CU Buffs
Op-Ed: Colorado's Shedeur Sanders addicted to the business of football like his father
Everyone knows someone who is just like their father. As well as someone who is very much not. Within the Sanders family, it is clear that the Shedeur takes on the similarities of his father.
For most of us, Deion Sanders has been a household name for 30 years. If you are one of those people, you are familiar with a great deal of Deion Sanders’ journey. From starting in Ft. Myers as a tri-sport athlete in high school to his 'Prime Time' days while at Tallahassee to begin one pro career in the ATL, Dallas, and beyond to present day in Boulder. In that time, a few things have been a constant in Deion’s life.
"Work" has been a consistent concept at CU's Fall Camp. It’s very likely that every team in the country focuses on this. It’s the whole reason those players are there to improve going into the season. So much so that the idea of being in-session and not “working” would be silly. But what separates the men from the boys? How can you, as a spectator, know the difference between? “Work” and “yeah, yeah, everybody works”? You look at the writing on the wall, or in this case, the things being said about one player in particular from a multitude of sources. Especially when those words come almost completely unprompted.
Sanders is no stranger to work. It is what allowed him to ascend from the competitive hotbed that is SW Florida football and become the greatest defensive back of all-time and arguably the greatest NFL athlete. Another quality is that Coach Prime has a clear understanding of the path he needs to take. Sometimes, that is clear from the beginning, and sometimes his path has changed, but he’s always known when to push ahead and when to take an alternate route.
Knowing the path ahead and how to work is what put Deion Sanders in a position for success. The youngest Sanders’ son also seems to understand this as his default position. It would be easy to assume that Shedeur Sanders is in the position he’s in because of some "gold paved" road that his famous father laid out for him. Don’t let the jewelry and fashion labels fool you. Deion didn’t give Shedeur a darn thing except connections. Shedeur still had to walk the path.
There is no secret that Shedeur has been around and interacts with sports legends, that even someone in my position would still have to submit official requests to interview. Some of these names if you missed it over the last 9+ months are Tom Brady (and TB12), Russell Wilson, Geno Smith, Sean Payton, Michael Irvin, Terrell Owens, Warren Sapp, Shannon Sharpe, etc... That alone is a noteworthy advantage that not every FBS quarterback has in their pocket. Shedeur not only has those connections, but all indications point to fully taking advantage of learning as much as he can from those who've done it before him. When Shedeur was asked in Fall Camp about what he and Wilson spoke about, he was completely tight-lipped about it. The same goes for Brady, who recently took an ownership role with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Here’s where it all gets interesting. I could tell you Shedeur does all these things, and is every bit the focused worker his Dad was as a player until I’m blue in the face. What takes that from being "coach speak" to something you might actually believe is happening above and beyond that of every other QB in the nation? When those in charge of directing his focus or those players who need him to be the best version of himself come forward to say so even if it doesn’t serve their specific ends.
Colorado offensive coordinator Sean Lewis, throughout the summer, has said nice things about most of his players. We’ve heard about every CU room and about Lewis himself. Until he gets to Shedeur. Coaches have a great way of being the same most of the time. Whether Lewis is speaking of Dylan Edwards or Jimmy Horn, Jr., or whoever was hot that day on the field. Except for Shedeur, and it’s not obvious to the outsiders. But when Lewis speaks about Sanders, there is a glow. A pep in his linguistic step if you will.
No matter what is said, Lewis almost always finds a way to slide in a comment that speaks to Shedeurs football I.Q., professionalism, or focus. Shedeur loves “ball” and it shows. An NFL scout recently gave me an overview of Shedeur.
“He has good size, displays good ball placement on his passes, good footwork maneuvering within the pocket. As of the TCU game, he might lack top-end arm strength and is not a plus athlete”.
Keyshawn Johnson says Deion Sanders' Colorado coaching staff is the best in college football
Now, who does that sound like to you (young version of)? Without asking you to produce a specific name, it sounds like the definition of a prototype pocket passer. This speaks to the path Shedeur has been on from his days in youth football. Sure, his father, being who he is, was able to put Shedeur on the road of a certain path, but Shedeur still had to execute. He still had to walk the path and do the work.
If Lewis was the only one, then this is mostly a non-story. When it also comes from former SEC defensive transfers he faces on a daily basis, it’s different. When Hall of Fame players say they can see it, it’s different. And when one of the biggest, most trusted names in the college football media world says it, it’s different. BuffsBeat’s own Jordan Domineck even said recently, “Shedeur is the most professional player I’ve ever played with.''
Yes, they are teammates, but defensive players don’t hand out compliments like that often. Jordan Davis did not talk up Stetson Bennett’s professionalism last year. It’s not a common thing. Especially from this year's CU Camp, where offensive players and defensive players have been encouraged to accept they are enemy combatants until the first Saturday on the schedule comes around. So, when multiple Buffs players say almost exactly the same thing as Lewis, you take notice.
It's not just at CU either. Insert one of the guys who will call the matchup between Colorado and TCU for FOX. After giving his perspective on the tone deaf, borderline unacceptable decision by the NCAA to rule Tyler Brown ineligible, Joel Klatt gave his game preview. In which he spends more than a few seconds trying to equate to his viewers what I am saying here.
Shedeur Sanders is really good. And not just because his father happens to be Prime. There is an “it” or “him” factor that his older brothers might not have to the same degree. You can watch or listen to Shilo Sanders and know that comes as a byproduct of Deion. Shilo might be the most like Prime, personality wise. But it seems that Shedeur is most like Dad from a preparation and work standpoint. Shilo has been focused and feels very “driven” this year, but what Shedeur is exuding does seems…different. It’s a deeply-rooted in a non- arrogant confidence that comes from knowing you have the "IT" factor.
No matter what happens later today, one thing should be certain. You’re going to see Shedeur Sanders do something you didn’t think he had in him. He might drop a deep pass right in the bucket. He might climb the pocket and deliver a well placed ball, avoiding collapsing pressure. He might scramble and put it in the right spot for his receivers for a big gain. Whatever it might be, you are bound to see something that makes you think Shedeur might be better than originally thought. And why do you think that is? The work and the path. The path means nothing without the work. And work could be misdirected if the path is wrong.
There is a lot more to Sanders. There is something that separates the great ones from the rest. Whether Shedeur becomes one of those great ones is yet to be determined, but we know he has the drive, knowledge, and awareness to be one of them if he chooses. There is no shortage of Hall of Fame players, coaches, college teammates, or nationally recognized talent evaluators. I'm all too happy to tell you that’s who Shedeur and his journey isn’t over yet.
