"Shedeur Sanders looks like a choir boy" - Analyst rips Dan Orlovsky for Baker Mayfield comparison with Colorado QB
NFL analyst Robert Littal criticized Dan Orlovsky for his comments comparing Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders with Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield. Littal called out the ESPN analyst and former NFL quarterback on X on Saturday.
“If you are comparing Baker Mayfield and Shedeur Sanders’ personalities in college. That lends me to believe you didn’t actually follow Baker’s college career. Shedeur looks like a choir boy in comparison to the shenanigans Baker was up to. Let’s be honest here.”
Orvlosky initially made the comparison to celebrate the charisma, cockiness and self-belief of both players. He made the comments during the Colorado Showcase episode of NFL Live on Friday.
Littal added,
“But what what I won’t allow is for any confident black man to be label with terms that don’t fit them because you are too lazy to do your job. Stay up black men don’t be afraid to be confident in your skills.”
Littal may be right that Mayfield's behavior in college was more extreme than Sanders'. Mayfield, the 2017 Heisman winner, famously planted Oklahoma's flag at Ohio State's midfield logo after a victory. He also faced criticism for grabbing his crotch and shouting expletives at a Kansas player from the sidelines during a game.
Sanders has not been embroiled in as much controversy, but his critics will point to his watch-flexing gesture as a sign of disrespect.
Unlike Mayfield, who went first overall to the Cleveland Browns, Sanders will likely have to wait to hear his name called on draft night.
All indications point to the Tennessee Titans taking Miami quarterback Cam Ward with the first overall pick. The Cleveland Browns and the New York Giants are the subsequent teams to pick, and they could select Sanders or Penn State’s Abdul Carter or Sanders’ teammate Travis Hunter.
Comparisons between Baker Mayfield and Shedeur Sanders go between swagger
Orvlovsky's comparison between Baker Mayfield and Shedeur Sanders focuses on their confidence and self-belief, but there are other similarities between the two quarterbacks. They are both 6-foot-1 and weigh between 210 to 215 pounds. Historically, quarterbacks of that size who are not elite athletes do not make it to the NFL.
Neither were highly rated coming out of high school. Both Mayfield and Sanders only had a few D1 schools interested in them. Another interesting coincidence is that both players were surprisingly close to joining Florida Atlantic coming out of high school.
Mayfield decided instead to bet on himself as a walk-on at Texas Tech before transferring to Oklahoma, where he had success. Sanders followed his father, Deion Sanders, first to Jackson State, then to Colorado.
They are also organization changers. Mayfield transformed the personality of the Oklahoma college program, and Sanders did the same with both Jackson State and Colorado.