants to try and play both.
As unique as it is, playing on both sides of the ball is nothing unusual for the NFL.
In its history, the league has had a few talented athletes who tried their hand on offense, defense, and even special teams.
Here is a look at five of the most exciting multi-position athletes in the past 40 years.
5- Kordell Stewart, QB/WR, 1995-2005
Stewart began turning heads as a quarterback in college at the University of Colorado.
While playing for the Buffaloes, Stewart led the program to spectacular heights including an 11-1 record in 1994, his senior year.
On September 24 of that season, Colorado traveled to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to play the mighty Wolverines.
In the closing seconds, Stewart heaved a Hail Mary pass to teammate Michael Westbrook that the receiver caught in the end zone for an improbable 27-26 victory.
After that, it was a given that Stewart would play in the NFL.
Sure enough, with the 60th overall selection in the second round of the 1995 draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers took the electric signal-caller.
“Slash” Kordell Stewart https://t.co/Fc9W7XaFhK pic.twitter.com/k9F8KdLPaY
— Joe Gibbons (@CoachjGibbons) January 16, 2024
For the first two seasons of his pro career, Stewart was known as “Slash” for playing multiple positions including quarterback, receiver, and running back.
He started just four games during that time and saw some action in Super Bowl XXX after his rookie year.
Beginning in 1997, Stewart was named as the starting quarterback for Pittsburgh.
In 2001 he had his best statistical season under center and had career highs in passing yards (3,109) and passer rating (81.7, for 16 games).
Stewart’s play that year garnered his first and only career Pro Bowl.
After the Steelers released him following 2002, Stewart played for Chicago and Baltimore before retiring after the 2005 season.
During his career, Stewart had 14,746 passing yards, 77 touchdowns, 84 interceptions, 2,874 yards and 38 touchdowns rushing and 41 receptions for 658 yards and five more scores.
4- Troy Brown, WR/ST/DB, 1993-2007
Brown was a standout special teams ace and receiver for Marshall University.
While playing for the Thundering Herd, Brown led Division I-AA in both punt and kick return average.
In 1992, Marshall and Brown won the school’s first national championship.
Then, in 1993, he was the 198th overall selection in the eighth round of the NFL Draft by the New England Patriots.
During his first seven years with the organization, Brown started only seven games but he was a highly effective weapon as a receiver, punt, and kick returner.
Who is your personal favorite New England Patriots wide receiver?
Mine is Troy Brown. So good at so many things, and spent whole career here.
Favorites:
1. Troy Brown
2. Julian Edelman
3. Randy Moss
4. David Patten
5. Deion Branch
IR: Malcolm MitchellTough to order them. pic.twitter.com/Jjc18HTI3r
— Scott F (@TheFrizz87) November 9, 2024
Beginning in 2000, the human Swiss Army Knife became a regular starter for New England at receiver while transitioning primarily to punt return duties.
In 2001, Brown was spectacular, setting career highs in receptions (101), reception yards (1,199) and receiving touchdowns (5).
As a punt returner that year, he added 29 returns for 413 yards and an NFL-best two return touchdowns.
His performance brought Brown his first and only Pro Bowl.
From 2004-2007, Brown was primarily a backup on special teams and as a receiver before retiring following the ‘07 season.
Brown caught 557 passes for 6,366 yards and 31 touchdowns during his career.
Additionally, he had 1,862 kick return yards, 2,625 punt return yards and three punt returns for scores.
Brown won three Super Bowls with the Pats and is a member of the franchise’s Hall of Fame and New England’s All-2000s, 50th Anniversary, and All-Dynasty Teams.
3- Roy Green, WR/DB/ST, 1979-1992
Green was a terrific receiver and special teams demon for Henderson State University in Arkansas.
In 1979, the St. Louis Cardinals selected him with the 89th overall selection in the NFL Draft.
During Green’s rookie season, he took a kickoff 106 yards to the house, which tied a league record.
For the next three years, Green was primarily a safety for the Cards, starting eight total games between 1979 and 1981 while snagging four combined interceptions in ‘80 and ‘81.
He also continued playing on special teams, a role that was reduced significantly by the end of 1981.
That same year, while starting two games at strong safety, Green was asked to fill in at receiver.
After catching 33 passes for over 700 yards and four touchdowns, Green played even more receiver in 1982.
He proved to be a very good pro pass catcher, and in 1983 and 1984, Green caught 78 passes both seasons and led the NFL with 14 receiving touchdowns in ‘83 and 1,555 receiving yards in ‘84.
Happy birthday to former Cardinals All-Pro WR Roy Green who led the NFL with 1555 receiving yards in 1984.
Roy was the first two-way player in over 20 years when he played DB and WR for Cards in 1981. #LomaxToGreen was as good as there was in '83 and '84. #JETSTREAMGREEN pic.twitter.com/wyVGY5R7Wh
— St. Louis Football Cardinals (@BigRed_STL) June 30, 2024
Those numbers brought Green Pro Bowl and All-Pro accolades in both years.
In 1988, the Cards and Green relocated to Phoenix.
Green introduced himself by hauling in 68 receptions for 1,097 yards and seven scores.
He continued to be a mainstay in the Phonix offense for four more seasons and retired after 1992.
During his career, Green caught 559 passes for 8,965 yards and 66 touchdowns and added another score as a runner.
On defense, he had four interceptions for 54 return yards and one sack.
As a special teamer, Green had 2,002 yards and one touchdown as a kick returner and 230 yards and a score as a punt returner.
He is currently a member of the Cardinals’ Ring of Honor.
