For anyone who has followed Travis Hunter’s journey from Jackson State to the Jacksonville Jaguars, you know how the dual-threat is a strong fighter. That fighting spirit was also found in his son, who was born nearly eight weeks premature in August 2025. A year later, Hunter’s wife, Leanna, has spoken about the tough journey they had as parents during that time. 

“My baby graduated from the NICU, a year ago today,” Lenee wrote on her Instagram story on Friday, sharing a picture of their son from last year, on September 11. “I have such a heart for the parents that go through their baby being in th NICU. Carrying a baby for so long and then going home alone is such a unreal and unique experience.

“It was such a scary and dreading experience but I am forever grateful for the team I had at @wolfsonchildren.”

The couple tied the knot on May 24 last year in Tennessee after over three years of dating. Hunter and Lenee welcomed their son in August last year. The Jaguars cornerback announced the good news in a video on his YouTube channel and mentioned that the young one looked just like him.

Unfortunately, the couple could not take their son back home immediately. 

The newborn was admitted to the NICU at Wolfson Children’s Hospital, which provides care for kids in Florida & Georgia. Finally, weeks after the battle, the little one was discharged from the hospital on September 11. 

“The feeling of finally breaking our baby boy out the NICU,” Leanna wrote back then, posting a video of Hunter carefully securing his son’s car seat.

Hunter and Leanna did not forget the support they received from the medical professionals while their son spent weeks in the Wolfson Children’s Hospital NICU. So, a year later, on September 8 this week, they went back to the hospital to show their gratitude and surprised those nurses with lunch and scrubs.

“They treated us very well, took care of us, and I saw the work that they did for everybody else,” Hunter told ESPN. “They took care of us just like they took care of everyone else here. So it was definitely really, really special to come back and give back to them. Being first-time parents, you need all the help you can get going through the experience.”

For Hunter, in particular, it was more difficult balancing things on the personal front and professionally. This time last year marked a crucial time for the cornerback: the beginning of the 2025 NFL season. He used to squeeze time out and visit the hospital at night after a full day of practices and meetings. The hospital was kind enough to allow him to visit at odd hours. 

The gesture from Hunter and Leanna touched Matthew Vuckovich, who leads Create Amor’s Healthcare Heroes Initiative, of which the scrub giveaway is a part.

“When someone like Travis uses his platform to recognize nurses, it gives these healthcare heroes a moment they’ll remember long after today,” he shared. “Our mission is to bring this platform to hospitals across the country, creating a national movement around celebrating the heart behind healthcare.”

Hunter also gave them a signed Jaguars jersey, and the couple individually addressed the nurses in a room, thanking them for taking care of their son. Leanna couldn’t hold back her tears when doing so.

Their son is now one year old, but the couple still keeps his identity private. They still have not disclosed the toddler’s name. On social media, even though Leanna posts pictures with him, she makes sure to blur his face. She even brought the one-year-old to watch a Jacksonville Jaguars preseason game in August. 

That’s when her decision to maintain privacy drew a lot of criticism, as a social media user called her out for bringing her son into a packed NFL stadium but refusing to show his face on social media. But Leanna had her answer ready.

 “Because he’s MY child and I don’t want him on social media,” she replied. “Do whatever you want with your five children???”

For the happy couple, the 2026 NFL season brings all kinds of optimism: a polar opposite of what transpired last year. The Jaguars open their season on Sunday against the Browns.