You don’t need to physically take to the gridiron to have an impact on football. There are numerous unsung heroes working in the shadows that play their part. From coaches, trickling down to those who ensure logistical order and an environment in which the team can thrive. Deion Sanders can be a divisive figure, but you’re bound to respect one particular gesture of his. Prime’s reverence for a deceased father figures most players would take for granted.
Despite his iconic career and contributions to football, there’s a certain misapprehension towards Deion spread sporadically within the masses. The misapprehension often stems from a slyly prejudicial place. Perhaps because of the image he projects onto the CFB sphere and beyond. Or even from the unwavering push of his faith. Speaking of his faith, Deion Sanders rocks the initials JC written very prominently on all his game attire. He cleared the misconception that it doesn’t stand for ‘Jesus Christ’. It stands for ‘Jimmy Calloway.’
The tales of Deion Sanders’ escapades with the Colorado Buffaloes have been caught on film in the aptly named “Coach Prime” docu-series on…Prime. The series affords us a deep dive into Deion’s psyche as a person and coach. An excerpt from S3E4 delves into the equipment and kit staff at Colorado. The series interviews those in charge of maintaining program standards, as well as those set by Deion himself. The audience becomes privy to the particular affinity Coach Prime has for this side of the equation, stemming from his relationship with his own equipment manager back at Florida State.
NCAA, College League, USA Football: Colorado at Kansas Nov 23, 2024 Kansas City, Missouri, USA Colorado head coach Deion Sanders watches his players warmup prior to the game between the Kansas Jayhawks and the Colorado Buffaloes at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Kansas City GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium Missouri USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xNickxTre.xSmithx 20241123_nts_lk5_0004
“You gotta understand [that] when you’re building a program, you must touch every component of the program that then has the propensity to get you a ‘yay’ or ‘nay’,” stated Deion Sanders. “I have an affection for many of the equipment staff [at Colorado].” Coach Prime proceeded to confirm the lore behind the “JC” that’s ever-present on his outfit whenever he takes to the sideline. Which is visible in the aforementioned image.
That only goes to show the importance he places on equipment. Deion proceeded to mention how Jimmy Calloway was “like a father.” With the revelations made during this episode, he’s certainly keeping Calloway’s legacy going with how particular he is about the equipment he and his players wear. Smitty, the Colorado equipment manager, walked through the intricacies of the orderly process. Best believe the process isn’t as straightforward as putting together the pads and kit.
Deion Sanders’ tryst with meshing style with substance continues on as a coach
Smitty, as he’s affectionately called, has been with CU since 1988. After beginning as a student manager, he worked his way up to his current capacity. “Those of us who have been here or around here that long understand what it means to have Coach Prime bring a lot of that passion back,” he said. Smitty proceeded to explain why Deion Sanders lays so much onus onto the equipment. “The responsibility that I think we have in this organization, with him, is significant. Because of his history. The things that he said about ‘look good, feel good, play good,’…The detail behind that, I think, is what a lot of people don’t understand,” he said. Deion Sanders’ flash and pageantry weren’t just limited to his playing career. He’s a proponent of style alongside substance if that weren’t obvious enough from his fits on the sideline.
Smitty also said, “We spend a lot of time assembling those details and then putting them together in a package that [Deion] can decipher. [For] exactly how he wants us to come out of that tunnel and how he wants us to look. It’s just fascinating to me because every detail matters to him.” During this excerpt, there is a montage of Deion Sanders hand-picking which accessory to pair with which jersey, down to the last-minute element. Makes you wonder if he chose to come to Colorado for the golden accents on their kits as much as the program itself!
Deion Sanders is synonymous with polarizing. Certain factions look down upon his outward eccentricity and antics as a head coach and, by extension, leader of men. The “men” he’s leading into battle, though, are almost unanimous in their admiration of him. His players adore him, and so do the ancillary beings that work in the background. Respect is a reciprocal thing, and it’s a more than fair assumption that the respect and guidance Jimmy Calloway gave to a young Deion is now being permeated to others during this juncture of his life as a coach.
The post ‘Was Like Another Father’: Deion Sanders’ Emotional Tribute to Former Mentor as He Clears Stance on CU’s Strict Non-Negotiables appeared first on EssentiallySports.
