On a fall weekend in Boulder, the sports miracle of the season is clearer than the blue skies of the Rockies. While for years the University of Colorado football team caused heartbreak on Saturdays, the Buffaloes have had just four winning seasons in the past 20 years and finished 1-11 in 2022 — Boulder is now perhaps America’s hippest and happiest position. “The Stampede,” a cheering rally ahead of Friday night’s game on Pearl Street, is rather tiptoeing. Before Colorado faced USC No. 8, restaurants were full and sidewalks were full. A handful of young people even line the roof of a trattoria to watch the marching band play.
The next day, shortly before 6 a. m. Mountain Time, a slew of University of Colorado fans, dressed mostly in white cowboy hats adorned with LED lights, gathered at Farrand Field, right in the middle of campus. Some are students, others are alumni and locals, while a significant number of them have traveled far and wide, never having imagined that they would have an explanation for contemplating those picturesque peaks in the background. Fox Sports’ Big Noon Kickoff pre-game exhibition likely wouldn’t begin for hours, however, partygoers are ready. You’re here to see Deion Sanders, or Coach Prime (a play of Prime Time, his nickname from his heyday in the 1980s and 1990s), who arrived as head coach in December, radically reshaped this year’s team and turned Colorado into the sport’s biggest story.
Before the start, it is now on the side of the Colorado stadium where you have to be seen. There’s rapper DaBaby who makes the crowd vibrate. There are Sanders’ friends and football Hall of Fame teammates Terrell Owens, Warren Sapp and Michael Irvin. Hi, I’m basketball Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett, Baseball Hall of Famer CC Sabathia, and rapper Symba. VIPs wear a special badge around their necks: the Prime Pass, shaped like the golden whistle Sanders wears in practice. Boulder County has a 1. 3 percent black population, but, as one secondary viewer commented, the scene “looks like black Hollywood. “
And what happens inside the area is just as impressive as what happens outside the area. As the Buffaloes fended off the Trojans, cutting a deficit from 41-14 in the third quarter to 48-41 with just under two minutes to play, Folsom Field, filled with more than 54,000 roaring fans, felt like the epicenter of the sport. Could Sanders’ team, which had already exceeded expectations, breathe life into the school football economy and force more than 8 million people to watch Colorado beat Colorado State in a double after 2:15 a. m. ?m. ET mid-September: ESPN’s highest school level?Football audience figure at the time: achieving this monumental comeback?
USC recovered the delayed kick to win the game, but Colorado’s pace only added to Coach Prime’s euphoria. “The vibe is electric, man,” DaBaby tells me before leaving the camp. “Listen, fuck the NFL game. Right now, it’s the position of maximum excitement in football.
Swifties probably wouldn’t agree. But while rumors of Taylor Swift dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce are making headlines and promoting tickets, Coach Prime’s efforts go much further. In Colorado, he has the strength to replace not only the destiny of the team, but also that of the multi-billion dollar high school football industry. His past fortune may also open the door to more black head coaches at the highest levels of high school football, a long-awaited development, especially since groups composed predominantly of black players generate, in some cases, more than $100 million in annual profits for their schools. After decades of coaches “protecting” players from “distractions,” Sanders invited the cameras to Colorado for the second season of Amazon’s Coach Prime. Their embrace of players’ social media exposure (they sport their Instagram handles on their educational jerseys) and their newly acquired right to capitalize on their name, symbol and likeness (NIL) are expected to revolutionize the DNA of heavyweight sports. Additionally, after two successful seasons at Jackson State, a historically black university (HBCU), Sanders used the “move portal,” the NCAA’s still-new mechanism that allows players to move schools without taking time off. year – to reorganize the Colorado roster. He made 57 moves, while more than 60 Colorado players left for other systems or ended their high school football careers.
In short, treat school sports for what they are: a business. CU hired him to win, and win now. And he does it his way, with frankness and unwavering confidence.
“In the world of school football, there are safe expectations about how coaches should be and act,” says Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, a former University of Miami defensive lineman who won a national championship in 1991. “Prime tore up that playbook and threw it out the window. “
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Some of Sanders’ strategies have proven unpopular. He was criticized for asking DaBaby, who has been criticized for using homophobic language and has had multiple run-ins with the law, to give his team a message of encouragement on how to triumph over adversity. He threw the players out the door. For many other people it is a failure. But that word, Sanders insists, is not part of his vocabulary. If you love Coach Prime (a ubiquitous presence in Aflac, California Almonds, and KFC ads) or hate it, you’re paying attention.
