The college football world has always been full of larger-than-life moments, but not all of them happen on the gridiron. Some of them happen in press rooms, far from roaring crowds and touchdown celebrations. One such moment came last fall, when Colorado’s Deion Sanders did something he regularly does (exuding kindness). After a dominant 48–21 win over UCF in Orlando on September 28, 2023, Sanders took the podium as usual. But what followed became a life-changing memory for a young journalist named Andrew Cherico, a 21-year-old student reporter with a dream, a camera, and a wheelchair.
Cherico, who’s been living with spinal muscular atrophy since the age of nine, had been out at FBC Mortgage Stadium since 8 a.m. that day. He was covering the game for Sons of UCF, a small independent site that had taken a chance on him. By the time he got called on in Sanders’ postgame press conference, he was exhausted, over 12 hours into his day, barely holding it together. But he pushed through and asked a sharp, respectful question about Colorado’s run defense. Coach Prime started answering, then stopped and looked directly at Cherico and changed the tone of the entire room.
“I’m proud of you and your resilience and what you go through on a daily basis,” Sanders said, his voice slowing. It was one man who’s seen pain recognizing another who’s lived through it. For Cherico, who vomited from exhaustion after leaving the stadium that night, it was the affirmation he didn’t even know he needed.
He later wrote on social media, “While it may have been a small gesture of kindness to you, it truly changed my life. It motivates me to continue chasing my dreams on a daily basis.” Then came the part that hits you right in the chest. “There’s a community I come from that fights the everyday battle I do, and I’m blessed to feel I’m representing us for a moment like this.” These words were about every person out there navigating invisible obstacles with no spotlight or microphone. With Sanders’ acknowledgment, Cherico gave voice to that community.
I can’t express the amount of gratitude I have right now.
First and foremost thank you God for giving me the strength and blessings to keep fighting my daily battle.
I want to give the biggest thanks towards @BruceFeldmanCFB for hearing and choosing to share my story. It has… https://t.co/Ug677i8pAi pic.twitter.com/0oQ5We32K4
— Andrew Cherico (@Andrew_Cherico) July 13, 2025
“I’m consistently reminded by my SMA my life isn’t guaranteed,” he wrote. “Every moment I live, whether joyful or challenging, is another beautiful moment. I made a promise to myself that by the end of my life, I want to reflect back and make sure I never limited myself in any circumstance because of my disability. That promise continues to live on.” And live on it will. Because Andrew Cherico is dragging his dreams uphill, fighting something he had no part in getting.
And yet, there he is, tripod ready, mic in hand, stats in his head, proving everyone wrong with grace and grit. Just like Sanders said: be proud. Because if college football has space for 300-pound linemen and backup long snappers, it darn sure has space for a kid with a motorized wheelchair, a journalist’s heart, and a promise to keep.
“I’m proud of you.”
“I’m proud of you and your resilience and what you go through on a daily basis.” These might be just some words for us, but to Cherico, they meant the whole world. And the impact was so immense that it could be felt through the screen when Cherico posted the incident after the press conference. “Wow, I’m blessed beyond belief to have witnessed @DeionSanders giving me a shoutout telling me he’s proud of me and all the work I do, especially with the adversity I deal with from my physical disability. Thank you, Coach Prime, it means the world. “ his post read.
Moreover, what made the moment land even harder was Sanders’ personal connection. Having spent his fair share of time in a wheelchair while dealing with clotting issues in his leg, he could relate to the experience. “I was in a wheelchair at one point with these toes being amputated… I had to change my whole bathroom and put rails in so I could even get on the darn toilet,” he told Cherico. “So I understand.” One man who is the epitome of physical prowess acknowledges another who lives with them daily. For Cherico, who had just pushed through a 17-hour grind to cover the game, the words felt like a spotlight.
And really, isn’t that what we’re all looking for? To be seen beyond our labels, our gear, and our grind? That moment with Deion was a reminder that this game we love, this sport that breaks hearts and builds legends, also has the power to pause and reflect. Andrew may have rolled into that press room alone, but when he rolled out, he was carrying the weight of a message that reached far beyond college football.
The post Disabled Reporter Says Deion Sanders “Truly Changed His Life” as He Fights Tears in Emotional Admission appeared first on EssentiallySports.
