Taking the high road has never been Deion Sanders’ strong suit. He tells you like it is and what is exactly on his mind. He was like that as a player and he’s like that as a football coach.
In his weekly press conference, Sanders was asked about Dan Lanning’s preseason comments about Colorado not winning anything since joining the Pac-12. Instead of saying it will be bulletin board material for his team, he chose to praise the Ducks and Lanning.
“I respect the heck out of this man (Lanning), what he’s accomplished, stepping in and taking over that program, not only keeping it rocking steady but accelerating it,” Sanders said. “I love who he is. I love the way he runs his team and the way he operates, so I got a lot of respect for him.”
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The respect goes the other way as well. Lanning said he thinks what Sanders has done is Boulder is nothing short of spectacular.
“I know our players are really pumped to get out there. I think Coach Sanders has done a great job,” Lanning said. “He’s created a lot of momentum and they’ve done phenomenally in their first three games. So it’s been a fun one for us.”
It will be even more fun if the Ducks can win, and even though they won’t admit it, the fact Colorado’s two-way player Travis Hunter is out makes the goal of winning just a bit easier.
Sanders knows replacing Hunter will be an almost impossible task on Saturday.
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“No one in the country can fill Travis Hunter’s shoes. He’s a unique player, he’s one of a kind,” he said. “He’s the best player on offense. He’s the best player on defense. That’s just who he is. We need guys to step up and do what we ask them to do.”
It’s a but ironic that Oregon will be Sanders’ first opponent in the Pac-12 since the Ducks are a program he wants to emulate from the way they play to the uniform combinations.
“The team we’re playing now, that’s what they’re known for (the uniforms),” Sander said. “Don’t get me wrong, they play great football. But the versatility of the uniforms, the flashiness, and what they bring. I remember coaching high school and my kids in the locker room talking about Oregon and the uniforms. So we can simulate that in a certain way. It’s productive because the kids want options.”
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