“We are blatantly who we are,” Sanders, 56, told me in an interview in Boulder the week of the USC game. “Everything we’re doing now shows that we’re moving in the right direction, at a speed that’s undeniable. “Much faster than many other people might have suspected. Shoot, it’s going to be good. It’s like the trailer for a movie you’re watching. Just wait until you see the full movie.
Sanders patrols his team’s morning workouts in a golf cart with “Prime” engraved on the front (a “Prime” motorcycle and a “Prime” Segway rest in front of his desk). Before a session, the team huddles around you. , you’re going to have a wonderful day. You’re going to kick your ass from the start, right?Sanders said. ” Yes, sir,” the players reply in unison. You’re going to protect that quarterback. Yes, sir. “Defensive line, we’re going to get to the quarterback, aren’t we?” Yes, sir. “
He moves from station to station to practice and weigh. Sanders moves more conscientiously these days: Due to blood clots, he had two feet amputated from his left foot in 2021. “Get out of the box!Rubbish!It’s terrible!” he said to a player who made a mistake. You ran around the area like you’re going to have a baby in 3 months,” he told a player who wasn’t pressured enough for Coach Prime’s liking. “Hey guys, it was terrible offensively today, I need everyone to know that,” Sanders said at the end of a practice. “There is no commitment to excellence. You’re just making dark moves.
Sanders avoids bad words and says “damn” when a bad word would suffice. But he’s saving his biggest smile of the week when two of his coaches — defensive coordinator Charles Kelly and defensive coach Sal Sunseri — both left Alabama, the first program in the past 15 years, to embark on this rebuilding task: engaging in a shouting game that turns into an F-you exchange. He appreciates its intensity.
At a workout, David Kelly, Colorado’s chief executive and longtime Sanders confidant, sent me a text message he won from Nike co-founder Phil Knight, who had spoken with Sanders before Colorado faced Oregon in Eugene on Sept. 23 and met with Barack Obama. Nike headquarters a few days later. ” I greeted him by saying, ‘You’re the second biggest celebrity I’ve talked to this week,'” Knight wrote.
Sanders’ schedule is not typical. ” Are you running or twerkin?” reads a sign on Sanders’ office door. (Working or twerking is one of many phrases, adding Coach Prime and It’s personal, for which you’ve filed a trademark application. ) A convention hall houses your shoes and hats. On Friday afternoon, a woman walks to her door and asks, “Are there many other people there?Sanders does not allow shoes in his office, and 11 pairs A few minutes later, members of the documentary crew; your manager; Sanders’ son Shilo, a Colorado guard; Garnett; and basketball Hall of Famer Paul Pierce are leaving Sanders’ space.
Nowadays, everyone needs to spend time with Prime. Colorado’s game against Oregon, a resounding 42-6 victory by the Ducks, drew 10. 03 million viewers, making it one of the most-watched high school football games of the year. Online product sales at the school team’s retail stores are up 892% year-to-date compared to 2022. Colorado Chancellor Philip DiStefano said out-of-state programs have skyrocketed 40 percent. “It’s transformative,” he says. Sanders is even preparing a 30-minute comedy with Kevin Hart’s media company, founded on him and billed as “Entourage Meets the Grill,” Sanders’ team told TIME exclusively.
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“People are drawn to hope, man,” Sanders says. “Shoot, we are David. Here we have only been given a few stones. We play against Goliath every week. We were 1-11, and now you Are you tripping over us?We attract people, man, who just need a chance to be seen, heard, noticed, recognized. They just need to be thrown into the whirlwind of life from time to time and say, “Wow, wow. “
This could be considered simply selfish, if Sanders had not understood something. Because it wasn’t just celebrities who flocked to the city to pay tribute to Sanders. (The Rock, Lil Wayne, Offset and Key Glock have also made appearances since the beginning of the season. ) Fan after fan in Boulder mentions the inspiration for Coach Prime. In the Colorado team shop, Veronica Jones, a retired police officer from Charlotte, North Carolina, dressed in gold-rimmed “Fierce But Fabulous” goggles and an HBCU Johnson C University jersey. Smith fished Prime gear in the same community as a guy who looked like a member of ZZ Top. Her husband, Wil Jones, noted that most of the black passengers on her flight to Denver cheer Sanders on. It’s like a family reunion,” he says.
