EXCLUSIVE Deion Sanders: "We're playing a game of life that we gotta win"

Coach Prime talks about the process of mentoring players at Colorado

Deion Sanders received Sports Illustrated’s 2023 Sportsperson of the Year Award in a star-studded event on Wednesday night in Boulder. An outstanding honor for the Colorado Buffaloes coach and a perfect end to the season.

Coach Prime came to Colorado knowing a complete overhaul was needed and started the process in a short period of time. The "Prime Effect" swept across the nation with everyone from coast-to-coast watching Boulder become the epicenter of the sports world. A record number of viewers and fans showed up to witness his work. It's been a transformation like none other for CU.

Sanders was asked about his journey and where he developed his passion for mentoring young men. "I wouldn't be where I am today if coach Dave Capel and his wife, Helen, didn't pour into me and give me all the tools of success at an early age for the Fort Myers Rebels. A team in which I modeled my youth programs for in Texas."

It goes beyond football for Coach Prime. It's about the path he's on and putting life skills into the minds of his players. Sanders knows the game of football has an expiration date. For some like him, it's decades, and for others, it's years. Not everyone can have a Hall of Fame career. Therefore, it's about helping these young men realize how valuable life can be outside the game. A common message for Sanders we've heard in multiple forms over the past year.

"We're trying one step at a time," Sanders said. "One kid at a time. One day at a time. Because this is much bigger than a game of football. We're playing a game of life that we gotta win."

Deion Sanders has become the first African-American coach to earn the title of SI's Sportsperson of the Year since 1954. Going back to November 1989, Sanders has headlined six previous Sports Illustrated cover stories.