Tag: colorado

Jul 9, 2025; Frisco, TX, USA; Colorado head coach Deion Sanders speaks with the media during 2025 Big 12 Football Media Days at The Star. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Deion Sanders declines to discuss health at Big 12 Media Days

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Colorado coach Deion Sanders, speaking to reporters at Big 12 Media Day in Frisco, Texas, on Wednesday, declined to discuss details of an undisclosed medical condition that has limited his activity with the program.

“I’m not here to talk about my health, I’m here to talk about my team,” Sanders said when pressed by a reporter to address his recent health challenges. “I’m looking good. I’m living lovely. God has truly blessed me. Not a care in the world. Not a want or desire in the world. … I look good. I’m feeling good.”

Neither Sanders nor Colorado officials have given specifics about the nature of the health issue the coach is facing. He has been away from Boulder, Colo., missing annual youth camps he normally would have attended.

When repeatedly asked about his health, Sanders insisted he feels “good” and turned the focus to his team.

“I never waver. I never say why me, regardless of what’s ahead of me or what I see. … I’m truly thankful,” Sanders said of what motivates him. “Truly a go-getter. I want to win at all costs. I want to win the right way. I want to set the right standards. And I want to prepare these young men for life not just for football, I want them to be professional.”

Sanders also shared his love for his fellow Big 12 coaches who he said have been supportive.

“The coaches of the Big 12 are incredible. I love them. They’ve been calling, checking on me, making sure I’m straight,” Sanders said. “But you talk about knowing football, teaching football, communicating with their kids, none of this stupid animosity or jealousy. I love the coaches of the Big 12. I want to beat them all, but love them. I truly do.”

Recent social media posts showed visits to Sanders’ estate in Texas by former NFL cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones and the rapper Lil Wayne. Sanders was seen in an Instagram video walking, a bit gingerly, with the rapper. However, he appeared to be walking normally onstage at Wednesday’s press conference.

Sanders had previously addressed his health in a social media post on June 11.

“I can assure you all that everything is OK and will continue to be so,” he posted to X. “… I’m excited to get back to Colorado to be at home with my staff, team & all associated to our program. When we arrive back to Boulder you will be updated on everything.”

A member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Sanders required multiple surgeries for persistent blood clots in recent years. He had two toes amputated in 2021 to address clotting issues, but it is unclear whether that is related to his current health status.

The Buffaloes open the season at home on Aug. 29 against Georgia Tech.

–Field Level Media

Apr 19, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders during the spring game at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Ailing Deion Sanders expected to return to work soon

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Colorado coach Deion Sanders, who has been suffering from an undisclosed medical condition, is expected to be back on the job soon.

That’s according to former NFL cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones, who recently went fishing with Sanders at his Texas estate. Jones posted a video of his comments, made in a BetOnline interview, to his Instagram account.

“Deion’s doing good,” Jones said. “I think he got another week at home before they get started. He’ll be there. He’ll be ready to go.”

“Thanks to everybody that has been praying and sending good thoughts and prayers his way,” Jones added.

Sanders, 57, posted a video to his Instagram account two days ago following a visit to his estate by Lil Wayne. Sanders is seen walking, a bit gingerly, with the rapper.

Neither Sanders nor Colorado officials have given specifics about the nature of the health issue the coach is facing. He has been away from Boulder, missing annual youth camps he normally would have attended. He is scheduled to attend a Big 12 preseason media event on Wednesday in Frisco, Texas.

Sanders addressed his health in a social media post on June 11.

“I can assure you all that everything is OK and will continue to be so,” he posted to X. “… I’m excited to get back to Colorado to be at home with my staff, team & all associated to our program. When we arrive back to Boulder you will be updated on everything.”

A member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Sanders required multiple surgeries for persistent blood clots in recent years. He had two toes amputated in 2021 to address clotting issues, but it is unclear whether that is related to his current health status.

The Buffaloes open the season at home on Aug. 29 against Georgia Tech.

–Field Level Media

Apr 19, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders before the spring game at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Son: Deion Sanders making ‘progress’ amid health issue

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Colorado football coach Deion Sanders is improving in his battle with an unspecified health condition, his eldest son said.

Deion Sanders Jr. posted a video of his father fishing at his Texas estate to YouTube on Saturday.

“It’s a beautiful thing,” Deion Sanders Jr. says in the video. “Coach Prime back active, moving around. God is great. Not back active moving around, but it’s progress.”

In the video, the elder Sanders, 57, is shown driving the fishing boat, which also counts former Colorado star and Jacksonville Jaguars rookie Travis Hunter among the passengers.

Neither Sanders nor Colorado officials have given specifics about the nature of the health issue the coach is facing. He has been away from Boulder, missing annual youth camps he normally would have attended. He is scheduled to attend a Big 12 preseason media event on July 9 in Frisco, Texas.

