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Deion Sanders Addresses Controversial Moments After Backlash

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Kevin Matthew Borba | Last updated Oct 28, 2025 9:42 PM ET

Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes are coming off of arguably the worst loss of his college coaching career, as the team was blasted in its Week 9 Big 12 matchup by the Utah Utes. Led by true freshman quarterback Byrd Ficklin who was making his first-career start, the Utes won 53-7.

The loss dropped Sanders' Colorado squad to 3-5 on the season, with some fans even calling for Sanders' tenure in Boulder to come to a close. While the Pro Football Hall of Fame corner is looking for answers as to how he and the Buffs can turn things around with four games remaining, he also found himself having to discuss the behavior of an assistant coach ahead of the clash with Utah.

Hall of Fame defensive tackle and the team's Defensive Pass Rush Coordinator, Warren Sapp, found himself in hot water on social media amid Colorado's beatdown. The second-year staffer in Boulder has a weekly tradition that sees him walk around the end zone and kick over the pylons. Minutes later, Sanders then comes around and places them nicely where they belong.

It's unclear why this has become a tradition of Sapp's, but Sanders was not pleased with the backlash that his staffer was receivingreceiving, and addressed the matter on Tuesday when speaking to the local media.

Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders.Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Sanders opted to start his press conference with the topic, calling it "stupidity" that people were outraged by Sapp's antics. He also explained that it's a nod to their relationship as a defensive back and defensive lineman.

"Let me start by addressing some stupidity that happened a week ago," Sanders said. "That someone tried to make a big deal out of coach Sapp knocking over the darn pylons. That's our little thing. He knocks them down, I pick them up. It's what defensive linemen do right? They knock them down and the defensive backs pick them off. So that's our little thing.

Sanders and Sapp go way back, as aside from the fact they are both Florida natives who played college football at Florida State and Miami, they each had dominant careers in the NFL in the late 90s and early 2000s. THe two also worked together for the NFL Network after their playing days.

So, while people may not love the tradition, it's clearly not stopping anytime soon. Colorado will look to end its losing streak on Saturday against the Arizona Wildcats (4-3).

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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