Deion Sanders defends son Shedeur for holding onto the ball longer

When the Colorado Buffaloes took down the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Week 2, the offense got off to a much slower start than they did against TCU the week prior. Star quarterback Shedeur Sanders was critical of his own play, highlighting his need to do better in the future in delivering the ball. But while he was critical of himself, his father and the coach, Deion Sanders, gave him a pass for holding on to the ball too long on some plays.

“Yeah, you gotta understand, when Shedeur holds on to the ball, it’s not just to hold on to the ball. Somebody probably ran the wrong route, or somebody or something happened. He never just sits back there and holds on to the darn ball. His read may be here, but you see a guy wide open over there,” said Coach Sanders in the Buffaloes post-game press conference.

According to the Buffaloes’ headman, there is more to it than what meets the eye when his son and star quarterback does these kinds of things. It’s not as simple as reading your reads and delivering the ball where it should go. From the sidelines, Deion Sanders cannot see what Shedeur Sanders sees. So, he has learned to trust and give his son some wiggle room in situations like this one. And the Colorado head coach developed this skill when the two worked together at Trinity Christian High School.

“The thing about it is, I used to question him all the time, especially coming up in high school coaching him. But then, when I watched his film, I understood what he was saying. So, I’ve learned to not be too quick to judge him when I don’t see the full picture because he tells me what’s transpiring.”

Through the first two weeks at Colorado, his trust in Shedeur Sanders has looked like a wise investment. In the season’s first two games, the Colorado quarterback has been efficient and accurate. Shedeur Sanders completed 69 of his 89 pass attempts for a completion percentage of 77.5. The Buffaloes’ star has thrown for 903 yards, averaging 10.1 yards per pass attempt, all while accounting for seven touchdowns ( six passing and one rushing) and zero turnovers to his name.

While Shedeur Sanders may have been critical of his performance against Nebraska, his head coach isn’t really worried about it. In his eyes, he has earned Deion Sanders’s trust as a quarterback to do what needs to be done to pick up the win. And that is something all quarterbacks can appreciate.