While his son, kin, and wellwishers are getting ready to hear the family name announced once again at the NFL Draft, Deion Sanders is focused on his task at hand as the head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes. While preparing for the team’s upcoming spring game, the NFL Hall of Famer is trying to ensure that each member of the roster is ready for the challenges they will face both on and off the field.
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Training will now begin in earnest as the Buffs prime themselves to take the field for the first time this year at the university’s Black & Gold Day on April 19. Reminding his players that “you ain’t by yourself,” the former Atlanta Falcon delivered a rather heartfelt message to his team during their Monday meeting.
In an attempt to showcase that he does care about his athletes, Coach Prime recalled the various discussions he had with them after their return to the facility.
“Everybody in here is going through something,” said Sanders. “I asked you what was good that happened this weekend, and I asked you who had an argument with their girlfriend… who got sideways with a family member… who’s a little short on cash right now because they overextended themselves last month?”
With the emotional issues out of the way, the athletes can now focus on the gridiron. After reminding the team about the caliber of coaches and programs they have been given access to, Coach Prime cautioned them not to take it for granted.
Asserting that “only a fool won’t respond to wisdom,” Sanders emphasized the importance of humility. The head coach then shifted from an emotional tone to one of tough love.
“Wisdom is what we all seek… You want the truth. You want to keep it 100, right? Some of y’all want it 100 but you can’t handle 100, can you? We have to spoon-feed some of y’all, some of y’all are sensitive… We have to learn. Coaches and relationships are everything,” said Deion.
The Buffaloes have managed to garner yet another wave of headlines by signing Marshall Faulk in February. Referring to his newfound running backs coach as “…a bona fide leader”, Sanders detailed the longstanding rapport between him and his fellow Hall of Famer.
“We worked alongside each other for almost a decade at the NFL Network, so I know him… I got love for Marshall Faulk… For him to want to come and help these young men… that’s tremendous… You listen to some of the talks, some of the wisdom that he’s giving these young men, and it’s unbelievable,” detailed Sanders.
Faulk is just one of the many NFL Hall of Fame coaches who are now part of the Colorado program. Given Sanders’ excitement over the team’s development and his players’ individual progressions throughout the spring season, it’s safe to assume that he is more than thrilled with the results that his team has produced.
