Shedeur Sanders watch flex becomes highlight of Big 12 Media Days as WWE superstars Bron Breakker & Big E snaps together
Last season, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders captured the imaginations of college football fans with his iconic watch celebration that became a staple of the dominant, giant-killing early-season Buffaloes machine that rolled over opponents.
Several celebrities in different sports embraced the celebration, showing the reach of coach Deion Sander's son. The stylish quarterback showed that he was still a hit when he revived the celebration at the Big 12 Media Days in Las Vegas on Wednesday.
He was joined in recreating it by WWE stars Bron Breaker and Big E at the Allegiant Stadium, where the event was held and the trio appeared together in a picture posted on X by The Athletic's Chris Vannini.
How Shedeur Sanders became a star with his watch celebration
A majority of the college football-watching populace had not seen much of Shedeur Sanders because he played for Jackson State in the FCS with most of the attention usually reserved for the FBS.
When he rocked up to Colorado, most just knew him as coach Deion Sander's son until he showed his talent against formidable opponents like the TCU Horned Frogs and Nebraska Cornhuskers.
The swagger with which he pulled off plays and the accompanying watch celebration made him a household name in no time at all. "Undisputed" host Skip Bayless immediately waxed lyrical about him during a segment of his show midseason.
"This young man, thanks in parts to his father, is shattering all the molds, because we just don't see a college kid start something," Bayless said. "He's not just a college kid; he's that college kid.
"He's that man's son, but we don't see it where somebody on the college level inspires professional athletes to jump on the bandwagon of this new watch celebration, the watch flex. It just doesn't happen."
As usual, in a pregame news conference, his father Deion Sanders called for Shedeur Sanders to be granted endorsement deals by watch companies for his celebration.
“We’ve just got to get him a lucrative watch deal,” Deion Sanders said. “He can’t keep doing it for free. We got to capitalize. He is my son. We gotta capitalize on the moment, right?”
While he might not have gotten a watch endorsement deal, it was not long before Shedeur Sanders shot up the NIL rankings and is now at the top of On3's NIL 100 rankings with a valuation of $4.9 million.