CSU’s Henry Blackburn & family receive death threats after hit on CU’s Travis Hunter. What do we know?
While some may argue the threats aimed at the Colorado State defensive lineman don’t mean anything, they’re serious enough that police have taken notice.
It’s clear that the Rams’ DB crossed a line with his hit on the Buffaloes’ star during the clash between neighbors on Saturday, but some people have taken their anger about the tackle too far. Indeed, that kind of thinking is simply unacceptable.
Colorado State’s Henry Blackburn & family receive death threats
On Saturday, the Colorado State Rams duked it out with the Colorado Buffaloes in an NCAA D1 clash for the ages. In what turned out to be a war of attrition, the Buffaloes came out on top in a double-overtime game that ended 43-35 in their favor. Yet, it’s got to be said that despite the ‘epicness’ of the night, one major talking point was not the game, but rather a specific moment in it. That moment came in the first quarter when Colorado State’s defensive back Henry Blackburn, leveled Colorado’s two-way star, Travis Hunter, in the first quarter.
At the time, Hunter was on the offensive side of the ball. So brutal was the hit, that the 20-year-old wide receiver had to be attended to immediately by trainers. Though he did re-enter the game following the tackle, he was later ruled out of the game and taken to a local hospital. As per reports, he is expected to miss several games. Blackburn for his part received a penalty for “unnecessary roughness.” This brings us to the fallout. According to Rams coach Jay Norvell and athletic director Joe Parker, Blackburn and his family have since received death threats. To that end, it is understood that CSU campus police and local law enforcement officials have since looked into the matter.
What do we know about the threats against Henry Blackburn?
Sadly, Parker also explained that both Blackburn’s and his mother’s cellphone numbers were circulated on the internet before the conclusion of the game. What that led to was an overwhelming amount of threatening messages being received by the mother and son. Worse yet is that Blackburn’s address at CSU as well as his family’s home address were also shared online. “We’re very concerned about our player’s safety, as Henry and his family have continued to receive these threats,” Parker said. “Henry never intended to put anyone in harm’s way on the football field. It’s not what we teach or coach. We hope that the irrational vitriol directed at Henry stops immediately.”
Norvell himself also echoed similar sentiments when he spoke with the press on Monday. “Our university is supporting him, the police department is supporting him, because of the seriousness of the threats that have come out of this,” Norvell said. “It’s just sad. It’s sad that that’s the state of the world we live in. I mean, it’s a football game, let’s not make it more than that. We don’t want anybody to get hurt. We don’t coach that kind of football.”
As for the two at the center of it all, this is Blackburn’s third season at Colorado State while Hunter is in his first year at Colorado having transferred from Jackson State. The pass catcher is part of the new crop of acquisitions that have followed former Dallas Cowboys star, Hall of Famer, and present head coach Deion Sanders’ move to Boulder.