Deion Sanders spoke generally over the weekend about the negative criticism he faces as Colorado’s head coach, but did not directly address the ban on asking a Denver Post columnist questions at press conferences.
The ban on Sean Keeler of the Denver Post from asking questions came after the school said he had written a “series of sustained, personal attacks on the football program and Coach Prime in particular,” USA Today reports.
However, Sanders, known as Coach Prime, told reporters Saturday that he never let the outside noise bother him and that there was never anything that prompted him to “train harder.”
“You don’t really care because it doesn’t affect you,” Sanders said. “I’ve never read an article or an op-ed and said, ‘Oh, this is going to make me tougher.’ I’m definitely going to crack down, but that op-ed showed me where you stand. So that’s the only difference in the matter. It doesn’t drive me. Where I came from drove me.”
“The way I grew up drove me. I’m African-American and one of the few who are head coaches in college football. Those are the kinds of things that drive me. It’s not about what you say. That lets me know where you stand.”
The Buffaloes are coming off a season that saw them go 4-8 in Sanders’ first year at the helm and begin the 2024 season on Thursday against North Dakota State.
The former NFL star said he is used to being in the spotlight and being criticized.
Sanders said his focus was on understanding where the situation came from and “why,” not on being angry about it.
“This is a way of life for me. You act like this is the first time I’ve been shot at. I’ve been lied to, cheated on, talked about, abused. This is a gospel song… This is not the first time, but the more I mature, the more I want to know why, instead of hitting back, criticizing or just dismissing you. Let’s help each other. Let’s find out the why, because when you understand the why in people, it helps you tremendously,” he said.
Colorado confirmed in a statement Friday that Keeler had been barred from asking questions, but said he would still be allowed to cover games and other newspaper employees would still be allowed to ask questions.
