A major factor in the success story of the Colorado Buffaloes has been the deep bond shared by Shedeur Sanders and his offensive coordinator, Pat Shurmur. In the glare of Travis Hunter, the star spectacle, this part of the Buffs offense has not received the due spotlight. And Shurmur is proud of the part he has played in developing the young quarterback.
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In his presser before the Alamo Bowl game, the coach looked back on how the relationship began and how teams often overlook this aspect of the game.
“My relationship with Shedeur started last year. I was walking my daughter down the aisle a couple of Julys ago, and Coach Prime called me and said, ‘I’d like you to come out as an analyst and put some pro eyes on Shedeur and help him’,” revealed Shurmur.
Although his role, admittedly, changed over the course of his stint, the binding force in Shurmur’s relationship with Shedeur remained constant — their mutual understanding of the game.
“Early on we developed a really good relationship and I think that’s the key part of this business that people don’t spend enough time on… You just can’t start teaching these guys plays. You got to get to know them, they got to know you, believe in them,” added Shurmur.
After Shurmur built a strong bond with the young QB, forming an offense around him in Colorado wasn’t that big a challenge. “It just happened faster,” he added.
The former New York Giants HC said that he believed in Deion Sanders’ son, and he listens to the 21-year-old as well. “Even though I am almost 60. I’m a grandfather now,” Shurmur stated.
The coach asserted that coaching “is a relationship business”, and that it’s easy for coaches to lose sight of it. And when they do, they tend to deviate from the big picture.
With Shedeur projected to get drafted as the No. 1 or No. 2 overall, the Giants remain a potential landing spot for him. And since Shurmur is a former head coach of the NFL franchise, there are good chances that this projection could become a reality.
If that happens, then Shedeur would be teaming up with the premier WR Malik Nabers, who is desperate to partner with an elite QB.