During his press interviews at the NFL Combine, Travis Hunter was asked an interesting question – whether his or Shohei Ohtani’s dual-threat abilities were more difficult. In a quick response, he said: 

“What I do in football because it’s a lot on your body. Ohtani is a great player but you gotta do a lot in football.” 

The question in and of itself was setting Hunter up for failure – comparing two completely different sports. Ohtani has also been unable to pitch since August 2023 because of a torn UCL. Baseball is extremely physically demanding, mostly on players’ arms. Throwing a 5-ounce ball at 95 miles per hour hundreds of times each day will eventually take a toll. 

Sure, football is a contact sport, but you can’t compare it to baseball, and vice versa. The wear and tear on players’ bodies in football is significantly worse than that of baseball, which as mentioned previously is mainly on arms and knees. 

Travis Hunter has a lot to back up with his comment as he prepares to enter the league. He’s a generational talent and has a ridiculously high ceiling, but the answer to “The Shohei Question” was definitely far from ideal.  

Hunter’s agent will definitely chew him out for the comment and hope that it will be the last of such issues. The question should not distract from his draft stock but creates an extra buzz around Hunter’s media presence. 

Cover image from AP News