Barry Switzer EXCLUSIVE: Colorado and the rise of Deion Sanders
Barry Switzer has never been afraid to tell the truth. He's one of the best coaches to transition from college to the NFL and has cemented his legacy in the game of football. He'll forever be associated with Oklahoma and known as the man who could've won another Super Bowl with the Dallas Cowboys.
One man who was heavily influenced by Switzer's journey is Deion Sanders. The electrifying Hall of Famer has been noted to say his former coach was his favorite of all time, and it's not hard to see why. Coach Prime's approach comes off like a younger Switzer with the same tenacity. The two are tied together now as friends in life.
When we called Switzer to talk about Sanders' rise, he admitted he was waiting for the phone to ring about Colorado's new coach.
"I've always known he was going to a Power 5 school, especially with what he did at Jackson State. It was only a matter of time," Switzer said about Sanders.
"What made him special was his athletic ability, but as a coach, he's able to get the kids to buy into what he's saying," Switzer said. "That's important as a leader and, in particular, a coach."
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Many people have drawn comparisons to how Switzer recruited at Oklahoma and what Prime is doing at Colorado. A primary focus on the southern region of the country in pockets where SEC schools typically have a hold on the ones from the outside. Sanders' connection runs deep, and it's the reason why he's able to relate to the top-tier talent coming to Boulder.
"I've never been in a home with him. But I can tell you the way presents himself to potential recruits and their family, who wouldn't want to play for him?" He has a passion like none other," Switzer explained.
PEOPLE Magazine recently noted a third sport Prime would've gone pro in. It also happens to be a favorite pastime that Switzer and his former star player enjoy together.
"One of our best times was fishing in my ponds here in Oklahoma," Switzer recalled. "Right near the Red River with some of the best bass fishing"
Outside of sharing a love for football and fishing, the two coaches now have ties to Colorado. While Prime is starting his tenure with the Buffs, Switzer has a 22-year history of playing in the Big 8 against the Buffaloes. A great number of years as Sooners offensive coordinator before becoming head coach in 1973.
When asked about his memories from playing in Boulder, Switzer broke out into a story only he could tell.
"It was 1974, and we went up on Colorado 28-0 at halftime. We went on to win the national championship that year. I went into the locker room and told the offense to keep it up. I told the defense to keep it up. I walked just outside the locker room and got on a pay phone. I called a Hooks Amoco service station in Texarkana, TX. A man by the name of DJ answered the phone.
"I told him I needed to talk to Billy. He said, "Billy's outside pumping gas." I told him it was important, and he needed to come inside and talk to me. I'm deep in a conversation with Billy, and I get a tap on the shoulder. It was the referee telling me I needed to get my team back on the field.
"I spent all 30 minutes of my halftime talking to the future Heisman winner and No. 1 pick Billy Sims. He hadn't yet committed, and I had to tell him what we were doing. That's my fondest memory of playing Colorado besides all the victories."
The 1970s featured the powerhouse programs of Oklahoma and Nebraska running the table in the national conversation. Colorado was on the fringe of being great in the Big 8. However, they couldn't overcome the talent of Switzer's Sooners and Tom Osborne's Big Red machine at Nebraska. In 1971, Colorado finished No. 3 in the nation, behind Oklahoma and Nebraska. The only time in NCAA history the top three teams in the final poll came from the same conference.
While Colorado was in the picture, Osborne always believed they were irrelevant.
“I don’t know—our rival was primarily Oklahoma," Osborne said in an interview in 2015. "For thirty years, Nebraska and Oklahoma either won or shared the conference championship 29 times. So, that was our main rival. Each week, the team we played was our biggest rival. We gained a lot of respect for Colorado, particularly in the 90’s. Bill McCartney built great teams out there with great players. And we certainly respected them throughout the years when they had (Eddie) Crowder, Dal Ward, and others like Bill Mallory. Good memories— but probably never a rivalry for Nebraska.”
A rival for Osborne was having to face Ralphie every time he came to Boulder. The infamous stare down between the Nebraska legend and the one-ton bison made headlines throughout the years. Switzer felt the same way as Osborne about Colorado's live mascot and often kept his head on a swivel.
"Oh, hell yeah," Switzer exclaimed. "You have to watch where you're stepping on the sidelines and make sure she doesn't creep up on you. Ralphie and the Texas Tech Red Raider stallion. You have to be aware of both of them at all times. Those are wild animals and could get loose at any time."
After wrapping with Switzer, we typically exchange pleasantries and catch up on life. He said he's doing "good for an old man." I let off a chuckle and told him he's not old, just young at heart. His response was one-of-a-kind. "I'm five away from 90... That's pretty old." One thing is certain, he'll never lose his sense of humor.
My parting shot was asking how Oklahoma would fare in the SEC? Switzer responded by saying, "We'll have to wait and see... Now, won't we?"
