"He's never lied to me": Colorado alum Joel Klatt makes an honest admission about Coach Prime's NFL future
Former collegiate quarterback and current Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt doesn't believe No. 16 Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders will leave the team. Klatt shared on the "Dan Patrick Show" Thursday afternoon that Deion told him he had no intention of going to the NFL.
NFL commentators have speculated if "Coach Prime" would join the NFL with his son Shedeur next year. Deion has repeatedly stated that he has no interest in leaving Colorado, but fans have remained skeptical.
Patrick asked the former Buffaloes' quarterback about Michael Irvin's recent comments of wanting to persuade Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to hire Deion. Klatt said that he doesn't blame Irvin for trying and that he did the same before "Coach Prime" joined Colorado.
Deion held a press conference on Nov. 19, where he said he was happy with Colorado and wasn't going anywhere. Patrick asked Klatt if he believed Deion's comments.
"I don't know. I know what he's told me. He's never lied to me," said Klatt.
He added that he was partly involved in Deion's hiring to Colorado and that the NFL legend has remained honest whenever they've spoken. The college football analyst also told Patrick what the former NFL cornerback told him directly last Friday.
"I asked him last Friday, 'Do you want to go to the NFL?' And he looked at me and said, 'No.' And I said, 'Why?" And he said, 'Because I don't feel like I would be fulfilling my calling and my purpose if I was there,'" said Klatt.
Klatt said that Deion feels he can better mentor young men at the college level than in the NFL.
"You can be kind of a mini dictator as a head coach": Joel Klatt explains benefits for Deion Sanders to stay in Colorado
Klatt discussed the benefits of the Pro Football Hall of Famer staying in Boulder rather than coaching in the NFL. He pointed out that Deion has more control in college and wouldn't have the same power if he joined an NFL team like the Cowboys.
"You can be kind of a mini dictator as a head coach. Like you are the top of the totem pole in college as the head coach. You're not in the NFL. You're third at best in terms of personnel and ownership and everything like that," said Klatt.
Klatt added that Buffaloes' willingness to give Deion power makes the team the perfect place for him to coach. Although his mind can change, "Coach Prime" seems focused on making Boulder his permanent home.