Deion Sanders is as polarizing a figure as they come. While people on the outset look down upon his antics and the way he operates the Colorado program, Buffs fans adore it. Most importantly, he seems to have the unwavering support of his comrades. Amidst the criticism and loathing, one person close to affairs in Boulder lay bare his opinions about the misapprehension surrounding Coach Prime.

HOF defensive tackle and graduate assistant at Colorado Warren Sapp recently guested the Toure Show on the DCM Entertainment YouTube channel. He was all praise about his time learning the coaching ropes under Deion. Sapp was asked to shed light on Coach Prime’s methods and his unconventional approach focused on the holistic development of his players, not just as athletes but as humans first.

In an excerpt from the interview, a spirited Sapp revealed “He’s leading the troops. When you work for a man like that, you follow him anywhere, because you know his heart is true and you know his meaning is there. And everything about him is genuine. He’s the same man every time. My office is across from his,[he’s] the same dude every morning. That music’s playing, he’ll come out with a little bounce in his step. Smile on his face, greet you with a good morning hug. I understand why, you know, so many people are looking at it with a side eye and different things because it’s an unconventional way. It’s Prime’s way”. 

Sapp has been credited for helping Colorado solve its issues at the line of scrimmage. Protection for the quarterback and getting to the opposition’s quarterback were two of their biggest problems last year. The culture that Deion set was pivotal in providing Sapp with the opportunity.

“Prime’s way” has appeared to work wonders for Colorado. When Deion took over the helm, the team was coming off a 1-11 season. They lost those 11 games by an average margin of 29 points. Fast forward 2 years, the team is 6-2 and bowl eligible. Sections of the media and others still refrain from giving Coach Prime his dues.

Coach Prime remains undermined despite achieving results

Deion Sanders faces heavy scrutiny for his explosive method of player recruitment. This involved building extensively through the relatively new transfer portal. It saw the Buffs take 50 new incoming and 46 outgoing athletes before landing on their final roster in Deion’s first year in charge.

That trend continued this year. Many view this as totalitarian and lacking empathy, reducing young men to pieces on a carousel. It’s been referred to as “working the system”. Aside from this, he has also been under fire for imposing his faith onto impressionable athletes, although those claims have mostly been thwarted by those involved. 

Performances on the gridiron have gone a long way in Deion evading this discourse. The team achieved bowl eligibility for only the first time since the reduced 2020 season with their win on the weekend against Cincinnati (5-3). They continue trudging on towards an outside shot at playoff contention as they head down south to take on Texas Tech (5-3) on the other side of a bye.

For an eccentric showman like Deion Sanders, criticism is undying. Nevertheless, there is extensive optimism around his coaching and the state of the Buffs’ program. People directly involved in the operation, Sapp and plenty others, continue to bear the fruits of Prime’s disposition.

We are back with another episode of ES Thinktank. Our host, Trey Holder, sits down with Emily Griffin and Erin Griffin, two influential leaders in the world of the NFL. Do catch this interesting conversation.