"You're fighting for something"- Deion Sanders' fiery speech at the preseason camp boosts the locker room's atmosphere ahead of the 2023 season
As the Colorado Buffaloes continue their practice, Deion Sanders has come forward to boost the locker room vibe and instil a sense of confidence in his players.
Coach Prime is known for his words of wisdom. And as he continues his new journey with Colorado, Sanders wants every player on the roster to make a point on the field.
Ever since moving to the Pac-12, the Colorado Buffaloes have had only two winning seasons. Last year was pretty disappointing as well, as they finished with a 1-11 record. And now, it is up to Deion Sanders to step it up a notch and bring back the former glory of the Buffs.
The official Instagram page of the team recently posted a video online. In the video, we see Sanders round up his players and remind them of what's on the line for them before they head off for another day of preseason camp. And Sanders' words were truly words of motivation to perform to the best of their capabilities.
"Some of you right now, you don't even know that you're fighting for a position today. You're fighting for an understanding of who will get to get on that plane today. You're fighting for who's gonna be the kicker, who's gonna be the punter, who's gonna be the left tackle, the right tackle, the guard, the deep tackle, the cornerback. You're fighting for something," Sanders said.
When it comes to coaching, Coach Prime does not joke around. And in the video, it is evident that he wants to make sure that he takes the right call when it comes to building a team for the 2023 season. And he's been working towards it ever since he joined the Buffs from Jackson State.
Deion Sanders has a vision in mind for the Colorado Buffaloes
Following Coach Prime's arrival, the football program has seen a mass exodus of players in the NCAA transfer portal. 57 made their exit, while there were 86 new players on the 116-man roster.
Deion Sanders even brought in his quarterback son Shedeur Sanders as well as his older brother Shilo Sanders, along with cornerback/receiver Travis Hunter, who impressed fans in Jackson State.
Sanders spoke up on the massive overhaul of players that took place in Colorado after his arrival. He talked about how he wants players that are passionate about the game of football. And that is when he can be the most effective when it comes to leading the team to success.
"You had some young men that just didn't want to play the game. They didn't love football. It's hard for me to be effective if you don't love it, if you don't like it, if you don't want to live it. That's tough. That's tremendously tough when you're looking at a body of just dead eyes. That's tough on any coach, not just me," Sanders said.
As the team gears up for the debut of Deion Sanders, his arrival has already had an effect on Colorado. Merchandise sales went up by 700 percent, and tickets for the spring games were sold out.
Not only this, but the Deion Sanders effect even led to them amassing thousands of followers on social media, almost around 800k new fans of the Buffs.
This is the last season that the Buffs play in the Pac-12 Conference. Next year, the Colorado Buffaloes, along with Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah are moving to the Big 12 in 2024. Can Deion Sanders make his mark in the Pac-12 before their departure?