Sanders addressed his health in a social media post on June 11.

“I can assure you all that everything is OK and will continue to be so,” he posted to X. “… I’m excited to get back to Colorado to be at home with my staff, team & all associated to our program. When we arrive back to Boulder you will be updated on everything.”

It is unclear when Sanders will return to the Buffaloes.

A member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Sanders required multiple surgeries for persistent blood clots in recent years. He had two toes amputated in 2021 to address clotting issues.

–Field Level Media

Apr 19, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders during the spring game at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Colorado coach Deion Sanders: ‘Everything is OK’

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Colorado coach Deion Sanders declared “everything is OK and will continue to be so” in a socal media statement responding to concerns about a possible health issue.

Sanders did not appear at a scheduled speaking engagement and was away from the Boulder campus at his Texas estate according to one of his sons, Deion Sanders Jr.

“Wow, I am truly blessed for the abundance of well wishes, for all the thoughts and all of the prayers,” Deion Sanders wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Thank you Thank you Thank you! I can assure you all that everything is OK and will continue to be so. God got me like no other. I have so much more work to do to Glorify God so please believe God got me! I’m excited to get back to Colorado to be at home with my staff, team & all associated to our program. When we arrive back to Boulder you will be updated on everything.”

Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Deion Sanders Jr. had no details to provide when requests were made for comment this week.

“Yeah, I don’t know what’s going on,” Shedeur Sanders said at Browns minicamp. “I’m here not to talk about Pops and them. I’m here [to be] quarterback of the Cleveland Browns.”

Deion Sanders Jr. said in a YouTube stream that he’d let his father update the details.

Deion Sanders required multiple surgeries for persistent blood clots in recent years. He had two toes amputated in 2021 to address clotting issues.

–Field Level Media

Apr 19, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders during the spring game at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Reports: Colorado’s Deion Sanders has unspecified illness

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Colorado football coach Deion Sanders is at his home in Texas dealing with an “unspecified health issue,” ESPN reported Tuesday.

Sanders, 57, was away from campus as the school’s annual summer football camps began last week, according to USA Today.

The Pro Football Hall of Famer’s oldest son, Deion Sanders Jr., said his father was “feeling well” in a livestream on YouTube Sunday, but there is no timetable for his return.

“He’ll tell y’all soon enough what he’s going through, what he went through,” Deion Jr. stated, according to USA Today. “When we get back to Boulder? I don’t know. I’m waiting until my dad leaves. When he leaves, then I’ll go. Until then, I’m going to sit here with him.”

Colorado opens the season at home against Georgia Tech on Aug. 29.

The Buffaloes finished 9-4 (7-2 Big 12) in Sanders’ second season in 2024 but lost two of their most high-profile players — Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter and quarterback (and coach’s son) Shedeur Sanders — to the 2025 NFL Draft.

Deion Sanders has dealt with health problems in the recent past. He had two toes amputated in 2022 due to blood clots and also missed the Pac-12 media day in 2023 because of blood clots in his legs.

Sanders had been scheduled to speak last weekend at a medical conference in Florida but had to cancel.

“Due to an unavoidable last-minute scheduling change, our originally scheduled Foundation Keynote Speaker, Deion Sanders ‘Coach Prime,’ is unable to attend. We are grateful for his support and look forward to future opportunities to welcome him,” the Foundation for Sickle Cell Disease Research posted on X.

–Field Level Media

Oct 19, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Colorado Buffalos cornerback Colton Hood (3) against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Colorado CB Colton Hood transferring to Tennessee

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Former Colorado cornerback Colton Hood announced on Friday that he is transferring to Tennessee.

Hood had been expected to take over for Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter in the Buffaloes’ secondary.

He had 24 tackles and two interceptions in 13 games in his lone season playing for coach Deion Sanders in 2024.

Hood, a native of Georgia, played his freshman season at Auburn, appearing in four games in 2023.

Hood told On3.com Friday that he liked the “culture and history” at Tennessee and the “genuineness” of Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel.

“They basically said I can come in and play and be a big factor of what they got going on immediately,” Hood said. “So I think that’s big, too.”

He also said he is excited to play closer to home and test his skills against Southeastern Conference opponents.

“That’s really big because I was just at Colorado, which is really far, really, really far from home,” Hood said. “So being able to come closer to home is big for myself.

“It is appealing going against the best. I pride myself on competitiveness, so that is very appealing.”

Coming off a 10-3 season, Tennessee kicks off the 2025 campaign against Syracuse on Aug. 30 in Atlanta.

