Deion Sanders addresses his relationship with Jay Norvell, family amid reported feud
Deion Sanders and Jay Norvell don’t exactly have a relationship, but they’ll be across opposite sidelines when Colorado visits Colorado State.
After Norvell and family allegedly had some disparaging comments about Sanders, Coach Prime was asked for a rebuttal. Although he didn’t give any ground and simply said he interacted with Norvell’s wife during the Big 12 Meetings.
Looks like business will be settled on the field.
“Well, I had the honor and the pleasure at the Big 12 meetings to meet his wife,” Sanders said. “She’s delightful. I’m not looking for an apology. I just met her. She was delightful … I don’t judge people based off what they say when they’re emotional. I can’t do that man. My heart ain’t built like that. When you show me who you are, I gotta believe you, but I hadn’t seen that. I just met his wife and she was delightful.”
Norvell explained that he doesn’t really think about the rival. And there certainly doesn’t seem to be some secret friendship behind the scenes with Sanders.
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“I don’t have any feelings for Deion Sanders, I really don’t,” Norvell said in July, according to the Denver Gazette. “I don’t think about Deion Sanders unless you guys ask me a question about him. No, nothing’s changed.”
The frosty relationship — or lack thereof — between Sanders and Norvell stems from the lead up to the Rocky Mountain Showdown in 2023. As Colorado was the hot story to start the season, Norvell chastised Sanders without mentioning him by name and said “When I talk to grown ups, I take my hat and my sunglasses off” during his weekly radio show.
Sanders spun that into motivation for the Colorado team, spurring the animosity for the showdown in Boulder in what he claimed was now “personal.” Colorado won, 43-35, in comeback fashion in overtime.
But no matter what Sanders or Norvell feel about the other, the Colorado State head coach would like to see the rivalry continue, both for the players in each program and the people in the state of Colorado.
“It’s been a special game for a long time to the people of Colorado,” Norvell said. “I do wish we played them every year because it’s a rivalry game. I think it’s something the fans love and the players love to play in those kind of games. We get to get ‘em in our stadium this year. It should be a great atmosphere. People are excited about the game, we’re excited about the game. It should be an incredible night.”
Andrew Graham contributed to this story