These are bad times for Colorado’s safety. Getting left out of the NFL Combine can be a major blow to any player’s draft stocks. And it’s Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders‘ son, Shilo Sanders, who’s feeling the sting. More than 50 DBs received invites to the Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, but the 25-year-old wasn’t among them. This turn of events sparked frustration from none other than Hall of Famer Warren Sapp, the Buffs’ new pass rush coordinator. 

Warren Sapp, never one to hold back, let loose on Wednesdays with Warren Sapp posted on Thee Pregame Network on February 27. He called for a major overhaul of the Combine selection process. His biggest gripe is that First-team All-Conference selections should automatically get an invite. “There should be a rule of you are All First-team All-Conference, that’s an automatic invite,” he suggested. 

When podcast host Uncle Neely weighed in if he was suggesting a net invite of about 25 more people, Sapp gave a bigger number. “50,” he plainly stated. “Let’s say two for every one of the top 25 teams… And why not 100? Four from the top 25 teams or two from the top 50.” Warren Sapp’s passion for the issue hit a personal note, not just because he’s now coaching in Boulder. But he’s seeing a flawed system that limits opportunities for HBCU schools. 

His question — “You know how many Black quarterbacks there are in the Hall of Fame?” — speaks for itself. Warren Moon remains the only Black HoF QB, highlighting that the barriers are still in place. But this isn’t the end for Shilo Sanders’ NFL hopes. Despite the snub, he isn’t backing down without a final fight.

Shilo Sanders is still focused and fighting

While Shedeur Sanders is a projected top pick who’s invited but won’t be throwing at the Combine, his brother Shilo faces a tougher path as a potential Day 3 pick. Some even think he would go undrafted. But he’ll get the best shot to prove them wrong at Colorado’s Pro Day. He’s taking the help of Zybek Sports — the same company that times the 40-yard dash at the Combine — to simulate the Combine conditions. “I didn’t get invited to the Combine, but I brought the Combine to me,” he said.

Shilo Sanders’ college football career has been a winding road — from South Carolina to Jackson State to Colorado — but he was a key piece of Deion Sanders’ revamped Buffs defense. He posted 45 tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble in his final collegiate season. His draft stock hit gave rise to keyboard warriors trolling him and suggesting that he stick to his brother Deion Sanders Jr.’s media career. “Bro, if you all knew how much Bucky makes, y’all wouldn’t be saying that because that is actually a solid career,” he silenced the critics. But his focus is still on the field. He knows the odds are against him, but he’s betting on himself. 

The NFL Draft is in April, but before that, all eyes will be on him at the Pro Day. If history has proven anything, it’s that Combine snubs can still carve out long careers as shown by Antonio Gates and Julian Edelman. But whether Shilo Sanders joins that list will depend on how he answers the challenge.