Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders is currently leading his first spring practices as head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes. Coach Prime was hired in early December to restore the glory days in Boulder, where, of late, things have gone completely dormant.
Coach Prime Bringing Old School Methods To Colorado
After suffering thought a 5-19 record the last two seasons under the previous regime, Coach Prime is coming in with some old school methods in an effort to turn things around. Following Sunday’s first practice, the always entertaining Sanders told reporters this about his players not having numbers on their jerseys.
“I’m old school. Anyone in here over 45? Didn’t we have to earn every darn thing we got. Ain’t nobody gave us nothing,” he said.
“We got kids that ain’t played a snap and you want to be one … one? You know what number one meant back in the day for us? That you were that one,” Sanders said. “It’s just a new day. Single digits was something, you had to be him.
“I come from the place you gotta earn it. When I went school shopping, I had to get a job and work and earn it. That’s why I appreciate those kind of things. That’s why my kids have to earn things. Everything they’ve gotten in life they’ve had to work for it and earn it. So I don’t give them nothing.”
Setting a new precedent is a step to instilling a new culture, and that’s exactly what Sanders is looking to do. It’s a process and never easy. Coach Prime transformed the culture and cultivated a winner at Jackson State pretty swiftly, so the belief is he’ll have similar success at Colorado using the same methods.
Sanders Wants The Three C’s In Place
Since his arrival in Boulder, Coach Prime has stressed the importance of communication, chemistry and consistency as a huge part of what he wants and expects.
That’s definitely needed with the QB and receivers. With Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter already having great chemistry from their time together at Jackson State, their transition should be seamless. Add in talented wideout Jimmy Horn Jr., who’s been working out with those two since he transferred from South Florida, and that’s three numbers (2,5 and 12), that are probably already accounted for.
Players have three opportunities to show the coaching staff what they can do prior to the team separating for spring break.
Coach Prime says he’s also evaluating his coaches, the trainers and equipment staffs. Everybody is under the watchful eye of Sanders.
“We are checking everything because this is a total commitment effort of unification to win,” Coach Prime said. “It is not just on the field. Everybody in this darn building has to understand that we’re winners. Change has to be provoked, and that’s why we’re here. We’re trying to check every darn box. If it was great, I wouldn’t be here.”
Sanders Raked In Strong Recruiting Class
Coach Prime was able to rake in the No. 21 recruiting class and the No.1 ranked transfer class in a short period of time. While both of those are great starts, the schedule isn’t too friendly for the Buffaloes, who open the season in Fort Worth, Texas, against the national runner-up TCU Horned Frogs.
Sanders will be facing Sonny Dykes who was the Horned Frogs choice over Sanders in 2021, as both were strong candidate. Sanders also makes his offseason home in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and has since his playing days with the Dallas Cowboys.
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