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Say what you want about Deion Sanders and his capabilities as a college football head coach. But one thing you can’t question is Sanders’ commitment to his players at Colorado.
Sanders is out here coaching in immense pain while dealing with recurring blood clots in his legs. Not only that, but Sanders has displayed on several occasions that he not only cares about his players in the present, but also about their futures.
Most recently, Sanders got creative in an attempt to showcase some of the Buffaloes’ lesser-known players.
Colorado held a scrimmage earlier this week in an attempt to showcase bench players and give them film to show other schools should they enter the transfer portal.
“A lot of you guys that don’t get to play, you’re going to get your chance today,” Sanders said. “This is your chance because I’m not crazy enough to think that all of you are going to be in this room next year. Some of you are going to jump in the portal. This is an opportunity for you to get some portal film.
Now, in the transfer portal era, this is an extremely forward-thinking approach. It may not sound great, but Sanders isn’t sugarcoating things. Not every player is going to make it at Colorado. And the players who aren’t seeing the field regularly are the most likely to transfer out.
If they do so, they’ll now have valuable tape to send to coaches at prospective schools.
However, because it’s Deion Sanders, not everyone felt the same way about the idea and the way he addressed his players.
“If you aren’t getting ANY playing time at Colorado, you aren’t good. Film against other guys that don’t play at Colorado isnt going to impress anybody. It’s a nice gesture but what does it really accomplish?” one fan asked.
“Why does anyone want to play for this jacka–? No wonder his teams suck and will continue to do so,” said another.
But despite the hate, it’s difficult to see Sanders’ idea as anything but a positive. The reality is, not everyone is going to make it at Colorado. The scrimmage afforded those players a chance to showcase their skills.
Once again, Sanders is thinking about all of his players, and he should be lauded for doing so.