Colorado Buffaloes football coach Deion Sanders wasn’t worried about much at his job when he was away from his team, dealing with bladder cancer that nearly took his life this past May.
The one thing he was worried about was his student athletes, according to his long-time friend Michael Irvin.
“You know how Deion’s doing, Deion had a game he could’ve won the other night. He had that game and it was a big game. Health-wise he’s great. Health-wise he’s in the best place he could be, and that’s right back on the sideline with his guys,” Irvin said on the Dan Patrick Show Wednesday.
“When I went to see him and he was really at his lowest, all he talked about to me — which was amazing — was ‘I haven’t seen my players.’ And I told him it reminded me of when my dad was very sick and he went to the doctor and all he was thinking about was his family. It tells you the power and how powerful that kind of man is. So, yeah, he was like that thinking only about his players when he was at his lowest, and now his players are probably feeling low, yeah you know how he feels right now. But health-wise, he’s healthy.”
Coach Prime has long been accused of having a me-first agenda, which extended to his sons, Shedeur and Shilo, and his “son,” Travis Hunter. It stems from negative reporting of his expulsion of many 2022 Buffs roster members and even several players he brought on in 2023 who didn’t enjoy their experiences, like backup quarterback Gavin Kuld.
There were even accusations of a “gun culture” in the locker room where weapons were brandished, fights, initiation rituals, and preferential treatment. The reporter at Athlon Sports who penned the report has since taken it down.
Ultimately, no major controversy actually formed outside of a few hurt feelings. But Coach Prime continues to coach Colorado to this day with no legal issues and no destructive reputation.