Last weekend, ESPN College Gameday came to Boulder Colorado to cover the Colorado vs. Colorado State football game.
Aside from the normal excitement and attention that naturally follows Colorado coach Deion Sanders, Colorado State head coach Jay Norvell added fuel to the fire and rivalry by saying he takes his hat and glasses off when he talks to "grown-ups" because that’s what his mother taught him, taking a dig at Coach Prime.
Deion addressed that and more in his short interview with the ESPN Gameday crew that even featured an appearance from Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson.
You can find the entire interview here:
LOOK WHAT WE'VE DONE
To start the interview, they said that not even a year ago, they were with him at Jackson State. They said, "Look what you've done in the short period of time with these people."
Deion immediately said, "Look what WE'VE done." At no point does he take all of the credit. For all his confidence and bravado, Deion always gives credit to his staff, athletes, and families.
SOMETHING(s) TO THINK ABOUT
1- Who has helped you have the success you have had? 2 - Who is someone you can thank our praise for the work they have done? WE INTERVIEW THEM
A major reason for all the attention he and Colorado are getting is how quickly they were able to turn Colorado football around. He was asked, "What is it about your culture that set in so quickly and led to immediate success for your Colorado Buffaloes?"
He said, "Oftentimes, when coaches recruit, the recruits come in and the recruits are interviewing the coaches. We are interviewing the recruits to make sure they have the intangibles: smart, tough, fast, disciplined, and character. But not only that but that you love the game, that you have an affinity and passion for the game. I need to know your why. Is it your momma who has worked a 9-5 all her life? Is it your father who has been on drugs that you are trying to get off? Is it a great household that has wealth but you are trying to continue the legacy? We have to find that intangible and why when we bring those kids in here."
SOMETHING(s) TO THINK ABOUT
1 - What intangibles do you look for in your athletes?
2 - How are you communicating and teaching those characteristics and intangibles?
3 - If they don't have it, how do you teach it?
4 - If they do have them, how do you praise and celebrate them?
THE SACRIFICE
He was then asked, "What do people still not know about the team?" They said, "It's easy to get enamored with the highlights and big plays, but the fundamentals seem to be there, and this is a team that is extremely well-coached."
At the 2:10 mark, Deion said people made a big deal about the number of people they brought in, but they are disciplined on and off the field. He said, "The biggest thing that we have earned is we have had the highest GPA in the history of Colorado football. Our guys understand the commitment and the sacrifice. It's not a way you can sit up here or ball out if haven't sacrificed something. There has to be a sacrifice, and they are willing to sacrifice the little things that disable them to go forward."
SOMETHING(s) TO THINK ABOUT
1 - What is something you know you need to sacrifice to achieve the goals you want to achieve?
WHY PEOPLE JUDGE AND HATE
When Deion was asked at the 4:00 mark about the comments the Colorado State coach made about the things his mom taught him about taking off your sunglasses and hat when talking to adults, he was also asked, "Why do you think people judge you when you have been so successful?"
Deion said, "When you are so right, they have to find something wrong. We are so right right now. You can't talk about the kids, you can't talk about the coaching, and you can't talk about the way you play, so you have to come at me personally."
SOMETHING(s) TO THINK ABOUT
1 - How do you manage when people judge and hate on you?
CONSISTENTLY B YOU.
At the 5:00 mark, they said in another interview, Deion said he makes people nervous. He was asked, "Why?"
Deion said, "I am willing to step outside the box and consistently be me." He said one of the things he likes about the show is everyone on the show is consistently who they are. He then named the things that they each bring to the table.
He said, "When you start doing things consistently that they can't detect or detach or duplicate, that puts fear in people's heartS."
SOMETHING(s) TO THINK ABOUT
1 - What is the one thing you bring to the team that is authentically you that nobody else can duplicate?
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