Kedric Mallory traveled from Atlanta with friends and family, along with his 1-year-old son. “I’m here for the movement,” says Mallory, a real estate broker. “In my 42 years of life, I never thought I had come to Colorado. My son may have stayed home with his grandmother. But I need you to be able to say, “When I was 16 months old, I witnessed the Prime effect. “
When Sanders sported Jheri curls and gold chains in the late 1980s (Neon Deion, another nickname at the time), few would have thought of him as an elementary school football coach, a purveyor of hope, and a leader of men. His ability is undeniable. But his boasting infuriated many. “Each occupies two other people in their natural being,” Sanders now says. “People would like to be able to extend the other user more. This other user says what he needs to say and does what he needs to do. Prepare this cat. And I developed this cat a long time ago.
Sanders grew up in Fort Myers, Florida, where her mother worked for her 24 hours a day. Sanders, a two-time All-American at Florida State, won the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the nation’s most productive defensive back, in 1988. The Atlanta Falcons and New York Yankees selected him. During a 1990 game between the Yankees and the Chicago White Sox in the Bronx, Sanders had a verbal exchange with White Sox catcher Carlton Fisk, who objected to Sanders’ failure to make a loft. Contemporary reports indicated that Sanders had drawn symptoms of the dollar in the batter’s box soil. Fisk has crafted this narrative over the years. The exchange contributed to Sanders’ symbol as an arrogant heel.
But Sanders insists he didn’t draw any dollar signs, only marks to help position his feet. “Carlton Fisk lied,” he said. Sir, with all due respect, I would never do such a thing. “(“Why do I lie about something like this?” Fisk says. ” Check the tape. “)
Regardless, Sanders was a celebrity in the 1990s. He made an appearance in MC Hammer’s “2 Legit 2 Quit” video. He won back-to-back Super Bowls after the 1994 and 1995 seasons, with the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys, respectively. .
Years before Colorado, Sanders was creating culture. Dwayne Johnson followed those years closely. On Zoom, I ask him about Sanders’ influence on his own career and it gets goosebumps on my forearm. “No one ever asked me that,” he says. Much of Rock’s character and entity comes from Prime. One of the characteristics of The Rock’s character was to speak in 3rd person. Deion said some things in 3rd person. I have an idea that it was great, because it took the plunge.
After his NFL career ended in 2005, Sanders became a television analyst and began training with youngsters and top school titles when two of his sons now playing for Colorado, defensive back Shilo, 23, and quarterback Shedeur, 21, were boys. In 2019, Sanders told his manager and business partner, Constance Schwartz-Morini, that he might go to his alma mater to help with recruiting. “I said, ‘So why aren’t you just a head coach at a university?'” says Schwartz-Morini, CEO of SMAC Entertainment. “I’m not stupid. I understand that there is a big difference between training young people in high school and moving to school level. But while real estate can change, its strategies cannot.
He interviewed in the state of Florida and Arkansas, but without any school experience, he could not get those projects. Jackson State, which plays a lower role than primary systems like Colorado in the football league subdivision, tried its luck with him. The strength of the stars allowed Sanders to embark on the typical assistant journey. It didn’t matter: It finished 27-6, winning two Southwestern Athletic Conference championships. “I hate it when other people say stupid things, like he didn’t pay his dues. “says former Cowboys teammate Michael Irvin. “Okay, how many of you head coaches of schools started in the minor leagues?If I ever need to be a great CEO, I need to start in the damn mailroom, so I can be informed. “Each and every part of the task along the way.
Sanders has caught the attention of the most sensible schools. As Colorado struggled last season, its athletic director, Rick George, began sending it photographs of the mountain view at Folsom Field. When he met Sanders in mid-November, at Sanders’ home in Canton, Mississippi, Sanders surprised him with a written assessment. of each and every Colorado player. Sanders accepted the assignment without traveling to Boulder. ” You’re naked and unashamed,” he says.
Sanders had helped attract much-needed attention and resources to an HBCU. His release was a betrayal for some. One commentator said on CNN that he “sold a dream and then abandoned his dream. “For Sanders, however, his paintings in Jackson were over. It’s not that we’ve given up,” he says. What else can I do?”
