Despite having a natural affinity for the finer things in life, such as designer clothes and gold-plated accessories, Deion Sanders understands that the most valuable thing one can possess is a quality education.
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Regarded by many to be a master of the game of football, the head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes now credits his knowledge, more so than his skills or reputation, for his ability to secure a $54-million contract extension with the Colorado Buffaloes.
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.”
For all of the success 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. Being sure to note that his players are producing the best test scores of any group in the history of the program, Coach Prime proved to take this matter seriously.
The program’s assistant coach, James Chaney, recently announced 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 sported nearly perfect 4.0 GPAs.
In 2020, Sanders received a bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in 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.
Sanders doesn’t wish to be in the company of fools. Ensuring that his players are well equipped both on and off the field, the NFL Hall of Famer explained that:
“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. 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 immeasurable. 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 of the 2025 season against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
