Colorado coach Deion Sanders says ‘I’m here’ amid speculation over future, opening at Texas A&M
By PAT GRAHAM
AP Sports Writer
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Deion Sanders had a to-the-point stance on Texas A&M coaching rumors or any other speculation that may involve him leaving Colorado.
“I’m here,” Sanders said Tuesday at his weekly news conference.
Although the first-year Colorado coach sidestepped a direct answer about the Aggies job that opened up with the firing of Jimbo Fisher, Sanders made it clear he and his family are comfortable at Colorado. That he and his sons, quarterback Shedeur Sanders and safety Shilo Sanders, are settled in. It’s what he would reiterate to any parent of a recruit that was interested in playing for the Buffaloes (4-6, 1-6 Pac-12) down the road.
“I tell them my mother’s here. My sister’s here. My dog is here. My daughter’s here. Three of my sons are here,” Deion Sanders said. “My other daughter comes to darn near every home game. We’re here. I get mail here. Pay taxes here. … I’m here.”
Sanders and the Buffaloes have fallen on lean times since their 3-0 start. They’ve dropped six of seven heading into their game at Washington State (4-6, 1-6) on Friday night. But Sanders sees signs of recent progress (less sacks last weekend, for starters) and that it takes time to rebuild a program that went 1-11 a season ago.
“I love to win. My cologne is called, ‘Win,’” Sanders joked. “We’re going through a patch right now that we’re learning how to (win) and as long as there is progress, I’m good. In every week, I see progress. I’m ecstatic about that.”
Sanders’ name will no doubt surface when vacancies open up. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith was recently laying out a case for Sanders going to Texas A&M, saying, “Primetime Deion Sanders in the SEC? That needs to happen.”
Sanders agreed to a five-year, $29.5 million deal when he was brought in by Colorado nearly a year ago from Jackson State. His deal included incentives such as $150,000 for six wins and $100,000 for each win after six, $150,000 for a bowl berth and $200,000 for a New Year’s Six bowl invitation.
He’s already put the Buffaloes back on the college football landscape. All six games at Folsom Field were sold out this season, with big-name celebrities showing up on the sideline. The Buffaloes have two games remaining, both on the road, and need two wins to reach bowl eligibility.
“I want to win. I want to win a game. You think I really do sit down and think about that kind of stuff?” Sanders said of swirling speculation (more specifically, the comments from Smith). “Come on. I’m good. We’ve got to win. Let’s focus on this week.”
Sanders also spent time Tuesday discussing the progress that’s been made in the case of the items that went missing from Colorado’s locker room at the Rose Bowl when the Buffaloes played UCLA last month.
Lisa Derderian, a public information officer for the city of Pasadena, California, said Tuesday that four juvenile suspects have been identified and the case turned over to LA County’s juvenile division. Derderian said some of the items were sent back to Colorado.
Sanders urged compassion through the judicial process.
“Let’s not crucify and punish these high school kids,” Sanders said. “Whatever the punishment that comes along with it, all right, let that be community service or whatever. But let’s not abort the rest of their opportunities and lives because of a mistake.”
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
