“All you see is him in Colorado, Colorado on TV, Colorado on social media, all eyes on Colorado,” said Darian Hagan, the quarterback for Colorado’s national championship team in 1990. The entire town of Boulder was abuzz when Deion Sanders was forced to leave campus in June for health reasons. It certainly gave people some concerns, with recruits coming through town and Deion not being there to flash the trademark smile and sell the dream. Deion still made sure he stayed in touch, FaceTiming kids and keeping his hand on the program. By mid-July, boom, recruiting started up again. At this point, it’s hard to watch the Buffs without the Coach Prime factor.
He came into the program in 2023, and overnight, Boulder was the hub of college football news, celebrities, cameras, NFL legends on the payroll, and five-star recruits flipping commitments. Prime ignited a spark, rebuilt the roster, and completely changed the program’s atmosphere. The result? Colorado went from underdogs to must-see TV, and you can guarantee the coach’s fingerprints are all over every inch of that change. And for a glimpse of the real inside story, just ask former Colorado star and current Panthers WR, Jimmy Horn Jr. He’s been candid about how Coach Prime’s approach not only enhanced the game for the team but also molded players as individuals.
“I say playing for Coach Prime, he’s running the program more like a boy, the man type of deal,” Horn states in the July 16th episode of the Carolina Panthers podcast. “You’re going to come in there a certain way, you’re going to come out a certain way. But at the end of the day, he still wants you to be the same person that you came in as, but he’s just gonna add on to a certain characteristic that you need in life.”
Jimmy makes it sound so much like a rite of passage: you arrive in your way, but when you exit, you are toting new layers: responsibility, character, and a sharper edge for life’s battles. But with Sanders and Jimmy, it transcends football. Horn has said that Deion Sanders was more of a mentor, even a father figure, particularly with his father absent.
Jimmy’s dad, who had been his rock and the biggest supporter at each game, gets arrested for drug-related offenses just as Jimmy’s hopes were gaining momentum in Colorado. Now there is just this huge void. When Coach Prime realized Jimmy was having trouble, he didn’t simply give him a pep talk and send him back on the field. No way, Prime did something different. He called Jimmy, stayed in touch regularly, and made certain the young receiver understood he was noticed, even on those days that Jimmy felt most isolated, such as on his Senior Day at Colorado when Coach Prime walked alongside him.
Before Coach Prime turned the script around, Colorado football was essentially the epitome of “irrelevant.” The stadiums were half-full, recruits wouldn’t take calls, and the Buffs simply went through seasons like a murmur in the background: 1-11 seasons, staff changes, the whole nine. With Sanders walking into the building, Boulder became the college football world’s focal point out of the land of the forgotten. And the on-field product? OK, so the Buffs aren’t…let’s just say Alabama yet. But are they more fun, more hyped, and more unpredictable than 99% of the sport? Absolutely.
Gone are the slow starts. During Sanders’ inaugural season, Colorado goes from punching bag to showtime. Despite ups and downs, such as a 4-8 start, the word is unstoppable. As Deion bluntly put it, “This is the worst we’re going to be. You better get me right now.” At Colorado, Sanders teaches discipline, responsibility, and character: “I’m not just coaching football players, I’m shaping men,” Deion says.
But how does Deion Sanders do it? Why does it appear so effortless for him when veteran coaches break a sweat over four-win seasons? “He was way beyond his years,” says Cris Carter about Sanders. In the good old days, when most DBs’ concept of film study was merely looking at the Jumbotron, Prime was already marathoning tape like a ’90s kid with a block of Blockbuster rentals. He wasn’t just faster and flashier than everyone else; he was smarter. So, Coach Prime hits Boulder with a playbook that’s two decades ahead of schedule, mixes in a dash of Hollywood, and, surprise! Suddenly, you’ve got a program with actual expectations again. That’s Coach Prime’s actual game plan, and why players who played for him, such as Jimmy Horn Jr., can’t help but bring a little bit of Boulder swagger with them wherever they go.
Why Colorado could be Coach Prime’s last rodeo
The conversation about the world of Colorado football isn’t only about next year’s QB competition. It’s that one day, when Coach Prime finally loads up his Louis suitcases, there’s a strong possibility he won’t be walking any sideline again. Insiders believe Deion Sanders will hang it up as a coach if (and when) he ever leaves Boulder. Yeah, he won’t be donning another blueblood program’s uniform, leaping to a Power Five heavyweight, or making a cameo appearance with the Dallas Cowboys.
Why? Well, for one, Deion’s always been his own man. He’s not following moneybags or legacy-hunting in the classical sense. In reality, with a new $54 million contract extension, he’s earned enough to purchase gold cleats for every player on the team several times over. And Coach Prime isn’t afraid to brag; he’s gone on record saying he’s not “chasing the bag” or glory at this stage of life anymore; he’s chasing fulfillment and making a difference.
Boulder’s a second home for him, and this program is his child. That’s not only job fulfillment; that’s the kind of page you’d want to turn on. And with both of his sons (Shedeur and Shilo) already having gone through the program, the family narrative is low on fresh material. Seriously, don’t anticipate Sanders to do a coaching comeback tour elsewhere. For a man who’s prime time’d at everything, this is his grand finale.
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