"He created a group chat": Michael Vick reveals how Coach Prime went out of his way to help him out
Deion Sanders, also known as Coach Prime, has created a blueprint for former players to take over as college coaches and succeed. Since he took the reins at Jackson State — and subsequently Colorado — he has seen Eddie George, DeSean Jackson and Michael Vick follow in his footsteps, picking up the headsets for smaller programs.
Vick, formerly an electric, albeit controversial, NFL quarterback is at the helm of Norfolk State. He has also worked as the offensive coordinator of the Atlanta Legends, a now-defunct Alliance of American Football, and under Andy Reid with the Kansas City Chiefs.
"You might not even talk on football, Deion gonna give you a lot of game," Vick said Tuesday on the Get Got Pod podcast. "It's funny because I been talking to Shedeur, and I been trying to pass it down to him. Like, what little bit I know, but he manifested this whole thing, too. I asked him last year, like, 'What was it like? And when should I transition into it?' He was like, 'Now. What you waiting on?'
"Then, like, every time I asked him a question about it or 'How should I look at this?' He just (gave) precise, direct answers. And everything he said was true about everything, like what to look for, how things gonna operate and how I gotta operate and what I gotta do. It's just been super accurate."
Vick added that, because of Coach Prime's wisdom, he regularly seeks his guidance when facing an unfamiliar obstacle.
"I know who to call when I get in a sticky spot, but he got other people reaching out to me," Vick said. "He created a group chat, you know, just certain people to just try to connect."
"I'm excited for the opportunity to continue building something special" - Coach Prime
Coach Prime has spent the past two seasons building Colorado up. The Buffaloes were 1-11 the campaign before he had arrived, and many questioned his ability to right the ship.
They were wrong, based on the five-year $54 million extension he agreed last week.
"I'm excited for the opportunity to continue building something special here at Colorado," Sanders said in the statement the school released to formally announce his extension. "We've just scratched the surface of what this program can be. It's not just about football; it's about developing young men who are ready to take on the world.
"I'm committed to bringing greatness to this university, on and off the field. We've got work to do, and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but here, making history with these incredible players and this passionate fan base."
Coach Prime has changed how people around the sport view the importance of culture, as he has brought a much different feel to Boulder. Vick will be one of the guys who could try to replicate that.