Deion Sanders Shares Very Clear Quote on Why He Doesn’t Plan to Leave Colorado

The Buffaloes are looking to build on their 2023 improvement.
Deion Sanders Shares Very Clear Quote on Why He Doesn’t Plan to Leave Colorado
Deion Sanders Shares Very Clear Quote on Why He Doesn’t Plan to Leave Colorado /
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In his first year at Colorado, coach Deion Sanders took several very tentative steps toward putting the Buffaloes back on a winning track.

He overhauled—to an extent so great it engendered controversy—a 1–11 roster. He weaponized his media-friendly image to make Colorado one of the biggest television draws in sports. And, although a late losing streak hurt a great deal, he helped the Buffaloes quadruple their win total year over year.

It was enough, Sanders hinted Wednesday on Undisputed, to incite programs to sniff around the Colorado coach a bit. However, the Hall of Fame defensive back seems to believe his place for the time being is in Boulder.

“[My phone rang] a couple times, a couple times,” Sanders said. “I got a kickstand down. It’s great. I love this fanbase. I love looking at the window right now at these snow-covered mountains. I’ve been snowmobiling the past two weekends.”

Much was made in 2023 of the fact that the Buffaloes’ best years coincided with Sanders’ professional playing career, with a “return to glory” becoming a recurring theme—a responsibility Sanders does not take lightly.

“I’m gonna give my boy Mr. [Big 12 commissioner Brett] Yormark, my commissioner—he told me this, but I took it after the third time. ‘I don’t inherit a legacy. I build it,’” he said. “I’m not the kind of guy that’s gonna run off to somebody else’s school and inherit an already-winning team.”


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Patrick Andres
PATRICK ANDRES

Patrick Andres is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in December 2022, having worked for The Blade, Athlon Sports, Fear the Sword and Diamond Digest. Andres has covered everything from zero-attendance Big Ten basketball to a seven-overtime college football game. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism with a double major in history .