The Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders smiles at the crowd at Folsum Field before the University of Colorado vs. North Dakota State game on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024. (Clementine Miller/CU Independent)
Editor’s note: This story was cross-published on the Rocky Mountain Collegian’s website, as well as in a special collaborative print edition with the Rocky Mountain Collegian in honor of the 2024 Rocky Mountain Showdown.
Leading up to last year’s Rocky Mountain Showdown, talk across the nation focused on the long-standing rivalry between the University of Colorado Boulder and Colorado State University. At center stage was a verbal feud between the two teams’ coaches, as well as a comparison of their coaching methods and professional history.
CU Boulder coach Deion Sanders and CSU coach Jay Norvell were caught in a war of words that upped the stakes of the game and put the two coaches’ different experiences and abilities to the test.
Last year, at the peak of Prime Mania, Norvell criticized Sanders’ appearance in his weekly press conference.
“I sat down with ESPN today,” Norvell said. “I don’t care if they hear it in Boulder. I told them, ‘I took my hat off and I took my glasses off.’ I said, ‘When I talk to grown-ups, I take my hat off and my glasses off.’ That’s what my mother taught me.”
Sanders then appeared on national television shows like ESPN’s College GameDay and gifted his signature Blender sunglasses to the show’s hosts.
When asked at a July press conference about their relationship, Norvell dismissed the notion that there is a continuing feud between the two coaches.
“I don’t have any feelings for Deion Sanders — I really don’t,” Norvell said. “I don’t think about Deion Sanders unless you guys ask me a question about him.”
The origin of Sanders and Norvell’s rivalry ties back to their unique but similar histories with the game of football.
Sanders is a Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback who played 14 seasons in the NFL for five different franchises, most notably, the Atlanta Falcons and Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Florida State University and, after an All-American collegiate career, was drafted fifth overall in the 1989 NFL draft.
As a player, Sanders was known for his larger-than-life personality and athleticism, earning him the nickname “Prime Time.”
However, when he publicly expressed relief that the Detroit Lions did not draft him, he earned a reputation as a diva as well.
“I would’ve asked for so much money that they’d have had to put me on layaway,” Sanders said.
On the other hand, Norvell’s football background is as humble as it gets. He played defensive back for the University of Iowa during the 1980s and earned All-Big 10 honors. However, as an undrafted player, Norvell never caught on in the NFL. He briefly played for the Chicago Bears for one season before starting his coaching career.
Norvell is a salt-of-the-earth personality and he has expressed disdain for the current name, image and likeness-dominated college football landscape Sanders has thrived in.
That being said, Norvell and Sanders have much in common. They both played in the defensive back position, for one. As former defensive players, they each coach teams known for high-flying passing offenses and strong quarterback play.
Norvell has been a quarterback whisperer in his own right. During his time as head coach at the University of Nevada Reno, he developed Carson Strong into a 4,000-yard passer and legitimate NFL prospect before Strong’s knee injury.
Norvell has continued with current sophomore quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, who elected to remain with Norvell and the Rams this offseason despite receiving interest from other programs following his 3,460-passing yard first-year season.
On the other hand, Sanders has developed his son, Shedeur Sanders, into a projected first-round talent during his time as his son’s offensive coordinator in high school, coach at Jackson State and now coach at Colorado. Both coaches have achieved this quarterback development success by utilizing the air-raid offense.
Contact CU Independent Managing Editor Lincoln Roch at Lincoln.Roch@colorado.edu
Contact CU Independent Sports Editor Charlie Hewitt at Charles.Hewitt@colorado.edu
