Looking good and living lovely: Deion Sanders reenters spotlight focused on leading revamped Colorado team

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FRISCO, Texas — Much mystery has surrounded Deion Sanders’ health, whereabouts and day-to-day involvement as Colorado‘s head coach this summer. Still, one constant remains: Whenever Coach Prime appears, the cameras usually follow.

Sanders, 57, made his long-awaited appearance Wednesday at Big 12 Media Days, ending a months-long absence from the spotlight as he deals with an unspecified health issue. Fittingly, he was the main act, the 14th of 14 head coaches to address reporters at the two-day event, and it didn’t take long for the cameras to spot him when he arrived at The Star, flanked by former Dallas Cowboys teammate Michael Irvin, athletics director Rick George and his creative media team.

“I’m not here to talk about my health,” Sanders told reporters. “I’m here to talk about my team.” 

He added: “I’m looking good, I’m living lovely. God has truly blessed me. Not a care in the world, not a want or desire in the world.”

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The Colorado coach revealed in May he was facing an unspecified health issue and said he lost 14 pounds. He didn’t offer more clarity at the Big 12’s event. What was clear was that Wednesday was a reunion with his players. Quarterback Kaidon Salter said it was the first time he’s seen Sanders in person since the Buffaloes’ spring game on April 19.

“It’s amazing,” Salter told CBS Sports. “After everything that he’s been going through, seeing him again is truly an honor, but we want him to still take his time and come back stronger than he was before, so he can lead us to victory.”

Sanders, who also did not attend Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter’s wedding in May, said he will return to Boulder, Colorado, in time for preseason camp, which is expected to begin later this month. 

“He’s doing great,” George told CBS Sports. “I’ve seen him before in the summer, so he’s doing great. He’s off and running.”

Sanders has spent most of this summer at his ranch in Canton, Texas, appearing a few times on camera on his son, Deion Jr.’s YouTube channel.

Sanders was his usual, charismatic self during the brief appearance at The Star, the practice facility for the Dallas Cowboys. He completed a few media interviews, spending less than 90 minutes at the event before exiting the venue. For a few of those minutes, he conversed with Colorado players, sharing playful moments and laughs with offensive lineman Jordan Seaton and the quarterbacks who will soon battle for the Buffs’ starting job — Salter and blue-chip freshman Julian Lewis — as he stood at the 50-yard line, just a few long strides from the Dallas Cowboys’ star logo that has long been synonymous with the Pro Football Hall of Famer.

Seaton, a potential first-round NFL Draft pick in two years, donned a pair of Sanders’ unreleased Nike sneakers. Sanders playfully asked Seaton how he copped a pair, which drew laughs from teammates.

“He shows me some love,” Seaton told CBS Sports. “Sometimes he acts like he doesn’t know, but …”

Seaton leans over to the reporter and does his best impression of Don Corleone from “The Godfather.”

“I’m part of the family.”

Sanders’ absence in Boulder is noticeable. Seaton said he talks to Sanders often, primarily through FaceTime. For their last chat, Sanders sat in front of his grandson’s playground, which the coach refers to as “Snow’s Playground.”

“He’s an energy giver,” Seaton said. “… If he’s not around, you notice, but we haven’t missed a beat.”

First-year strength coach Andreu Swasey, who spent 15 years with the Miami Hurricanes, has led offseason workouts in Boulder as Sanders focuses on his health.

“He’s really been the foundation of our buy-in and believing in his workout plan,” Seaton said. “We’re not running 20 100s and lifting for no reason. He tells us why we’re going to do and why we need to do it.”

On Wednesday, Sanders spoke like a coach anxious to reunite with his team — and meet the new players who enrolled in classes this summer. He thanked the Big 12’s coaches for reaching out to check on him. He praised commissioner Brett Yormark as the best in the country. He poked at friend Joey McGuire, the head coach at Texas Tech, which might have the most expensive roster in the country thanks to the program’s large NIL coffers. “Can you send a few of those dollars to us so we can get some of those players, too?” 

He also called for a salary cap in college football and chastised players who don’t wear knee pads and don short football pants above their knees. “There should be a fine implemented for that stuff. Let’s have some respect for this tremendous game.”

He also referred to his new round of receivers, which will replace the likes of Hunter and LaJohntay Wester, as “unbelievable.” As for that quarterback battle to replace his son and Colorado record-holder Shedeur Sanders?

“Kaidon is unbelievable, Kaidon’s off the chain,” Sanders said of Salter, a transfer from Liberty. “He’s been there done that. He can get the job done. I wouldn’t have brought him here if I didn’t trust him, but Juju is coming around the mountain when he comes. I love him. I love what he brings to the table. I don’t know how it’s going to play out. As long as it plays out, we can’t lose either way with either of those two.”

Salter and Lewis are good friends who first met each other at an Elite 11 camp more than a year ago. Salter was a counselor, Lewis a rising high school player. They’re looking forward to preseason camp, when they’ll finally compete in front of their head coach.

“He’s been taking his time,” said Salter, “and doing everything he has to do before he can come back and coach us to his full ability.”

This news was originally published on this post .

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