Deion Sanders responds to NFL coaching rumors
It's still summertime and Deion Sanders hasn't even coached a single game for Colorado yet, but that hasn't kept the often overactive speculation machine from wondering if Coach Prime could possibly make a jump from the college football ranks to the National Football League at some point in the future.
Rest assured, Colorado fans: Sanders says he has no interest in the NFL.
"I don't have any desire or ambition to coach in the NFL," Sanders said in an interview with Sports Illustrated.
Why not? As he puts it, "I have a problem with men getting their checks and not doing their jobs. I would be too tough as a coach in the NFL because I still have those old-school attributes."
But in the modern football landscape, there is always the worry that coaches have their eye on the next phase of their career, which, in the world of college football coaching, tends to be a design on making the jump to the professional ranks.
Related: Deion Sanders' boss reacts after Colorado football roster purge
Especially for someone as well known to NFL history as Sanders, who starred for the Dallas Cowboys as a defensive back and, given his relationship with Jerry Jones, some could think that a reunion may be in order for the two.
"I am cut a little different," Sanders said. "I love Jerry Jones. I tremendously love that whole family."
Away from the world of online speculation and rumor-mongering, Sanders has his work cut out for him this season in his bid to rebuild the Colorado football program.
The Buffaloes went just 1-11 last season and have not seen a winning season in the last seven years. So far, Sanders' aggressive roster management has attracted a lot of attention, both for the number of players leaving, and those coming in.
Colorado finished the offseason at No. 1 in our College Football HQ Transfer Team Rankings after the 2023 spring window after bringing in dozens of players.
Now comes the hard part of putting that talent together and turning it into a winning team. Sanders has proven he can do it, going 27-6 at Jackson State, winning at least 10 games in each of the last two years, winning a pair of SWAC championships.
More college football from SI: Top 25 Rankings | Schedule | All Teams