The aftermath of Henry Blackburn’s late hit on Colorado star Travis Hunter has taken a dangerous turn, as both Blackburn and his family are now receiving death threats.
According to Colorado State head coach Jay Norvell and athletic director Joe Parker, who have both condemned the behavior, Blackburn and his family have been targeted with death threats in response to the hit.
During the game, Blackburn was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct after delivering a late hit on Hunter, who was already out of the play. Hunter, a star wide receiver and cornerback, was subsequently hospitalized and is expected to be out for three weeks.
Speaking to ESPN, Parker expressed concern for Blackburn’s safety, stating, “We’re very concerned about our player’s safety, as Henry and his family have continued to receive these threats. 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.”
Head coach Jay Norvell echoed the sentiment, calling the threats “sad” and emphasizing that they do not condone or coach that type of football. He expressed sadness at the state of the world where such behavior occurs.
In a disturbing turn of events, Blackburn’s and his mother’s personal information, including their cellphone numbers, campus address, and home address, were posted online.
Colorado State athletic director Joe Parker confirmed the publication of Blackburn’s personal information on Twitter:
By the time the game ended on Saturday, both Henry and his mother’s cell phone numbers had been published on the Internet. They’ve been inundated with threatening calls and text messages. Henry’s campus address and his family’s home address were also published.
Despite the controversy, Blackburn will not be suspended for the hit and was allowed to remain in the game after being penalized for unnecessary roughness.
The nature of Hunter’s injury has not been disclosed by Colorado.