–Field Level Media

Apr 4, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) runs drills at the University of Colorado NFL Showcase at the CU Indoor Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Michael Ciaglo-Imagn Images

Court OKs probation exception, allows Travis Hunter Sr. to attend draft

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Travis Hunter Sr. received clearance to attend the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay, where his Heisman Trophy-winning son is expected to be selected among the top picks Thursday night.

Hunter Sr. was granted an exception to the travel restriction under terms of a three-year probation agreement stemming from a 2023 arrest for undisclosed charges that carried a 90-day jail sentence. Thought Hunter Sr. was released early — days before his son was presented the Heisman — he was not in attendance for the ceremony.

USA Today reported that Hunter Sr. will be restricted to his hotel and the draft grounds in and around Lambeau Field.

A wide receiver and cornerback, Travis Hunter Jr. won the Heisman Trophy in a historic dual role at Colorado. He’s projected to be selected with the No. 2 pick by the Cleveland Browns or third overall by the New York Giants.

Hunter Jr. did not leave his father out of the festivities in New York, talking to him directly during an emotional acceptance speech.

“All the times that you didn’t get to see me, or the times you did come to see my games,” Hunter Jr. said in December. “From not seeing probably two games in high school to seeing me on TV every weekend and coming to see me. That means so much to me. I know you wanted to be here and you can’t, but trust me, I got you. I’m bringing the trophy home. I love you.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 19, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Colorado Buffalos quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) with wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Buffs retiring jerseys of Travis Hunter, Shedeur Sanders

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Colorado is retiring the uniform numbers for Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders at the Buffaloes’ spring game on Saturday in Boulder, Colo.

The school announced its plans Monday to honor the No. 12 of Hunter, the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner, and the No. 2 of Sanders, the 2024 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.

Hunter, a wide receiver and cornerback, also won the Walter Camp Award and the AP and Sporting News player of the year honors. He finished his two seasons at Colorado with 153 receptions for 1,979 yards and 20 touchdowns. On defense, Hunter recorded seven interceptions and 16 passes defensed.

Sanders won the 2024 Johnny Unitas Award as college football’s best quarterback. In two seasons with Colorado, the son of Buffs coach Deion Sanders completed 71.8 percent of his passes for 7,364 yards with 64 touchdowns and just 13 interceptions in 24 games.

The four previous Colorado players to have their jersey numbers retired are: QB/halfback Byron White (No. 24); guard/linebacker Joe Romig (No. 67), QB/tailback Bobby Anderson (No. 11) and running back Rashaan Salaam (No. 19).

–Field Level Media

Nov 29, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders runs onto the field before the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Colorado keeps Deion Sanders with contract extension, huge raise

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Deion Sanders will remain the head coach at Colorado through the 2029 season under terms of a contract extension announced Friday.

He will earn a base salary of $10 million in 2025, making him the highest-paid football coach in the Big 12 and among the top 10 highest-paid head football coaches in the country, the university announced.

ESPN reported that his total compensation over five years will be $54 million, with his pay rising to $11 million annually in 2027 and $12 million in 2029.

Last season, he earned $5.7 million, according to the USA Today coaches’ salary database. Mike Gundy of Oklahoma State earned $7.75 million to top the Big 12, per the database.

Sanders took over a team that was 1-11 in 2022 and saw an improvement to 4-8 in his first season. In 2024, the Buffaloes were 9-4 and earned an invitation to the Alamo Bowl.

In a news release, the school called Sanders’ two seasons as head coach as “transformational” and credited his leadership for turning the Colorado football team into one of the “most-watched teams in sports,” citing 54 million viewers in 2024 as evidence.

“Coach Prime has revolutionized college football and in doing so, has restored CU football to our rightful place as a national power,” athletic director Rick George said. “This extension not only recognizes Coach’s incredible accomplishments transforming our program on and off the field, it keeps him in Boulder to compete for conference and national championships in the years to come.”

Campus leaders also said Sanders’ presence and visibility has influenced the academic side of Colorado, which has seen a 20 percent increase in applications, including an increase of 50.5 percent from students who classify themselves as Black/African American. He also speaks in classes and special campus events.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to continue building something special here at Colorado,” said Sanders, 57. “We’ve just scratched the surface of what this program can be. It’s not just about football; it’s about developing young men who are ready to take on the world. I’m committed to bringing greatness to this university, on and off the field. We’ve got work to do, and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but here, making history with these incredible players and this passionate fan base.

“Lastly, anybody got at least a five-bedroom home with acreage for sale?”

Sanders played 14 seasons as a defensive back in the National Football League, won two Super Bowls and was named a first-team All-Pro six times. He was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.

Concurrently, he played nine Major League Baseball seasons, retiring with a career average of .263 with 186 stolen bases and 43 triples in 641 games.

Immediately before accepting the Colorado job, Sanders spent three seasons as the head coach at Jackson State, finishing with a 27-6 record.

–Field Level Media