Deion Sanders and Colorado didn't finish the season the way that they hoped, as BYU dominated the Buffs in a 36-14 rout on Saturday night in the Alamo Bowl.
Following the game, Sanders spoke to the media about the loss, the season as a whole, the departing seniors and looking ahead to next season. Here's the full transcript of everything that he said at the postgame press conference.
Opening Statement: “First of all, God bless all of you for being here and covering us and giving us the love and respect and appreciation that you did, if that’s what you did. Hats off to the Valero Alamo Bowl and all of the dignitaries that made it possible for us to be here. They did a phenomenal job of hosting, the persons that reside in this city did a wonderful job of just being a blessing and the hotel staff and everyone, it was a phenomenal week for us. We’re not happy with the results but we’re happy with the journey of getting here and being here and what transpired during the week. Wonderful job by BYU. They’re well-coached. They did a phenomenal job of running the football. Special teams kicked our butts. We couldn’t do much offensively at all. Defensively, we had some sound stops but we didn’t have enough and we came up short. Not to take nothing away from them, they played a heck of a football game and I’m proud. If I’m gonna get my butt kicked, I’d rather get my butt kicked by Coach (Kalani Sitake). I love him to life, man. He’s a good man.”
On what this team has taught him: “Patience. They’ve taught me a tremendous amount of patience. And they taught me forgiveness. It’s a lot of young men, a lot of things transpired that you guys don’t know about, you aren’t privy to. But I’m a tremendous, forgiving person and I absolutely love these guys. You never get an opportunity to see the subtle I love yous that go on between us pregame and postgame and practice and this week’s preparation. All of the OB’s, original Buffs, how thankful and appreciative they were that they got an opportunity to come participate in a week of bowl festivities. So patience and forgiveness and just overall love. That’s what they’ve taught me.”
On how to not let this result overshadow the season and his relationship with the seniors: “It won’t. That’s a wrap. It’s over. They’re onto the next. They’re gonna have tremendous careers. They’re gonna move on. They flush it, they may analyze it on the way home. I know Cam is gonna think about plays he made and plays he didn’t make, but they’re gonna flush it to relax a little bit and then get their bodies back right for preparation for combines and pro days. Cam is going to the East-West game so he’s gotta focus on that as well.”
On when the reality hit of coaching his sons for the last time: “When we walked. When we did our walk and Shilo was there and looking across the field and I’m seeing Cam and Herman (Smith III) and so many of the other guys that have been on this journey with us. That’s tough. I’ve known this young man (Cam Silmon-Craig) for a long time and he’s been balling out for a long time. Just the consistency that he has. And my sons, that’s tough man. That’s tough to know that that’s it. That walk won’t happen again. That’s tough. We’ve been doing this for a long time and you recollect the times. Youth league, seeing them lay out their uniforms in my closet getting ready for the next game. They used to have 100 wristbands on their wrist trying to stunt. All of those things I recall.”
On the job that the coordinators did: “They did a wonderful job. I’m proud of them, I love them to life. They know how to communicate with our young men. They really put them in positions for them to be extremely successful. I love where we’re headed. I’m proud of those two. Not just those two, the whole staff. I’m pretty sure a couple of them are gonna come into my office about elevation because people are gonna want them on their staff and that’s what we’re here for. That’s what we’re here for. We’re here to advance people. You either get terminated or elevated, it’s gonna be one of the two sooner or later.”
On what he’s established at CU that can carry forward: “Expectation. We’ve established expectation. So now you expect us to perform a certain way. You expect us to win. You expect us to be exciting. You expect us to be a lot more disciplined than we displayed today. You just have expectations of us now. That’s what we’ve established.”
On the legacy that this season left: “I don’t think we consider that at all. We really don’t care. We don’t know what that means, the legacy. We’re just trying to develop these young men, win games, make sure they’re consistent young men in the community, with their relationships, with their families and in school to get an education. We don’t think about it like that. We’re thankful that we play a role in that, but that does not enter our mindset one bit.”
