Deion Sanders calls for leadership after Colorado’s 35–21 loss to TCU

Brian Schaible

Deion Sanders calls for leadership after Colorado’s 35–21 loss to TCU image

Deion Sanders didn’t hide behind excuses Saturday night.

Following Colorado’s 35–21 loss to TCU, the Buffaloes’ head coach sounded frustrated, reflective, and fully accountable. “Truly disappointed,” Sanders said. “I’m not lost for words, but I am lost for answers.”

He said the problem wasn’t talent, it was repetition of the same costly habits. “It’s one thing to lose, then it’s another thing to feel like you beat yourselves,” Sanders said. “We keep doing the same old thing we always done, we gonna get the same old things that we’ve always gotten.”

The message, he said, starts with accountability and leadership. “It’s leadership that’s needed, that’s warranted, not only in the locker room, but on the practice field that translates to the games,” he said.

Sanders didn’t spare himself from blame. “If I’m tolerating it, that means I’m a part of it,” he said. “I got to do a better job of just putting a stop to it when I see it.”

He pointed to situational football, the defining moments Colorado continues to mishandle. “When it’s third and seven, third and twelve and we have the ball, we got to win that moment,” Sanders said. “The lineman got to block. The guys got to run great routes. We got to throw the darn ball where it needs to be. Those moments, man.”

Every player, he said, has a chance to change the outcome. “You’re going to have a moment to change the outcome of this game. And you got to maximize your moments. That’s the way you elevate to the next level. That’s the way you go pro.”

Sanders finished with a tone of urgency. It was not anger, but resolve.

“We got to do a better job, man,” he said. “I’m racking my brain to figure it out with these young men.”

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Brian Schaible

Brian Schaible is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is an award-winning journalist with over 25 years of experience covering college and professional sports. Brian holds a master’s degree in journalism/public relations from Kent State University.