Deion Sanders delivers powerful message after Kyren Lacy’s death

In a moment that cut far deeper than football, Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders—Coach Prime—stood before his team and delivered a heartfelt message following the tragic passing of former LSU wide receiver Kyren Lacy. There was no playbook for this moment. No schemes. Just raw truth from a man who, above all else, sees himself as a protector of young men.

Addressing his team in the wake of Lacy’s death, Coach Prime didn’t hold back. He began with a simple symbol: a mirror. “But the difference of all of us is when we look in that mirror, what do we see? Some see themselves, some see an illusion, some are just delusional of what they see.” Sanders urged his players to confront who they truly are and start with self-love.

It was a moment of reflection—literally and figuratively. In a generation where identity often gets lost in the noise, Sanders implored his players to embrace vulnerability and check on one another. “I would hate to suffer that devastation that was suffered this past week from someone in this room and they sitting up there hiding in plain sight.”

The 9-4 season that closed out the Buffaloes’ 2024 campaign may not have ended the way they wanted with a bowl game loss, but it laid a foundation for something bigger—brotherhood. Coach Prime challenged his team to strip away the bravado and lean into something stronger: connection.

“You don’t have to be that emotional, but look at your teammate and say, ‘I love you, man.’” He didn’t just preach it. He lived it, calling players by name, looking them in the eyes, and reminding them that love—real love—could save lives. “It’s not about what you could just do for us, it’s really what we could do for you.”