Deion Sanders explains taking Colorado job

Deion Sanders took the Colorado football job knowing full well it was a great challenge to resurrect a team at the bottom of the Pac-12.

After great success at Jackson State, Sanders immediately went to the Power Five and brought his luggage (transfers) with him, including his son and quarterback Shedeur Sanders and former top prospect and two-way star Travis Hunter. But still, Colorado wasn’t exactly ripe for success lately.

Sanders wanted to change all of that, which he explained to Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt.

“First of all, our beloved AD Rick George gave me a tremendous opportunity,” Sanders said. “He laid something in front of me and I saw candidly, they need. I’m a need to be needed type of person … There was a tremendous need, a tremendous want, a tremendous desire of excellence. I love that challenge. That’s what wakes me up in the morning. That’s what gets me going. 

“That’s what makes me start moving and bouncing. Here comes an opportunity for another challenge. Why do you think I went from Atlanta to San Francisco, San Francisco to Dallas? The challenge. I thrive on it and that type of stuff and I love it. And he gave me this opportunity and I took it and ran with it.”

Colorado went 1-11 last season so it’s no secret this is a rebuilding job. But Sanders wouldn’t have it any other way.

He plans to turn the team around in a hurry.

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Klatt made the argument people didn’t truly see how bad in shape Colorado was before Sanders arrived. On the contrary, Sanders said everyone knew exactly what was wrong.

“They do,” Sanders said. “They just want to take a shot at me and I’m good with that. They do. They know what it was. But this is their opportunity to take a shot, but they better shoot now. Because in a moment, you’re not gonna be able to shoot.”

The ever brash Sanders talks the talk and walks the walk. He went 27-6 at Jackson State, winning back-to-back conference titles over the last two seasons.

The combined record after the shortened 2020 season? 23-3. That’s pretty darn impressive every which way you slice it. Sanders brought Jackson State and HBCU football to the forefront of the college football conversation with success on the field.

Can he bring Colorado back to its glory days? Everyone’s eager to find out and they might find out fast.