Raiders CB Lonnie Johnson calls out Deion Sanders' rules while delivering verdict on Cormani McClain's Colorado exit
Deion Sanders, also known as Coach Prime, has boosted Colorado back to the national consciousness. Since taking over for a Buffaloes team that went 1-11 the season before his arrival, Sanders has righted the ship while implementing some of his rules for his athletes.
On "The Coach JB Show with Big Smitty" on Wednesday, Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Lonnie Johnson gave his thoughts on how Deion Sanders is running his program. Johnson talked about Cormani McClain, a former Colorado cornerback who transferred out.
"I mean, I wouldn't say he bounced because of the T-step, but if you look at a lot of stuff that Deion has enforced, which is some of the stuff you would look at and you would be like, 'Man, come on. Like what do that got to do with football?'" Johnson said (2:19-3:04). "Like kids wearing flip-flops to class or stuff like that. Like, I get it, you know what I'm saying?
"You want a kid to present himself as a man. ... Me, personally, that's just my personal opinion. I just look at it as, like, 'Man, I'm going to class. Why does it matter what I have on in this classroom if I go to class, I do the work, I bring back the grades? The flip-flops shouldn't matter.'"
At the time of McClain's arrival at Colorado, plenty thought Deion Sanders added yet another standout defensive back after convincing Travis Hunter to join him at Jackson State a few years before. The partnership between the two didn't particularly pan out.
Revisiting Cormani McClain's relationship with Deion Sanders
McClain was a consensus five-star prospect and top-rated cornerback out of high school at Lakeland (Fla.). He was the No. 1 player in the 247 Sports' consensus rankings and looked like a force as a coverman. A few months before signing with Colorado, McClain was committed to play at Miami.
McClain played nine games for Deion Sanders and Colorado, making four starts. He totaled 17 tackles, six of which were solo efforts with two passes defended. However, he didn't see the field much early, and Coach Prime told the media what McClain needed to do to gain playing time.
"Study and prepare. Be on time for meetings, show up to meetings. Understand the scheme," Sanders said. "I check film time from each player, so I can see who's preparing. So, if I don't see that, you would be a fool to put somebody out there who's not prepared."
In Florida, McClain played three games last season. He did have a pick-six against Kentucky, showing a glimpse of the potential many thought he possessed when he began his college career.