When it comes to his critics, Deion Sanders isn’t worried about them.
Sanders and his Colorado Buffaloes are off to a red-hot start. After going 1-11 last year, the Buffs retooled and then some in the offseason. Sanders’ bold use of the transfer portal turned the team around, and they’re 3-0 to begin the year. His son Shedeur Sanders has looked fantastic under center. They’ve defied some expectations, but criticism still has been around.
Many still aren’t believers, which they’re entitled to feel. But Sanders isn’t concerned.
Several have wondered how long it will go until things peter out for the Buffaloes. Deion and Colorado have caught a significant amount of nationwide attention. Their late-night game on Saturday night against Colorado State drew a ridiculously high number in viewership and ratings. Still, people think of this as just a “moment.” But not Coach Prime.
Deion appeared on Bleacher Report live on Wednesday afternoon and talked with reporter Taylor Rooks. During the interview, Rooks asked what Sanders thought about critics of him and Colorado. Deion answered only as Deion could.
"I'm a monument. Not a moment."
Coach Prime on critics saying what's happening in Colorado is a "moment"
(via @TaylorRooks) pic.twitter.com/MjN72mi9j1
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 20, 2023
“Moments that are consistent translates into monuments, and I’m a monument, not a moment,” Sanders emphatically said.
Prime might already be a monument in some respects. He was one of the greatest players in NFL history in his heyday and won two Super Bowl championships. Sanders starred in both football and baseball, playing Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees, the Atlanta Braves, and the Cincinnati Reds. He is a Pro Football Hall of Famer enshrined in Canton, Ohio. Sanders was prominent in the ’80s and the ’90s, became a TV personality and fixture in the 2000s and 2010s, and now is onto coaching in the 2020s. It’s hard to stay relevant in this world, and it’s probably even harder to do so for five straight decades. And yet, here we are.
19th-ranked Colorado takes on 10th-ranked Oregon this weekend in the teams’ highly anticipated Pac-12 opener. Sanders and Oregon coach Dan Lanning have already expressed mutual respect for each other. So the game could be a doozy.