Deion Sanders explains why he’s not worried about nerves in Week 1

Deion Sanders isn’t worried about any nerves when Colorado opens up on the road against TCU. It’s quite the stage for Sanders’ first game as head coach against last year’s national runner-ups.

But Coach Prime deflected any pressure that he might feel, knowing the big moments he’s been in throughout his career as an athlete. He wanted to talk about his players and how excited he was for them to maximize their opportunity.

So essentially, there are no nerves. It’s just football.

“I know it may seem like it but it’s not about me,” Sanders said. “And you talking about a big state. I think I played the Super Bowl and World Series. I’m good. I’m good. It was great. This is about the kids, man. I want them to go out there and maximize the moment and take advantage of the exposure in the light that they have and I feel like they will, 100%.”

Sanders is confident in his own team, but noted Colorado has a tough matchup with TCU. He had all the respect in the world for Sonny Dykes and staff.

“Great coaching,” Sanders said. “Great coaching, great staff. They did the unthinkable last year and I’m proud of them, you know, residing there in Texas for quite some time. He lost a lot of men that were really good football players. And they replaced them with we’re pretty good football players. 

“One thing about that team and their head coach, they will be prepared. They will be fundamentally sound. They will come out emotional and play with emotions, trying to atone for last season, the way that ended. But man, this team is a good football team. I’m happy with our opponent. I can’t wait to get up there and see how we stand up to the challenge.”

If Colorado is to upset TCU in Week 1, the Buffaloes have to play fundamentally sound and do it better than the Horned Frogs, something Sanders complimented. Sanders doesn’t want any self-inflicted mistakes to cost Colorado a football game.

“I don’t know what too tight or too loose means really,” Sanders said. “But foolishness means jumping offsides, stupid stuff, just to stop the self-inflicted type of wounds that teams deal with. Practice wise man, these guys have been going after it and I’m proud of them. They’ve been working their butts off and they’ve kind of challenging one another … 

“(They were) telling me what they need to do to be dominant in his game. And everything they said we wrote on the board and we said okay, now go out there and practice and do it. Don’t wait until Saturday to do it. Do it now. So I’m happy with our young men. I really am.”