"It’s a football game, let's not make it more than that": CSU HC Jay Norvell defends Henry Blackburn after player receives death threats

Colorado State head coach Jay Norvell has defended his player Henry Blackburn.

In Colorado State's double-overtime loss to Colorado on Saturday, Buffaloes' Travis Hunter took a vicious hit from the senior safety that knocked the star player out of the game. Hunter will miss multiple weeks with an injury, while Blackburn only received an unnecessary roughness penalty.

Since the play, Blackburn has received death threats, which Norvell says is sad as it's not like the safety intended to injure Hunter.

“It’s sad that that’s the state of the world we live in. It’s a football game. Let’s not make it more than that. We don’t want anyone to get hurt. We don’t coach that kind of football. I’ve been talking to Henry about that — I talked to him last night and I talked to him today."

"This kid should be worried about going to school and getting ready to play football. He shouldn’t be worried about that kind of nonsense.”

Since the hit, many fans have called for Colorado State to suspend Blackburn. However, Norvell says he reviewed the incident and believes it was a bang-bang play.

“When you throw a deep ball and you’ve got a guy playing middle safety, he’s got to react on the boundary and he’s going full speed, it was a bang-bang type of a play. It’s certainly not something that we teach or coach. It happens in football sometimes."

Norvell added:

"Seems to have been a lot of attention about that play, but it’s a play that happens. I hope Travis gets healthy and gets back out there. We certainly don’t want to see anybody get hurt.”

Although Norvell doesn't think it is dirty, many analysts and current NFL players criticized Blackburn for the hit.

Henry Blackburn receiving death threats

Since the hit and the game, Colorado State's athletic director, Joe Parker, revealed Henry Blackburn and his family have received death threats.

According to the AD, Blackburn and his mother's phone numbers were published on the internet, as well as the player's campus address and his family's home address.

With Blackburn not facing any disciplinary action, he will be back in the lineup for Colorado State's Week 4 game against Middle Tennessee.