Travis Hunter and his fiancée Leanna’s issues with the public are the product of their own doing, according to one former NFL player and current analyst.
Nate Burleson, who played 11 seasons in the NFL and is now an analyst on CBS, told TMZ that Hunter needed to quiet down about his personal life after the Colorado star and his fiancée were forced to defend themselves in recent week from internet commenters.
“It’s everybody else’s business because that couple put it out there,” Burleson said to the outlet. “Can’t complain when people respond. That’s social media. You can’t say mind your own business or keep your opinion to yourself when you have shared with everybody.”
Social media users have taken aim at Leanna after several instances occurred that were captured in short videos posted online.
One of the latest ones came during the Heisman ceremony when social media users took issue with what was perceived as Leanna having to be told by Colorado football coach Deion Sanders to stand up after Hunter was announced as the Heisman winner.
“When his name was called, I instantly was going to get up — if you watch the video, his mom didn’t get up, so I was like, ‘Oh, maybe I don’t get up, I just sit here,’” she explained in a TikTok video last week.
“As soon as I seen Travis get up, then I thought it was appropriate to stand up, greet him, congratulate him. But then, there was a camera right in front of Coach Prime and I knew they were going to film that moment and because of how people are online, I was like, I don’t want to be in that shot, so I sat down.”
Hunter had also defended his fiancée while streaming live on Twitch.
Burleson, who played receiver for the Vikings, Seahawks and Lions, was sympathetic to the situation and understood the urge by Hunter to defend Leanna.
He told TMZ that people had assumed his wife Atoya was with him because he was headed for the NFL.
“She was the trophy way before I started chasing them in the NFL. That could be the case in Travis’ relationship. I don’t know,” Burleson said. “All I know is give them both grace. They’re young! They’ll figure it out.”
