Browns star Shedeur Sanders gets 100% real on dealing with hate after tumultuous draft slide
Shedeur Sanders had a rather anxious wait before the Cleveland Browns took him with the No. 144 pick in this year's NFL draft. Many believed that the quarterback might get taken off the board in the first round, but Sanders eventually went to the Browns on Day 3 of the draft in the fifth round.
While many continued to slam Sanders even after his tumultuous draft slide, the Browns QB opened up on his mindset about dealing with the hate and negativity that came his way.
"It's the same as it is every year," Sanders said an episode of the "Best Podcast Available" that was released on Friday (14:11). "So I'm accustomed to it. I'm used to it. So, I don't even really, you know, focus on or it don't live in my mind at all."
Sanders began his collegiate journey at Jackson State in 2021. He played two years with the Tigers before transferring to Colorado in 2023.
In Sanders' first year at CU, the Buffs finished with a 4-8 record, failing to qualify for a bowl game. The QB took most of the criticism from fans since he was leading the team's offense.
However, in 2024, Sanders led Colorado to a 9-4 record as the program was recognized as one of the most-improved teams in the country. He racked up 4,134 yards, 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, while also rushing for four TDs. The QB was also named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.
A week before the draft, CU retired Sanders' No. 12 jersey. However, the honors and accolades were not enough to stop his draft slide.
Shedeur Sanders received a prank call during the 2025 NFL draft
Shedeur Sanders was the victim of a brutal prank call on Day 2 of the 2025 NFL draft. In a video that went viral on social media, a prankster called the QB while purporting to be New Orleans Saints' general manager Mickey Loomis.
Sanders was with close family and friends at his home when the call arrived. The caller said that the Saints will make the quarterback their next pick and added that Sanders might "have to wait a little bit longer" before cutting the call.
It was later revealed that the prank caller was Jax Ulbrich, the son of Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich. The Falcons were fined $250,000 by the NFL for the prank call on Sanders during the Sanders.