Jalen Ramsey Speaks Candidly to Colorado Buffaloes on Leadership Retreat

Colorado coach Deion Sanders hosted a leadership retreat with roughly 20 players from the Buffaloes roster, and "Coach Prime" called upon current NFL defensive back Jalen Ramsey to share some words of wisdom with the leaders of the Colorado football team.

Buffaloes freshmen and transfers, like offensive lineman Xavier Payne and wide receiver Danny Scudero, were part of the group, as well as a few returning Colorado players. Ramsey spoke to the Buffs on the leadership retreat with "Coach Prime" in attendance, and the NFL star gave his advice to the current college athletes.

colorado buffaloes leadership retreat deion sanders jalen ramsey coach prime danny scudero shedeur sanders — Sep 27, 2025; Stanford, California, USA; San Jose State Spartans wide receiver Danny Scudero (10) catches the ball for a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

What Jalen Ramsey Told Colorado Buffaloes Leaders

The conversation between Colorado's leaders and Ramsey was captured by Deion Sanders Jr. and posted onto the Well Off Media channel on YouTube.

"The way to pay that back, man, is to work y'all asses off," Ramsey told the Buffaloes. "Every opportunity y'all get. Don't even think of it as work. Think of it as an opportunity. Like, 'Man, let me go show them how appreciative I am of everything they're doing for me.' You know what I mean? 'Cause they (Colorado) could do everything the cookie cutter way like everybody else. Like all of this, they don't have to do this."

Ramsey is a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers defense, but he was originally drafted out of Florida State by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Ramsey finished with the second-most votes for defensive rookie of the year, but he has been named to the First Team NFL All-Pro three times in his career.

Ramsey won a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams in 2022, and his experience climbing the highest mountaintop in the sport is certainly an advantage for "Coach Prime" and the Buffs to tap into to.

The feeling goes both ways, though, with Ramsey revealing that he still wants to learn from Sanders, widely considered the best cornerback in NFL history.

"I've been talking to Prime all offseason. Like 'I just got to be around him.' That's it, like I just need to be around him. I just need to feel some greatness. I got the fire and everything, still working my tail off going into year 11, but it's something about just being around greatness sometimes, it gives you that 'lil extra motivation. You just want to be around somebody to soak up some game, soak up some knowledge," Ramsey said.

Colorado Buffaloes 2026 Outlook

Ramsey clearly views a great player like "Coach Prime" as a resource, and Sanders has been able to attract great talents to Boulder, both in the transfer portal and recruiting. Despite a revamped roster, though, Colorado is relatively doubted heading into 2026.

According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Colorado's over/under for expected win total is set at 4.5, and the Buffaloes are tied with Cincinnati and Iowa State for the lowest odds of winning the Big 12.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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