NBA Champion Derrick White Is Excited About Deion Sanders’ Impact on His Alma Mater CU

It was a homecoming moment for the Colorado Buffaloes this Saturday! Fresh off his Olympic gold medal win, Derrick White was at Lincoln’s Memorial Stadium to support his alma mater. Despite their efforts, the CU Buffs fell short against the Nebraska Cornhuskers, losing 28-10. Nonetheless, the bond between head coach Deion Sanders and the reigning NBA champion was clearly evident.

The proud alumnus of the Buffaloes had some kind words for the head coach during his brief appearance on Thee Pregame Show.“I’m excited,” said White. “I mean, the program has turned for the better and I’m here to support him and I wish him all the best.” 

White also had the chance to meet with Sanders at the facility, as seen in the video:

White has been having one of his career-best years in 2024. The star guard even signed a whopping $125.9 million extension in July after helping the Celtics win the NBA championship.

On top of that, White scored his first career triple-double with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists against the Detroit Pistons in March this year. But it was when Derrick clinched the highest honor an NBA player dreams of that Sanders made sure to congratulate him.

That said, Sanders’ crew had a dismal day last week with the offense failing to maintain a stronghold on the field, resulting in a 28-10 loss. When Coach Prime arrived at the University of Colorado as head coach, his magic transformed the team, which had managed just one win the previous season.

Sanders turned that one win into three at the start of the 2023 season, raising fan expectations significantly. However, those hopes took a hit by the end of the season and continue to be challenged after Saturday’s blowout loss to Nebraska.

But there’s more to the head coach than what meets the eye. His on-field performance might not impress many, but he is doing tremendous things off it.

Sanders has been implementing a hands-on approach at Colorada, both on and off the field. Apart from prepping the team, the coach leaves no stone unturned in keeping his squad motivated.

Ed Reed and Ray Lewis hype up Deion Sanders’ crew

Last month saw some prolific NFL names at Boulder to pump up the Buffs ahead of their new season. Sanders’ former teammate from Baltimore, Ed Reed, had some fiery words for the Colorado team.

“Football is war. Y’all are an army,” said the former safety. “It’s war. Violent, physical… Your mind’s got to be right. You have to be physically ready to play this game. You can’t be tired. You got to have the energy to go out there today and do this thing the right way.”

While Reed had an energetic pep talk, Ray Lewis took a different approach. The former linebacker shared a personal tragedy with the players to teach them about the fleetingness of time.

He spoke about his 28-year-old son, who passed away in 2023, and delivered a simple yet heartfelt message to the college players: “If you don’t have a pro mentality about life, the game will pass you too quickly.”