The ceremony in New York City marked a monumental achievement for the two-way player, who became the second athlete from the University of Colorado to claim the prestigious award. Hunter’s emotional reaction and the heartfelt embrace with his coach, Deion Sanders, highlighted the occasion’s significance.

The announcement of Hunter’s name was met with thunderous applause as the star athlete buried his face in his hands, visibly overcome with emotion.

In a video that quickly began circulating online, Coach Sanders was seen prompting Lenee to stand as her fiancé received the award. The clip has since sparked mixed reactions, with some fans criticizing Lenee’s response as seemingly subdued during what many deemed an extraordinary moment in her fiancé’s life.

Another agreed, stating, “I saw that and said the same thing. She has an entitled attitude and that is not going to get her far with him.”

Instagram users were equally vocal, with several criticisms aimed at Lenee. One user wrote, “She is bad energy…idk if it’s his fame and the clout she is getting from it but she isn’t the one [sic].”

Another said, “that look in her eye is all i need to see… put it all in mommas name [sic].” Others voiced doubts about her sincerity, with one commenting, “Idk about her. I never speak on stuff like this, but she seems like she ain’t really there for him. Her mannerisms are weird [sic].”

On X (formerly Twitter), reactions ranged from outright disapproval to more balanced perspectives. One post read, “The main thing I learned from the Heisman Trophy ceremony.. Travis Hunter needs to find himself a new girlfriend.”

However, not all users were as understanding. One wrote, “Prime had to force his girl up, not a a good look [sic].” Another added, “His girl only stood up because coach prime tapped her to stand up. Not a good look at all. Oof [sic].”

Ascending the stage, Hunter appeared visibly emotional as he accepted the coveted trophy. “I never thought I’d be in this position,” he began, holding back tears. “It’s crazy. Your belief will take you a long way. It’s actually crazy, man. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

“All the hard hours. All the hard days. All the times I didn’t want to wake up and even get on my phone, look at football, y’all stayed with me. I’m very thankful for y’all [sic].”

The young star also spoke about the sacrifices his mother made to ensure his future. “I’m thankful. I’m thankful for my mother. She took me out of Florida. Bad area, I’m always getting in trouble, to now look where I’m at. It’s crazy,” he added, drawing applause from the crowd.

His words resonated with the audience as he continued, “All the times that you ain’t get to see me, and the times that you came to see my games. From probably two games in high school to seeing me on TV every weekend and coming to see me, man, that means so much to me.”

Hunter concluded with a promise, saying, “I know you wanted to be here and you can’t, but trust me, I got you. I’m bringing the trophy home. I love you.”

“You seen the vision before I even seen the vision. At 4 years old, you told me to put on some pads, go outside and play with your cousins [sic].” He added humorously, “Y’all see how small I am. Just imagine me at 4 years old trying to put on shoulder pads,” prompting laughter from the audience.

In an unexpected twist, Hunter, 21, also thanked rapper Lil Wayne, who attended the ceremony as his guest. Hunter shared how his fiancée introduced him to Wayne’s music. “My fiancée loves you … I didn’t know none of your songs until she let me know because I don’t listen to music.”

The Heisman Trophy Trust, tasked with preserving the award’s legacy and integrity, recognized Hunter’s exceptional performance on both offense and defense.

The 6-foot-1 junior from Suwanee, Georgia, delivered a season to remember, becoming the University of Colorado’s second-ever Heisman Trophy winner. His victory follows in the footsteps of late running back Rashaan Salaam, who won the award in 1994.

The Heisman Trophy ceremony recognized not just Hunter’s incredible statistics but also his significance to the sport. He is the first defensive back to finish in the top five since LSU’s Tyrann Mathieu in 2011 and only the fifth player to win the Heisman as a full-time receiver.

“My fiancée play her role perfectly. That’s why I would never let anyone that talks smack about her get away with it because she play her role so perfectly [sic],” Hunter said.

Hunter and Lenee have been together for a long time, as shared by Hunter himself. The couple got engaged in February 2024, marking the occasion with individual social media posts that highlighted their happiness.

Hunter explained, “There’s a lot of stuff that could be happening in the stands, people don’t understand that. She might look irritated towards me, but at the same time, there’s a lot of stuff she deal with during the game. There’s a lot of stuff people don’t see off the camera [sic].”

Despite the speculation, Hunter maintained that their relationship remains solid. “I just let people talk,” he said. “They talk about her, I post her to make them even more mad than they already are … ain;t nothing you can find cause I love my woman. She’s my closest to everything, she helped me with everything. It’s kind of hard sometimes but she’s always there.”

The online criticism of Hunter’s fiancée may have sparked debate, but his public declarations of love and gratitude underline her importance in his life and career.