If you saw something about the Colorado Buffaloes on TV or online this season, it was probably concerning Travis Hunter or one of the three Sanders: coach Deion, QB Shedeur, or DB Shilo. Hunter won the Heisman and Shedeur took Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, garnering praise and credit from the media as well. However, College Football insider Bruce Feldman feels defensive back Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig was the real “heart and soul” of that team.
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Feldman joined Diana Russini and Chase Daniel on the Scoop City podcast to discuss the ongoing chatter linking Deion Sanders to the Dallas Cowboys. One interesting tidbit that came out of that discussion was Feldman’s description of Silmon-Craig’s status in the Colorado locker room.
“He’s not the biggest guy, but he was kind of the heart and soul of that team. He was a guy who didn’t just play for Deion at Jackson State, he played for him in high school too,” said Feldman.
Silmon-Craig is part of the large graduating class in 2024 that started their journey with Coach Prime and Andre Hart. He just wrapped up his senior year and officially declared for the 2025 NFL Draft last week. However, at just 5’10” and 185 pounds, he is undersized for an NFL safety.
Silmon-Craig’s heart could get him on an NFL roster
What he lacks in size he makes up for in heart and leadership qualities. If Hunter and Sanders were the leaders on the field, Silmon-Craig was the emotional leader in the locker room and on the sidelines, barking orders or words of encouragement whenever needed.
His commitment and the heart with which he plays could help him secure a spot on an NFL roster come the spring. Cam’Ron’s teammate and fellow DB Ben Finneseth sang his praises for that very reason during the 2024 campaign. When asked if Silmon-Craig was the unquestioned leader of the Buffaloes’ defense, Finneseth responded with a resounding “yes”.
“He’s not the biggest, he’s not the strongest, and he’s not the fastest. But he’s got the most heart of anyone I’ve ever seen. And everyone respects the crap out of him,” said Finneseth.
“Since he showed up here… us being the same position, we’ve grinded together… I love Cam with my whole heart, I love everything about him… Most definitely he’s the unquestioned leader, and we go if he goes, as far as he wants to go, we’ll follow, and he’s our voice,” he added.
Ben Finneseth on fellow DB Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig:
“He’s not the biggest, he’s not the strongest, and he’s not the fastest. But he’s got the most heart of anyone I’ve ever seen.” pic.twitter.com/a1D7709834
— DNVR Buffs (@DNVR_Buffs) November 1, 2024
NFL coaches and front office executives always talk about how they want “dogs” on their team. Someone who won’t take anything lying down, someone who will speak up when they feel they need to, and someone who has the toughness and grit that defines old-school football. That’s Silmon-Craig.
If they can overlook Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig’s less-than-ideal physical attributes, those intangibles would no doubt serve him well in an NFL locker room. However, it is highly unlikely that he will be selected in the seven rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft.
But Simon-Craig’s a shoo-in to be signed as an undrafted free agent in the ensuing weeks. This is the type of guy who would stand out at mini-camp and rookie camp as well. The NFL is certainly a possibility for this vociferous safety.
