For most 49ers fans, Jerry Rice is arguably the greatest player to have played for their franchise. Not only was he the receiving GOAT but also helped the 49ers lift three Super Bowls. But for Travis Hunter, it’s someone else who takes the crown as his favorite receiver.
Hunter named Anquan Boldin his favorite receiver while answering a Fan Q&A posted on The Travis Hunter Show.
The Buffs star first expressed reluctance to name just one receiver as his favorite. “It’s kind of hard to have a favorite receiver. You have so many different type of players,” reasoned the Buffs CB.
But when pushed to name one receiver who he looked up to in his childhood, Hunter blurted out Boldin’s name. “Anquan Boldin was crazy bro!” he said cheerfully.
It’s understandable why Boldin is Hunter’s idol. Like Hunter, Anquan was a physical beast who had the perfect balance between pace and physicality. Moreover, statistically, Anquan was no slouch himself. In his 14-year NFL career, Boldin recorded a whopping 1076 receptions, 13,779 receiving yards and 82 TDs.
Boldin is also widely regarded by many as someone who deserved a Hall of Fame induction because his impact on the field was far too substantial for the teams he played for.
Especially his rookie season for the Cardinals where he subverted all expectations by overthrowing a first-round pick receiver to be the starter and win the Rookie of the Year award that year.
The real reason, however, why Rice was snubbed by Hunter can be attributed to Travis’s young age. Hunter was born on 18th May, 2003 while Rice’s last game for the 49ers was in the year 2000. So it’s understandable why Hunter didn’t name Jerry who he never saw play live.