Bret Bielema calls out 'misinformation' around Colorado insuring Travis Hunter, Shedeur Sanders

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema wanted to point out the misinformation regarding insurance for players in light of the news of Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter ahead of the bowl postseason.

Deion Sanders revealed historic insurance policies for the players ahead of the Alamo Bowl. Bielema wanted the record to reflect that Illinois has been doing that all year with all players who qualify.

So basically, it’s nothing new.

“There just so much misinformation out there,” Bielema said ahead of the Cheez-It Bowl. “You know, I was watching a game the other night, and they made a big deal that they insured their players for the bowl game. We insured our players for the whole freaking season, right? Like, so like, our guys know that we take care of them from before we even started in fall camp to the whole year. 

“We have guys that qualify for insurance, we paid for them the whole year from the athletic department. To do that, it just tells our kids that we believe in them and we care for them. I think that’s a really big deal. And this last game is an opportunity to show them.”

Bielema is right for giving his players insurance and making sure they’re taken care of. It was certainly a curious choice to mention another team they’re not playing in the postseason.

Colorado AD Rick George explained the insurance policies for the Buffaloes’ stars, referenced by Bielema.

“It was his idea we should get disability insurance for our athletes for this game to ensure that they played and if there was some kind of injury that they would be well taken care of,” George said of Deion Sanders. “So, we worked together on that. We’re excited about it, we think it’s great that all our players are playing in the game. That’s what all bowl games should be like.”

Hunter and Sanders, specifically, have historic policies covering them for the game according to their head coach. No specific number was given but it’s safe to say the duo will be taken care of if the worst were to happen and a big injury occurs.

Perhaps Bielema was referring to the amount, considering Coach Prime referred to a giant number in terms of a dollar figure.

“We have a multitude of players that are draftable, that they received a draft grade,” Deion Sanders said. “They had visibility (insurance) all season long, we want to make insure that if something were to happen, they would cover it.

“We happen to have two players that are probably going to be the first two picks of the NFL Draft. We all know who those two are and they have received, I think, the highest number of coverage that has ever been covered in college football. It far exceeds anyone that has ever played this game of college football.”