In his first meeting with Colorado’s remaining players in December, Sanders, who signed a five-year, $29. 5 million contract, was brutally fair about his intentions. “Those of you don’t run away, we’re going to try to get you,” he said in a speech posted on social media.
Sanders acknowledges that at the end of the season, some of his players will succeed in the transfer portal. With opportunities to earn playing time (and cash) elsewhere, dropping out has become a component of school football. Although players are not paid through their universities, as of July 2021, NCAA athletes can earn revenue streams through third-party sponsors and boosters. Shedeur, for example, has deals with Gatorade, Beats via Dre and Topps, among others. According to On3. com, its valuation is NIL 4. 8 million dollars, only Bronny James, LeBron’s son. Colorado’s two-way player Travis Hunter also ranks in the top 10. “They should be treated like professionals, but you have to understand that there is now scrutiny like that of professionals,” Sanders says. “There are cuts. There is discontent. So you can’t pity and you need both. “Well, I’m still a child. ” “He said this in a bavia voice. “No no. You have a Benz parked outside.
After Oregon humiliated Colorado, many celebrated Coach Prime’s performance, which seemed a bit odd given the Buffs’ recent 1-11 record. Aren’t Americans the least advantaged?
I ask Sanders this one afternoon as we sit in the Colorado exam room, a spacious area overlooking the football box designed to impress prospects. His Belgian Malinois, Gunner, watches from a cage through the window, it’s the first time a school trainer’s dog heard one of my interviews. “You know why,” Sanders said. No one will say.
Do you feel resistance towards a black head coach for breaking protocol?
“If someone wears a wrinkled shirt, I’m going to say, ‘Hey, is your iron any good?'” says Sanders. “I’m not going to pretend it’s not there. I’m too old to play. “I’m not someone who stands here and waves the racial flag because I’ve had tremendous opportunities. But the statistics (only 10% of the most sensible head coaches in Division I are black) make it hard to argue that racism doesn’t persist in the sport. ” We can play, but we can’t train?” said Sanders. Seventy percent of us can be in the locker room, but can’t we go?It doesn’t go up. Sanders is committed to closing this gap. ” The Bible says that in Ecclesiastes there is a time and a season for each and every activity under the sun,” he says. “I think it’s time for us to make that progress. “
Opponents are also firing at Sanders. No I liked the comments of Colorado State coach Jay Norvell, who before the CU-CSU game said, “When I communicate with adults, I take off my hat and glasses,” referring to the coach. Prime’s clothing options. (Sanders’ collaboration with Blenders went on to sell $1. 5 million in pre-orders in one day. )Oregon coach Dan Lanning told his team in the pregame locker room that “they’re fighting for clicks, we’re fighting for winning. “
“You have to sense where it’s coming from,” Sanders said. That the tension of that moment forced him to leave. He couldn’t hide. Other successful, confident people don’t do that. Sanders notes that he has not initiated discussions with other coaches. “Despising you doesn’t lift me up,” he said. We are not in the swing of life. “
He mentioned that Shilo was caught in front of the camera insulting the Ducks players before the game. “Shilo is Shilo,” Sanders says. Shilo has been that way since he was a child. Shilo doesn’t start. He finishes it. I’m pretty sure it was provoked in some way. For his part, Shilo insists that he criticizes his own teammates, and adds his brother. “I was provoked just for being there,” he says of Oregon. They are chasing you. “and you just need to slap them. ” (An Oregon spokesman declined to comment. )
The comeback against USC gave an idea of the potential of the Buffs. If Colorado plays as hard as it did against a team in the top 10 for a full game, only half of it, you may struggle in Coach Prime’s first year. era. After the game, players bowed their heads as a friend of Sanders led the team in prayer. “Sir. . . It is a day of resurrection. Thank you for cutting the bitter taste of last week from our mouths. ” Sanders told his team he loves everyone in the room: the players, the coaches, everyone.
In a moment of calm after this uplifting defeat, I ask Sanders what America can get out of this. “Everything about us is designed and built to move forward,” he says. “I’ve never been a rock, a slacker. I have been an engine and an agitator, a wave maker and an entrepreneur. Share some other message before returning to the recruiting fair. “Here we go,” Sanders said. You’d have to be crazy if you can. I don’t see that. Let’s go. ” —With reporting by Leslie Dickstein, Simmone Shah and Julia Zorthian
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