Safety Randon Fontenette Delivers Honest Response to Colorado Dismissals

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The Colorado Buffaloes are entering an important week with their focus turning toward accountability inside the program. Following Colorado’s 41-7 loss to Northwestern, Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders announced that several players had been dismissed from the team. Coach Prime stated that the decisions were connected to a pattern of conduct that was detrimental to the team.
Colorado safety Randon Fontenette addressed the situation when speaking with the media, making it clear that the players who remain in the program understand the standard that Sanders is trying to establish.

Randon Fontenette Speaks on Team Standards
Colorado safety Randon Fontenette did not shy away from the message behind the dismissals of his teammates when speaking with the media. Fontenette emphasized that Colorado’s primary objective is winning.
In a post by @DNVR_Buffs, Fontenette said, “At the end of the day, I came here to win. We came here to win.” Fontenette added, “If somebody’s not living up to that standard, you gotta address it.”
The comments came shortly after Sanders revealed that a few of his players were no longer with the program. Sanders did not identify the players but explained that the decisions were not based solely on the loss to Northwestern. Instead, he described a recurring pattern of behavior that he believed was detrimental to the team.
Sanders stated that the conduct of some players hurt the team and had to address the actions that were setting the program back.

For Fontenette, the message appears to be straightforward. Colorado players are expected to meet the standards that come with being part of the program. The Buffaloes entered the season with significant expectations after bringing in a number of experienced transfers, and players such as Fontenette were expected to provide leadership on a roster that underwent significant changes.
Fontenette himself is one of the more experienced players on the roster. The senior defensive back transferred to Colorado after spending two seasons at Vanderbilt. He made 24 starts throughout 25 games. He recorded 125 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, and 15 passes defended as well as 3.5 sacks throughout his time there.
Accountability Comes Before Colorado’s Big 12 Opener
The timing of the dismissals is significant because Colorado has little time to dwell on the Northwestern loss. The Buffaloes are preparing to travel to Waco, Texas, for their Big 12 opener against Baylor.
Colorado started the season 2-0 before the Northwestern loss, defeating Georgia Tech 14-13 and Weber State 52-21. The 34-point loss to Northwestern, however, exposed some of the issues the Buffaloes need to correct as they enter conference play.

The dismissals give the team another issue to deal with as they prepare for their first Big 12 game. Sanders has made it clear that he expects to meet the standards established within the program. Fontenette’s comments show that at least some of the players understand why those standards are being enforced.
For the new Buffalo, the objective remains simple and that is to simply win. His comments make it clear that the program felt these dismissals were necessary.
Looking forward, the Buffaloes will have to put the Northwestern loss and the recent dismissals behind them as they take on Baylor. The Bears present Colorado with their next challenge, and the team’s response will be closely watched as they begin conference play.
The Buffaloes have an opportunity to reset when they take the field Saturday. Fontenette’s message provides a clear indication of the mindset that Colorado wants to carry into the matchup. Winning is their goal, and maintaining their high standards and expectations remains.
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Erin Mulligan is a writer for Colorado Buffaloes on SI, part of the Sports Illustrated Network . With a passion for storytelling and sports, Erin has covered the NFL, MLB, MLS, PGA events, and college sports for various outlets such as Jersey Sporting News and The Sports Forum. She is a Monmouth University alum where she led an award winning team as the sports editor of the university newspaper. Erin also has her own brand called The Mulligan Minute which consists of a podcast and social media presence surrounding interesting, underdog and second chance stories in sports and fitness. The New Jersey native is a die-hard fan of the New York Giants, Yankees, and professional golf. In her free time, Erin loves spending time with family and friends, and going to the lake and down the shore.
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