Sports

Former, Current Buffs Players Question Validity Of ‘Colorado Culture’ Report As Writer Doubles Down

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Deion Sanders speaks at Big XII media day.

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Steve Corder of Athlon Sports doubled down on his reporting of a culture problem in Boulder, Colorado. The writer made an appearance on the Le Batard Show to further explain how he gathered information surrounding the scandal.

That interview only further riled players linked to the Buffs program, who’ve started to publicly question the validity of the bombshell on social media.

Corder made massive waves last week when he published a story calling Colorado’s locker room “real-life Grand Theft Auto video game.”

In that piece, the writer described incidents of hazing and violence, as well as a “rampant” gun culture that he says stems from the top down.

He doubled down on claims this week, backing both his sources and his reporting.

“There’s no reason to worry,” Corder said when pressed on Deion Sanders’ recent threat of legal action. “I’ve vetted my sources, I’ve checked. I’ve double checked… I believe these guys.

“I’ve talked to these young men. They’re scared. They’re worried about repercussions… I’m doing what I think is right, what needs to be done.”

He says that no one in Boulder is reporting on the scandal in fear of losing access to the program. Current players also fear the loss of playing time.

Colorado players, both past and current, have responded to the culture claims.

Players named in the initial report included five-star offensive lineman Jordan Seaton and former defensive back Cormani McClain, now with Florida.

Both denied the accusations.

In Seaton’s case, it was hazing. Corder reported that he was forced to “show his manhood” by engaging in a full-on fight with a teammate. The big man responded this week.

“For me freshman initiation is listening. We don’t really do the hazing or the fighting, this is a brotherhood.”

McClain, meanwhile, is a player whose beef with head coach Deion Sanders was made very public. He left the program following his freshman year, landing at Florida this offseason.

Corder claimed that McClain, who struggled at times last year, was slapped numerous times by Shilo Sanders after a loss to Oregon State.

McClain, despite his turbulent past with the team, denied the allegations.

The Le Batard Show later deleted its social media post of the Steve Corder interview, though it’ still up on YouTube.

That prompted wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. to blast the claims on X, formerly Twitter.

Just now seeing this. What in the h— dude talking about? I don’t be on here like that but folks just be saying anything for attention. Gots to be “overly bored” in the name of Jay Wes.

-Jimmy Horn Jr. / X: @Tooswiftj5

Some around the Colorado program believe the Le Batard Show is beginning to question the credibility of the reporter, too.

Beat writers in Boulder have gone a step further, seemingly identifying a video that Corder mentions to support his gun violence claims.

“There’s a video circulating – I actually found after the piece – where [Deion Sanders Jr.] is asking, ‘Who’s the most strapped on the team?'” Corder said. “It’s not just one person. It’s multiple people.”

On face value, “strapped” could refer to possessing a gun.

In the context of the video now circulating social media, which is recorded on the practice field, it appears to have a much different meaning.

Sanders Jr. is asking defensive players which offensive player was “strapped” (held in check) during the practice session. If this is the video referenced, it seems a in the very least a complete misunderstanding of the terminology, and at the most, an intentional attempt to push a false narrative.

Interestingly enough, this isn’t the first reporting that Steve Corder has done on the Colorado program. He broke a story earlier this week noting a “mandatory” Lil’ Wayne concert that caused strife inside the locker room.

Again, players refuted those claims.

As of now, the situation still seems a mess.

Corder stands by his reporting and his sources, going far enough to both publish the article then double down on national TV. Colorado maintains that the accusations are completely false.

Time will tell which side is right.