Deion Sanders to Dallas Cowboys? 'Coach Prime' Answer Will Stun Critics - EXCLUSIVE
FRISCO - Deion Sanders has been a newsmaker for his entire adult life, as an icon as an athlete and a businessman. He has been in the headlines this offseason due to an unfortunate circumstance as the Pro Football Hall of Famer is dealing with an ailment that might result in the amputation of his foot.
And he's now in the headlines for a special accomplishment, as "Coach Prime'' - the former Dallas Cowboys star who this year moved from building a program at Jackson State to taking over at the University of Colorado - notched a huge upset win in the opener, upsetting TCU 45-42 on Saturday.
It is being assumed now that naturally Deion - who hooted in the post-game media scrum, "Do you believe now?'' at critics - will eventually vault to the NFL as a coach, maybe for the Dallas Cowboys.
But that's when we go back to our one-on-one visit with Sanders, who vowed to us that he will say "no'' to the NFL and that he will say "no'' to the Cowboys.
"I don't have any desire or ambition to coach in the NFL," Sanders told us.
That came as a bit of a surprise to us. And here's a surprise for those who might guess wrongly at his reasoning, because, nope, it has nothing to do with the Cowboys' also-headline-grabbing owner.
"I am cut a little different. I love Jerry Jones. I tremendously love that whole family,'' Sanders said of the Joneses.'' (Deion shares his best Jerry Jones story here.)
So what is Deion's reason? He said, "I have a problem with men getting their checks and not doing their jobs. I would be too tough as a coach in the NFL because I still have those old-school attributes."
Coach Prime's' "old-school attributes" are proving successful at the college level. As head coach, Sanders turned the Jackson State program around in just a year and dominated the recruiting trail with unprecedented success at the FCS level. In 2021, Sanders put together the first 11-win season in JSU history on the way to the SWAC championship, earning the FCS Coach of the Year Award. He continues to promote the HBCU cause even as he's moved to Colorado, taking over a program that was 1-11 last season. ... but one that's 1-0 right now.
So, one more stab at this ... How about the greatest cover cornerback of all time with ties to DFW joining as a Dallas staffer?
"I'm not an assistant coach. That is not me," Sanders told us. "I am a head coach ... I don't settle for mediocrity whatsoever. You are going to do it this way, we are going to work our butts off, we are going to be a team. The only thing that is individual about you is the way you play."
