Travis Hunter's fascinating attempt to play both ways in the NFL will unsurprisingly come with twice as many practice reps as a typical offensive or defensive player.
It's also requiring twice as much homework. In order to prevent Hunter from feeling overwhelmed, Jaguars head coach Liam Coen has started training camp by keeping Hunter on one side of the ball for a practice session. Soon, however, the No. 2 overall pick's responsibilities will double -- and he must be prepared to act without pausing to think.
"I need to be able to process everything fast, quick," Hunter said Friday, via ESPN. "When I'm on the defensive side, if the offense changes their strength, I've got to know what I'm doing right away. And if the offense changes the play, I got to know what I'm doing right away. So I like that we're starting off slow, getting me adjusted, making sure I know where I need to be on one side of the ball each day and then it [will] all come together."
"... We will [have days when Hunter flip-flops]. I just have to get to that point to where I understand both sides immediately."
Digesting an NFL playbook on one side of the ball is a challenging enough task to separate contenders from pretenders during this time of the year. Doing it on both sides of the ball -- and splitting time between offensive and defensive meetings off the field -- is essentially unheard of in modern pro football.
This was always going to be part of the equation for whichever team Hunter joined. Jacksonville's bold decision to trade up from No. 5 to 2 in order to select Hunter meant they'd be placing a unique situation on the plate of Coen immediately.
Talk about a test of organizational skills for a first-time head coach.
"It's probably harder -- I mentioned this before -- logistically for us as coaches to navigate it and make sure that we're making use of all his time," Coen said. "I think it doesn't bother him as much. He's pretty unfazed by some of this stuff.
"... He's been great in terms of his attitude and just kind of the way he approaches it."
It's not at all surprising to hear Hunter isn't rattled by the enormity of his role with the Jaguars. He's a rare talent with a magnetic personality and what seems to be a genuinely voracious appetite for life.
He better stay hungry for knowledge and reps, because plenty of both await him.
"You've got two playbooks and you've got to do different terms each and every day," Hunter said.
