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Shedeur Sanders' Former Coach Pushes Back Strongly on 'Lies' About Browns Rookie

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jeremy Beren | Last updated May 7, 2025 5:24 PM ET

Shedeur Sanders tumbled from winning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year at Colorado to waiting until the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft to hear his name called. Few anticipated that Sanders would be on the board at 144th overall, and he now faces an uphill battle to make an NFL roster, let alone develop into a star quarterback.

Throughout the pre-draft process, narratives around Sanders took on a negative tone. It has been alleged that Sanders "sabotaged" his own meetings with teams, and recent resurfaced comments from Tom Brady have called Sanders' professional preparedness into question.

But Colorado special teams coordinator Michael Pollock has offered an impassioned defense of Sanders, just days before he enters rookie minicamp with the Browns.

I was the first Offensive Coordinator that @ShedeurSanders had in college, and I have been with him throughout his college career. He has had multiple OC’s in college and has NEVER had a problem learning a new system, being prepared, and executing at a high level. STOP THE LIES!
— Michael Pollock (@CoachPollockCU) May 5, 2025

Pollock, Sanders' former offensive coordinator at Jackson State University, has called for an end to "lies" around Sanders' ability and work ethic. He claimed that Sanders "never" had a problem learning a playbook, and that he never came across as unprepared.

In two years playing under his father Deion at Colorado, Shedeur Sanders helped to engineer a dramatic program turnaround after the Buffaloes mustered a 1-11 record in 2022. In 2024, Colorado won nine games and reached the Alamo Bowl, while Sanders' teammate Travis Hunter won the Heisman Trophy.

With Cleveland's rookie minicamp getting underway on Friday, Sanders will have to bring his preparedness and ability to execute at a high level to his showdown with third-round pick Dillion Gabriel, as both rookies vie for a 2025 roster spot.

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

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