Colorado Buffaloes football coach Deion Sanders had persistent health issues this offseason that prevented him from being fully present with his program on the recruiting trail.
While Coach made clear at Big 12 Football Media Day that he’s back with the Buffs in full force a month and a half out from CU’s season-opener against Delaware, one Mile High City scribe is worried that the plug might be pulled on “Prime Time” prematurely.
The Denver Gazette’s Paul Klee answered “yes” when asked if Sanders’s health is a problem for his team.
“Coach Prime is one tough son of a gun,” Klee wrote.
“And here’s hoping the 57-year-old is A-OK.
“But after he spent the offseason recovering from an undisclosed ailment in Texas, Prime’s lament Thursday at Big 12 media days is cause for concern: ‘You’ve got to understand, some of the young (players) I haven’t even met yet.’
“Can a head coach be successful in the Big 12 gauntlet when a transfer- and freshmen-heavy roster doesn’t know its coach? The Big 12 even scrapped its preseason poll because so much roster turnover created an inaccurate picture that hurt its national perception in Top 25 polls.
“Rick George’s gutsy decision to lure Sanders from Jackson State will go down as an all-time hire at CU. Will Prime’s unfortunate health issues ultimately bring a premature end to this Buffs era? That would be the biggest problem.”
Sanders’ potential Colorado exit has always been a talking point, though usually with the caveat that he’d go to the NFL and coach Shedeur.
That caveat is fading. Coach Prime’s health may keep him out of football altogether soon enough, despite him saying otherwise.
