With both of his sons now removed from the roster, Deion Sanders finds himself housing an empty nest in Boulder, Colorado. However, that didn’t stop him from signing a five-year, $54 million contract extension with the program.
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Despite the father-son dynamic, Coach Prime made it clear from day one that his sons would not be receiving any special treatment. Considering that he went as far as to prevent Shilo from competing in the SWAC Championship game simply because he was late to a team meeting, it’s fair to say that he made good on his promise.
With the familial relations now out of the picture, fellow NFL legend and current podcaster, Cam Newton, suggests that Sanders will continue to flourish as a play caller. On the latest episode of the aptly titled 4th & 1 with Cam Newton, the former Carolina Panther claimed that there is nothing left to “hold back” the Buffaloes head coach.
“I think the greatness of Deion Sanders as a coach will now come to fruition… I think they win a national championship without his sons there… I asked Warren Sapp, ‘Yo, is Deion really coaching his kids?’ He said, ‘Oh no. Prime, he’s the truth. He will kick his sons out the meeting.’ …I needed to hear that.”
Despite Sapp’s testimony, Newton did maintain that it is difficult to separate the responsibilities of being both a father and a coach. Believing that the conflict of interest may have prevented Sanders from making the right decision at times, Newton continued to question the head coach’s ability to remain unbiased throughout the past two seasons.
In referencing the lackluster performances of Shilo, Newton didn’t seem pleased with Sanders’ son having enjoyed as much playing time as he did.
“I look at it through the safeties coach where it’s like, we’ve got a dude that’s really better than him. If he was anybody else, could we bench him? Not to say that they deserve to get benched; that’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying, could you make that call?”
Nevertheless, the 2015 regular season MVP ultimately believes that Sanders can now thrive as both a father and as a coach now that the roles have once again diverged.
Cam Newton labels Deion Sanders as Colorado’s Bear Bryant
In highlighting the fact that the former Atlanta Falcon has already revolutionized the Buffaloes culture, Newton’s co-host, Peggy, questioned his claim that the head coach had already reached Bear Bryant levels of significance for the program. Believing that the wins will come in due time, Cam asserted that,
“Bear Bryant was a coach that set the tone way before any of us was even thought of… He already is Bear Bryant… In this day and age, right now, Deion Sanders, coach Deion Sanders, is Bear Bryant. His impact is definitely felt more than any other coach.”
Suffice to say, Newton is adamant that Sanders will be able to deliver in the coming years. Asserting that everyone should simply trust the process, the former Panther clearly has all of the faith in the world when it comes to Coach Prime.
Thankfully, the chance for Sanders to prove him right is quickly approaching. The Buffaloes will be herded onto the field for the first time this year on August 29th, where they will attempt to defend their home turf against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
