Travis Hunter is coming off a good stint after proving his dual-threat skills against the Houston Texans. He joined an elite record by catching a TD and an interception in the same game. But instead of soaking in the good times, he is now busy clearing his image as a rumor now follows him that he used a nasty trick against Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud.

Hunter got slammed with a charge that he “fake stumbles” to trick QBs into throwing the ball. But days later, Hunter finally broke his silence. 

“No, I’ve never said that,” he said in the latest presser. “I don’t know. They just be making up stuff. I’ve never said that. Nobody wants to stumble and try to make it look like something it’s not. My coach told me to burn, so I felt like I was me. I put my eyes down and got to the minute as fast as I can.”

Hunter had to take a stand for himself and clarify things after posts started doing rounds on social media. 

“Genius: Travis Hunter revealed that he does a fake stumble to trick QBs into throwing his way, and CJ Stroud immediately fell for it,” NFL insider Dov Kleiman posted on X. 

“While at Colorado, Travis Hunter explained how he “fake stumbles” to trick QBs into throwing the ball – he says he intentionally squats low and leans over, looking off-center to make it seem like he tripped or got caught slipping, a method he used to intercept C.J. Stroud,” posted the Football Forever page on X. 

The rumors stemmed from social media posts misinterpreting Hunter’s prior Colorado interviews, not from the interception itself. However, Hunter’s fourth-quarter interception of Stroud in the end zone gave rise to the “fake stumbles” discussions. 

Houston was up 31-21 at the start of the fourth quarter when Hunter made his presence felt on offense. The cornerback caught a 7-yard touchdown pass from Trevor Lawrence with 11:26 left on the clock, cutting the Texans’ lead to three points at 31-28. He wrapped up the game with four receptions for 59 yards, catching all four of his targets.

Houston’s next possession resulted in a 63-yard drive that spanned 12 plays and carried the Texans deep into Jacksonville territory. But Hunter had some interesting plans and came up with an interception off Stroud with 3:59 left on the clock.

Quarterbacks are trained to quickly survey the field for open targets. A defensive back who pretends to trip by lowering their body and leaning off balance can appear to have fallen out of position. This split-second deception may convince the quarterback that the receiver has broken free from coverage.

The quarterback takes the bait and throws the ball, convinced that the receiver is clear of coverage. The defensive back then pounces to action. He gets underneath the route and intercepts the pass.

“This is truly one of the craziest plays I’ve ever seen,” Rockets Talk podcast host said. “Travis pretends to slip and looks away from center so he can bait Stroud into this throw. He knows it immediately. That’s why his hands are on his head.”

During the Jaguars vs. Texans face-off, Jacksonville got another chance after forcing the stop. Lawrence guided the Jaguars on a 38-yard drive over seven plays, which ended with Cam Little converting a 60-yard field goal to tie the score at 31 with 1:55 left. Houston responded with a game-winning 49-yard kick from Ka’imi Fairbairn at the final whistle.

Through six games, Hunter has managed just six catches for 76 yards and a touchdown, with most of that production coming against Houston. His performance against Houston offered a glimpse of what he could contribute offensively.

While he initially denied using these sly tactics, he received praise from an analyst who urged other defenders to imitate him. 

“Travis Hunter has talked about how sometimes he will pretend to stumble on purpose by bending down a little bit as he accelerates on cuts because he thinks that quarterbacks might see him do this and think that their receiver is open. This is a genius move; other defenders should copy it, and it is exactly how he intercepted CJ Stroud in the endzone,” said Hang Time NFL podcast host Michael Turk. 

Meanwhile, Hunter and his team are getting prepared for the next matchup against the Colts, after the Week 7 loss.