Deion Sanders Addresses ‘Negative’ Colorado Coverage After Columnist Ban

Deion Sanders spoke generally about the negative criticism he faces as Colorado’s head coach over the weekend, but did not directly address the ban on a Denver Post columnist asking questions at news conferences.

The Denver Post’s Sean Keeler’s ban from asking questions comes after the school said he wrote a “series of sustained personal attacks on the football program and Coach Prime in particular,” according to USA Today.

Sanders, known as Coach Prime, told reporters Saturday that he never let outside noise affect him and that nothing ever made him want to “go all out.”

“You don’t really care because it doesn’t influence you,” Sanders said. “I’ve never read an article or a comment and thought, ‘Oh, this is going to make me work harder.’ I’m going to work hard no matter what, but that comment just let me know where you stand. So that’s the only difference. It doesn’t move me forward. It’s where I’m from that’s moved me forward.”

“The way I grew up propelled me. As you know, being an African-American, one of the few to be a head coach in college football, those kinds of things propelled me. It’s not what you say. It lets me know where you stand.”

The Buffaloes are coming off a 4-8 season in Sanders’ first year at the helm and begin the 2024 season Thursday against North Dakota State.

The former NFL star said she is used to being in the spotlight and being criticized.

His goal, Sanders said, is to understand where it comes from and “why” rather than being offended by it.

“It’s a way of life for me. You act like this is the first time I’ve been shot. I’ve been lied to, I’ve been cheated on, I’ve been talked about, I’ve been abused. It’s a gospel song… It’s not the first time this has happened, but as I mature, instead of hitting you back, beating you up or rejecting you, I want to know why. Let’s help each other. Let’s find the why, because if we understand people’s why, it helps us a lot,” he said.

Colorado confirmed in a statement Friday that it had barred Keeler from asking questions, but he is still able to cover games and other newspaper staffers can still ask questions.