Deion Sanders Opens Up About Nick Saban, Miss Terry's Impact

NFL Hall of Famer and Colorado football head coach Deion Sanders declared former Alabama legendary head coach Nick Saban as the "magna cum laude" and the one coaches "attain to just get next to and never eclipse."

Nick Saban and Deion Sanders / Obtained from Aflac's X/Twitter

Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban's jaw-dropping retirement on Jan. 10 not only shook the entire college football community, but the sports world as well.

The 72-year-old's impact on the sport has been insurmountable and his career accolades as a seven-time National Champion (six with Alabama), among many other records, have created extremely lofty goals for today's and future college football head coaches to chase.

In Saban's inadvertent final season in 2023-24, a lot of buzz revolved around the city of Boulder, Colo., where NFL Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders took the head coaching job at Colorado on December 3, 2022, after a three-year stint with the same position at Jackson State. Sanders and Saban have been friends for quite some time now as it's practically impossible to not see them share the same room alongside a duck in the constantly playing Aflac commercials.

Sanders went on Fox Sports' "Joel Klatt Show" recently and explained the advantages of being a relatively new coach who had the opportunity to pick a legend's brain while shooting the Aflac commercials.

"I'm like a kid in a darn candy shop," Sanders said smiling. "I'm sitting Indian style and asking him 'Coach, can you tell me about this? Can you tell me about that game?' I'm serious, I just keep it going. Oh my god, I love him!"

One reason why Colorado received so much attention last season was due to two of Sanders' sons being on the Buffaloes' roster: starting quarterback Shadeur Sanders and starting safety Shilo Sanders. Deion Sanders has been vocal about instilling family values among the entire team at Colorado, but also mentioned on the show how one member of Saban's immediate family has made an impact on him.

"Terry, his wife (is amazing)," Sanders said. "Mrs. Saban needs to teach a masterclass on how to do it. With all the women that are alongside the man. She is unbelievable. Just after getting your but kicked and then you go back and look at your phone and you got a message from Mrs. Terry is unbelievable."

When speaking about Saban's retirement, Sanders disagreed with Klatt's take that the "tank was on E," but he did agree that it was in due part to the changing of college football's landscape.

"First of all, let's just get this straight, he's the magna cum laude," Sanders said. "He is it. He is what we attain to just get next to and never eclipse it whatsoever. He's the best ever. He kept it 100 and I know how he got to that point. You know, you hear the stories but you know the truth when you hear the truth and I know the truth. I just hate it for him because I felt as though he had so much left. But I understand when it's not in you to do it 'that way' and you want to do it 'this way.'"

"It was like man, we lost the OG. He means so much personally to me as a man and just watching him from near and afar and being able to have access and pick up a phone and call whenever I need him--and I didn't abuse that situation whatsoever. I hate that we lost him for College Football's sake. It shouldn't be like that."