Deion Sanders tells doubters to ‘turn on the film’

Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes surprised the college football world by upsetting the No. 17 ranked TCU Horned Frogs in their week 1 season opener. The Buffaloes were able to hold their own against last year’s college football national championship runner-up in the Horned Frogs home of Armon G. Carter Stadium.

Arguably, the most impressive part of Colorado’s victory on Saturday is that it came with nearly an entirely new roster than the one fielded in 2022.

Sanders had plenty to say about his team following their 45-42 victory against TCU. When asked what his response would be to those who criticized him about all the transfer portal activity Colorado had in the offseason, the Buffaloes headman kept his answer simple — turn on the film.

“I’d tell them to turn on the film,” said Sanders. “We’re gonna continuously be questioned because we do things that have never been done. That’s the way our life has presented itself; we do things that have never been done, and that makes people uncomfortable. When you see a confident black [man] sitting up here talking his tongue, walking his walk, coaching 75 percent African Americans in the locker room, that’s kind of threatening.

“Oh, they don’t like that. But guess what? We’re going to consistently do what we do. Because I’m here and ain’t going nowhere. And I’m about to get comfortable in a minute. Because these young men, in there right now, they believe. Not all of them believed before, but right now, they came up one-by-one, two-by-twos; coach, we believe. Now they believe. Boulder believes. People in the front office, people in the building, the fans, the students — mow everybody wants to believe. I’m good with that. We got room.”

It is the first week of the college football season, and Sanders has already matched Colorado’s win total from last season — one. And the players he put his trust in, who he brought in from Jackson State and through the transfer portal, rewarded his faith with a massive victory on the road to start the year. His son and starting Colorado quarterback, Shedeur Sanders, was phenomenal in the game, breaking Colorado’s single-game passing yards record with 510 yards through the air.

Throughout the offseason leading up to the start of the 2023 season, Sanders has consistently said he is keeping receipts. But this is not to be vindictive or get back at anyone who has talked down on the program. According to the Buffaloes headman, it’s to let those who were against him in the offseason know he knows where they stood before the start of the season:

“We’re not vindictive like that. I just like them to know that I know that you really ain’t with me; you really ain’t with us (and) you really don’t believe. You really don’t want to see me win. You really don’t wanna see me in victory or at peace and have joy. I know you don’t want to see that. But I love it. It ain’t nothing different. Why would I expect something different? It was like that when I played, right? So I’m just playing another game. I’m just off the field (and) I’m not on the field now. But I can affect what’s on the field. And I’m thankful for that. I really am.”

Who knows what the future holds for Sanders and his Buffaloes? But they are starting the 2023 season in an impressive fashion with the victory over one of the top teams in the Big 12. And for those choosing to hop on the Colorado bandwagon, they have room for all according to Sanders. But if you’re still against them and have questions about his use of the transfer portal in the offseason, he wants you to study the tape a-plenty from their Week 1 victory to support his actions.