JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Travis Hunter started in one corner of EverBank Stadium and worked his way around to the other side, stopping to sign autographs and take pictures with dozens of fans.
All of them wanted a keepsake with the NFL's only two-way star.
Hunter played offense and defense in his regular-season debut, seeing action on both sides of the ball in Jacksonville's 26-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.
He played primarily on offense — he was on the field for 44 of 63 snaps — and chipped in six defensive snaps.
“I did my job," said Hunter, the second pick in the NFL draft. "That was the main focus. I did what they asked me to do. I know I can do more and I know I can do better.”
The 2024 Heisman Trophy winner at Colorado, Hunter finished with six receptions for 33 yards. Coach Liam Coen and quarterback Trevor Lawrence said Hunter made no mistakes on any of his plays.
“He was great. Had some big catches, obviously," Lawrence said. “He's a weapon for us, and he's going to continue to get better and better. He's a matchup in space, great with the ball in his hands. Could have more out there. I felt like I could have gave him a few more opportunities with some of the ones I missed.”
Hunter looked like he might have a touchdown catch late in the second half, but Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn made a leaping, one-handed snag for an interception.
“If he doesn’t get up and make a great play like he did, yeah, I think that was a touchdown,” Hunter said.
Hunter played sparingly on defense mostly because he missed 10 days late in the preseason because of an upper-body injury. Coen said he missed practices in which the defense installed unique coverage schemes for the Panthers.
“It was maybe a little bit less for him this game,” Coen said. “I think it will only continue to evolve and go more. ... I can only see it going and expanding from here.”
During the opener, Hunter gladly served as a sideline cheerleader who was one of the first to revel in big plays with teammates.
“I was just excited to go out there and ready to go out there and win with my team and just bring that energy,” Hunter said. “Every game, I’m trying to bring the energy and bring the guys up and make sure we stay true to ourselves and be the team we know we can be.”
Hunter cut his dreadlocks before the game, saying “it was just time. Time to let it go. New me, new person. Welcome to a new chapter in my life. Just chop it off.”
He also spent time with his grandmother and other family members in the stadium before kickoff. After the game, he celebrated with fans by taking a victory lap like he often did in college.
“It's not hard. I just got to go out there and be myself,” Hunter said. “I've been doing this for a long time, and my job is to go out there and bring the energy and do my job.”
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Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) gives autographs to fans after an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) runs with the ball against Carolina Panthers defensive end Derrick Brown (95) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) signs greets fans after an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
PARIS (AP) — Ukraine on Monday signed a letter of intent to buy up to 100 Rafale warplanes from France over the next 10 years, the two leaders said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who signed the document with French President Emmanuel Macron, called it “a historic deal” at a joint news conference at the Elysée presidential palace. The letter states that Ukraine is considering the possibility of buying French defense equipment.
“Firstly, Ukraine will be able to receive 100 Rafale fighter jets (and) very strong French radars — eight air-defense systems SAMP/T, each with six launching systems," he said. "This is a strategic agreement that will work for 10 years, starting next year."
Macron added, “Today we’re moving to a next step.”
He said Monday's agreement includes the acquisition of France's latest-generation jet fighters with full armament, as well as accompanying training and production programs.
The letter of intent also includes the acquisition of drones and drone interceptors, guided bombs and the next-generation SAMP/T ground-to-air systems, with first deliveries expected over the next three years, he added.
The chief of the French defense staff, Air Force Gen. Fabien Mandon, this month told French senators that the European-made SAMP/T that France provided to Ukraine are proving more effective than U.S.-made Patriot batteries against hard-to-hit Russian missiles.
Zelenskyy, on his ninth visit to Paris since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, seeks to strengthen Ukraine’s defenses as the country enters another winter under Russian bombardment of its energy infrastructure and other targets.
On Monday morning, both leaders visited an air base in the Paris outskirts, before heading to the headquarters of a multinational force, dubbed the “coalition of the willing,” that France and Britain have been preparing with more than 30 other nations to police an eventual ceasefire in Ukraine.
French officials say the force could be deployed immediately after a ceasefire and would be stationed away from the front lines in an effort to help dissuade renewed Russian attacks. Russian President Vladimir Putin has so far rejected calls for a ceasefire as his troops make creeping gains on the battlefield.
Zelenskyy wrote on X on Sunday that he looked forward to a “historic deal with France in Paris to strengthen our combat aviation and air defense." He made a stop in Greece on his way to France to sign an agreement to supply Ukraine with U.S. liquefied natural gas.
Last month, Ukraine and Sweden signed an agreement exploring the possibility of Ukraine buying up to 150 Swedish-made Gripen fighter jets over the next decade or more. Ukraine has already received American-made F-16s and French Mirages.
France is among major suppliers of defense assistance to Ukraine, including air defense systems and fighter jets.
According to Mandon, Ukraine needs immediate additional air defenses to fend off attacks by Russia, which on average targets the country with about 1,700 drones per week plus missiles.
“We helped Ukraine by deploying missile and drone interception systems called the SAMP/T system. The Russians adapted the flight profiles of their most advanced missiles because they realized they were being intercepted by Ukrainian defenses. Today, the Patriot system is struggling to intercept them, but the SAMP/T is intercepting them,” Mandon said.
Associated Press writers John Leicester in Paris and Barry Hatton in Kyiv, Ukraine contributed to the report.
Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
French President Emmanuel Macron, left, welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Monday, Nov. 17, 2025 before a joint press conference at the Elysee Palace in Paris. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
French President Emmanuel Macron, left, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center, visit the offices of the future international force known as the coalition of the willing, Monday, Nov. 17, 2025 at the Mont Valerien in Suresnes, outside Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, Pool)
French President Emmanuel Macron, right, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shake hands after signing an agreement Monday, Nov. 17, 2025 at the Villacoublay air base near Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, Pool)
French President Emmanuel Macron, right, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sign an agreement Monday, Nov. 17, 2025 at the Villacoublay air base near Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, Pool)
French President Emmanuel Macron, right, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hug after signing an agreement Monday, Nov. 17, 2025 at the Villacoublay air base near Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, Pool)
A Rafale jet fighter is seen before the arrival of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Monday, Nov. 17, 2025 at the Villacoublay air base near Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, Pool)
A Rafale jet fighter, drones and ammunitions are seen before the arrival of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Monday, Nov. 17, 2025 at the Villacoublay air base near Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, Pool)
A Rafale jet fighter is seen before the arrival of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Monday, Nov. 17, 2025 at the Villacoublay air base near Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, Pool)
