BOULDER — As Colorado wrapped its 11th practice of fall camp on a rainy, August day, there was cause for celebration. It was Deion Sanders’ birthday and his players brought out a cake and sang “Happy Birthday” to him after practice. Sanders blew out the candles and made a wish.
He must not be overly superstitious about that sort of thing because he was eager to share with his team and everyone at CU’s fall sports media day what his wish was. “I told them that I would want all these young men to be professionals in some capacity, not only off the field but on the field,” Sanders said. “Great fathers, great young men to their siblings, their mothers, their community and everything.
I just want them to add to everything that they touch. That’s my dream and my prayer for these young men.” But coach Sanders did more than celebrate his 57th birthday on Friday.
He also became a grandfather for the first time as his oldest daughter, Deiondra, gave birth to a baby boy. “That’s how good God is,” Sanders said. “Do you understand how beautiful that is, how much of a blessing that is?” Even that wasn’t the first thing on his mind with less than three weeks until the start of his second season with the Buffaloes.
His son, Shilo, had to remind him. Coach Sanders is laser focused on this all-important 2024 season, which will be his last coaching both sons, Shilo and Shedeur. The difference from last year to this year is evident every time he steps on the practice field.
“I feel so much better about the team, not only because of the young men we’ve accumulated inside this locker room but also the staff and how they’re working together,” Deion said. “The coordinators are phenomenal. The support staff is second-to-none.
I think we have a cohesive bond that’s truly admirable.” Colorado head coach Deion Sanders and Colorado safety Shilo Sanders (21) speak before an NCAA college football game against Utah, Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Salt Lake City.
(AP Photo/Rob Gray) Sanders praised both of his team’s new coordinators — offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur and defensive coordinator Robert Livingston — and the many additions on both the offensive and defensive line. But he also went out of his way to highlight a defensive unit that he feels is much improved from the back to the front. “The defense is coming,” Sanders said.
“There’s probably six pass rushers that’s gonna get home to the quarterback — I’m talking about from the outside. From the inside, these guys are handling their jobs. Shoot, I have to name all of them because these guys are really taking care of their business.
(Linebacker LaVonta) Bentley has stepped it up tremendously. (Linebacker) Trevor (Woods) is 224 pounds right now. These guys are really performing well.
I love what I’m seeing on the defensive side of the ball.” If there’s an area that desperately needs to improve this fall, it is the defense as a whole after the Buffs were one of the worst teams in the nation in terms of both points and yards allowed per game in 2023. The season opener against North Dakota State is approaching rapidly and coach Sanders is eager to show off his new-look squad (in their new-look threads) and prove the haters — of which he believes there are more and more by the day — wrong.
“I wish we could push fast forward because I’m ready to go,” Sanders said. “I’m ready to play.”.