2- Devin Hester, ST/WR, 2006-2016
While playing collegiately for the University of Miami Hurricanes, Hester was a jack-of-all-trades on offense, defense and special teams.
That didn’t change after he was selected with the 57th overall pick in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears.
As a rookie, Hester made the Pro Bowl and was voted an All-Pro, on the strength of his 1,128 combined yards and five combined touchdowns as a punt and kick returner.
Chicago won 13 games that year and advanced to Super Bowl XLI where Hester took the opening kickoff and zipped through the Indianapolis Colts for a 92-yard return touchdown.
𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟒, 𝟐𝟎𝟎𝟕
Devin Hester returns the opening kickoff of Super Bowl XLI for a touchdown! pic.twitter.com/zbrb1nUWv4
— This Day in Chicago Sports (@ChiSportsDay) February 4, 2024
More accolades followed in 2007 when Hester had six more combined touchdowns on special teams.
Beginning in 2008, the Bears coaching staff decided to use Hester’s speed as a receiver in addition to his special teams duties.
He started eight games at the position while catching 51 passes for 665 yards and three touchdowns.
Hester caught a career-high 57 passes in 2009 for 757 yards, also a career high.
Then, in 2010, he was back in the Pro Bowl after 40 receptions and four touchdowns, 991 combined kick and punt return yards, and three touchdowns on punt returns.
By 2013, Hester was playing strictly on special teams and led the NFL with 52 kick returns and 1,436 return yards.
The following offseason saw Hester move on to Atlanta.
In his first year with the Falcons, Hester returned to the Pro Bowl after catching 59 passes and leading the NFL again with 45 kick returns and 1,128 kick return yards.
He also added a punt return score in 2014.
Following short stints with the Baltimore Ravens and Seattle Seahawks in 2016, Hester retired.
During his career, Hester had 255 catches for 3,311 yards and 16 touchdowns and added one rushing score.
18 years ago today, Devin Hester returned a missed field goal 108 yards for a TD!
(via @NFLonNBC) pic.twitter.com/xA59htvPGQ
— Marquee Bears (@BearsMarquee) November 12, 2024
He also had 3,695 punt return yards, 14 punt return touchdowns, 7,333 kick return yards and five kick return yards.
Hester was a four-time All-Pro, and four-time Pro Bowler, led the NFL in kick return yards and punt return yards twice each, and was selected for the NFL’s 2000s and 2010s All-Decade Teams and the league’s 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.
While playing, Hester broke a number of Bears and NFL records.
His league records include 20 career return touchdowns and 14 career punt return scores.
In 2024, Hester was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
1- Deion Sanders, DB/ST/WR, 1989-2000, 2004-2005
Sanders will forever be synonymous as the king of the modern-day multi-positional, multi-sport pro athlete.
After playing three sports and attaining several accolades with the Florida State Seminoles, “Prime Time” took his act to the pros in 1989.
Right out of the gate, Sanders took the NFL by storm, grabbing five interceptions as a corner during his rookie year for the Atlanta Falcons.
Deion Sanders scores his first touchdown in his first game @DeionSanders #Falcons pic.twitter.com/RRuZsiWCnW
— Old Time Football 🏈 (@Ol_TimeFootball) March 4, 2023
He also added over 1,000 combined kick and punt return yards and one touchdown on a punt return.
Another punt return score followed in 1990 along with three interceptions and two pick-sixes.
From 1991 through 1993, Sanders was voted to the Pro Bowl each year and was also named an All-Pro.
Those awards came courtesy of three combined kick return scores during that period along with an astounding 16 interceptions including a career-high seven picks in 1993.
In 1994, Sanders signed with the San Francisco 49ers and won his first Super Bowl.
He helped the Niners immensely with a league-best 303 interception return yards and three pick-sixes on six interceptions, leading to Pro Bowl number four.
Sanders then headed to the great state of Texas in 1995 to suit up for the Dallas Cowboys.
Troy Aikman goes "Prime Time", hitting Deion Sanders with a 47-yard first quarter strike that leads to the #Cowboys' first touchdown in Super Bowl XXX.
26 years ago today pic.twitter.com/K9AwzythnK
— Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163) January 29, 2022
In five seasons with America’s Team, Sanders won another Super Bowl, had 14 interceptions, racked up over 1,100 yards as a punt returner, and even caught 36 passes as a receiver in 1996 (when he became the NFL’s first two-way player since Roy Green).
After playing a year for the Washington Redskins in 2000, Sanders retired then unretired in 2004 to play two years with the Baltimore Ravens.
Following the 2005 season, he retired for good from the NFL.
During his pro career, Sanders had 53 interceptions, 1,331 interception return yards, nine pick-sixes, and 512 combined tackles on defense.
He added 60 receptions for 784 yards and three scores as a receiver and posted 2,199 punt return yards, six punt return scores, 3,523 kick return yards and three return touchdowns.
Sanders was a two-time Super Bowl winner, NFL Defensive Player of the Year once, eight-time All-Pro, eight-time Pro Bowler, NFL kickoff return yards leader once, and is a member of the NFL’s 1990s All-Decade Team and 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.
Lest anyone forget, while playing pro football, “Neon Deion” also played pro baseball with several organizations and became the first (and only) athlete to play in both a Super Bowl and a World Series.
I'm married to football, baseball is my girlfriend. – Deion Sanders pic.twitter.com/nOhS4K5grP
— Baseball’s Greatest Moments (@BBGreatMoments) February 24, 2024
In 2011, Sanders was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
He has spent the past decade as a coach and currently leads Travis Hunter and the University of Colorado football team.
NEXT: The Life And Career Of Tommy Maddox
