Jason Whitlock criticizes Deion Sanders's "approach" in college football despite Colorado's eye-catching 8-2 record
In the most recent episode of his show, Fearless, Jason Whitlock endorsed Deion Sanders as a credible option for the Dallas Cowboys as their next head coach. The Cowboys are amid a debacle of a season, and their 34-10 loss on Monday night to the Houston Texans further added to their woes.
The two-time Super Bowl champion has coached the Colorado Buffaloes to an impressive 8-2 record in the Big 12 and the team is currently on a four-game win streak.
The endorsement might have come as a surprise, given that Whitlock is a known detractor of the Colorado coach. The pundit took some time to address this, explaining why he felt that Deion Sanders would be a better fit for an NFL franchise than a collegiate program:
"Let me be crystal clear, and this isn't me trying to sugarcoat it or give myself an out. A big part of my problem with Deion Sanders has been I don't like his approach as it relates to college football. His 'Hey look at me', the rappers on the sidelines... I don't like that as it relates to college football. I don't like it really as it relates to NFL football, but it bothers me a lot less"
Whitlock's problem with Sanders seems to be unrelated to his ability to bring athletic success, and much more related to the kind of character he brings to the sport, at the collegiate level.
Why does Jason Whitlock think Deion Sanders could be a good fit for the Dallas Cowboys?
According to Whitlock, Deion Sanders is the perfect fit for the Dallas Cowboys because his star persona would eclipse that of Cowboys owner and GM, Jerry Jones. For that reason alone, the pundit considers Sanders the right person for the job. He even put him above former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick.
Speaking about Belichick, the analyst said,
"Great coach, maybe the greatest coach in football history.... but he would not make Jerry Jones any less relevant. He would not be any competition for Jerry Jones's post-game news conference, and Jerry Jones's ability to always center himself as the focus of attention in that organization."
Whitlock mentioned how Sanders won Sports Illustrated's Sportsperson of the Year despite Colarado having only a 4-8 record last season. The analyst felt that this illustrated how Coach Prime could draw attention away from Jerry Jones if he became the head coach of the Cowboys.