Deion Sanders makes no secret of his liking for the finer things in life, such as designer clothes and gold-plated accessories. But he prizes one thing more than the luxury items in his collection — his college degree.
Advertisement
Regarded by many to be a master of the game of football, the head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes credits his knowledge and college degree, more so than his skills or reputation, for his ability to secure a $54-million contract extension with the Colorado Buffaloes. The deal has made him the sixth-highest paid coach in college football and the highest paid among the big 12.
During a recent appearance at a public speaking event, the former Atlanta Falcon asserted that “I wouldn’t be Coach Prime if it wasn’t for education.”
In highlighting the significance that having a degree played in his hiring process, the football legend suggested that more members of the public should begin to prioritize education over “foolishness.”
“To actually coach in college football, you have to be educated. You have to graduate, you have to obtain a degree. So, if I didn’t have that, I couldn’t coach. I have to be not only educated, but informed. In this world, in this country, where we rely so much on foolishness, I think that education has somehow taken a back seat,” Sanders said.
And Coach Prime has ensured that his wards don’t, either. Of all the successes that the Buffalo’s football program has enjoyed throughout the last few years since signing Sanders, the NFL legend insisted that he is most proud of the team’s improvements in the classroom. He noted that his players are producing the best test scores of any group in the history of the program.
The program’s assistant coach, James Chaney, recently revealed that the team had just produced a cumulative GPA over 3.0, a first in program history. Likewise, both Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders, the two most-premiere players in Colorado history, both boasted nearly perfect 4.0 GPAs.
Coach Prime on why grades matter for college athletes
In 2020, Deion Sanders received a bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis on organizational management from Talladega College. The HBCU admitted Sanders to the FASTtrack program, a course designed for adults who wish to pursue a higher education without going back to school as a full-time student.
The NFL Hall-of-Famer further explained why college athletes need to focus on their studies as well and why he tries to ensure that his players are well equipped both on and off the field:
“I’m not foolish to think that my whole team is going to go into the NFL. 97% of those young men will not go pro, so I’m focused on that 97% because that 3% got it. So that 97%, I’ve got to make sure that they are informed and that they are educated and they are prepared for the trials and tribulations of life.”
With the results now beginning to speak for themselves, there can be no debating that Coach Prime cares about his players’ futures — whether on the field, or off it. In a day and age where more student athletes are concerned about their NIL figures than their test scores, Sanders serves as a rare example of what can happen when coaches prioritize the right things.
Having improved both the financial and the academic standings of the university as a whole, Sanders’ impact on the community of Boulder, Colorado is immense. The legendary head coach and the rest of his herd now have their sights set on August 29th, where they will take to the field for the first time in the 2025 season, against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
