Deion Sanders kept receipts for nonbelievers after Colorado’s prime time upset at TCU
Deion Sanders was little bit of everything following Colorado’s massive 45-42 upset of TCU at Amon Carter Stadium Saturday.
But he was entitled to be humble, haughty, vindictive, petty, proud and thankful.
He promises he won’t be that way all season.
But Saturday was eye-opening special.
Shedeur Sanders, the coach’s son, put his name on Heisman watch list with the best game ever for a Colorado quarterback by completing 38 of 47 passes for 510 yards and four touchdowns in his first game on the Power 5 level.
His game was topped only by cornerback-receiver Travis Hunter, who had 11 catches for 119 yards with one interception, three tackles and 129 total snaps on offense and defense.
Hunter and Shedeur Sanders were among 87 newcomers at Colorado, which won only one game last season and has only two winning records since 2005.
It was the first win over a ranked team for Colorado since 2019 and the first top 20 road win since 2002.
So it was a shock-the-world performance.
Not for Sanders, but for many of the nonbelievers who questioned his HBCU beginnings at Jackson State. And those who questioned his decisions to get rid of the majority of the roster from Colorado’s 1-11 season and replenish the team with Louis luggage from the transfer portal.
And then there are those who questioned his coaching chops.
No one expected what happened on Saturday against a 17th-ranked TCU team one year removed from making the College Football Playoff championship game with an shock the world season of its own.
“We told you we coming,” Sanders said proudly and defiantly. “You thought we was playing. And guess what? We keep receipts.”
“A lot of guys you doubted, one of them from an HBCU. He had 510 yards passing in a Power 5 football game and he happens to be my son and I’m proud of him. I tried to tell you [about Travis Hunter] but you didn’t want to believe me, because I’m just a lofty old young coach. I don’t know nothing about football. I just played in the NFL for 14. Played at a high level in college for four. And been coaching youth all the way up for a long time. Travis is him. We got two guys who should be front runners for the Heisman.”
As a Hall of Famer, two-sport star and Super Bowl champion, Sanders has never failed at anything and he has often let you know about it.
So there was no resisting on Saturday.
When an ESPN reporter tried ask a question, Sanders asked, Do you believe?
“I read through that junk that you wrote, I sifted through all that. Do you believe?” Sanders persisted.
And when he didn’t get the answer in the affirmative, Sanders replied, “next question.”
It wasn’t about that reporter. Sanders was sending a larger message.
“We are going to continue to do things that have never been done,” Sanders said. “And that makes people uncomfortable. We’re going to continuously be questioned because we do things that have never been done. ... We do things that have never been done and that makes people uncomfortable. When you see a competent Black man talking his talk and walking his walk. That is threatening. They don’t like that.
“Guess what, we are going to consistently do it. Because I’m going nowhere. And I am starting to get comfortable.”
Not only are naysayers believers but his players are now too.
That should be a scary outlook for future opponents, many whom thought Colorado would be an easy victory in 2023, just as TCU probably felt.
But this was a homecoming of sorts for Sanders, who made his home in DFW during his time with the Cowboys and returned here after retirement.
He reflected on his many trips to Fort Worth when his sons were in youth football, baseball and basketball.
And all his former teammates and associates were on hand to see him or paid him a visit pre-game, including former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman, fullback Daryl Johnston and receiver Michael Irvin.
“You got to understand that I am human,” Sanders said. “I deflect a lot of things. But I feel some things. Every once and I while I have some of those empty moments that I have to reflect on...So that was on my mind. Just just the consistency of that. And how that affected me and helped me get to this point in life. I love it. I love it.”
So Sanders, who has never not lived up to the hype in his life, was entitled to his moment and all of his emotions on Saturday.
Will he continue to show receipts after every win?
“I’m not vindictive like that,” Sanders said. “I just like to let them now that I know that you really ain’t with me. You really ain’t with us. You really don’t want to see me win. It was like that when I was playing. And I love it. I am just playing another game. I am just off the field. I can affect what’s on the field. I am thankful for that.”
“Ain’t none of yall believe. Maybe a couple of yall who knew how I get down. I’m winner. I am going to win. Now what?”
Sanders said he was coming.
He and Colorado arrived Saturday in glorious fashion.
Give him his theme music.
This story was originally published September 2, 2023 at 4:59 PM.
