Deion Sanders is on record saying he wishes he had been smarter about marriage, and if he had, Sanders believes he could have some $20 million more in his bank accounts.
So, Sanders knows marriage. Thus, it’s worth listening to the underlying message from Colorado’s new head football coach when he dispenses on the detriment of pausing spring camp for the Buffaloes due to the university’s spring break.
After its first spring practice last Sunday, Colorado saw its academic calendar already set for spring break from March 20-24.
“No. It’s not a positive. It’s not a positive,” Sanders said of the spring break … break. “When you love something, do you want a break from it? You don’t want a break from it and then come up and try to (rekindle) where you left off at. Take a break on your honeymoon. Then come back and try to make it happen. It ain’t the same.
“I don’t like it in betwixt because these are young men, different maturation levels. Some people you tell don’t do the A,B,C and they do it anyway; they gotta still touch the oven. Some guys are going to work their butts off and stay in shape and make sure they come back prepared because they know there’s a lot of stake. I would never fall in love with having a break in betwixt spring practice, not whatsoever.”
With one practice completed, the Buffaloes are working toward the culmination of their first-ever spring under Coach Prime – set for the April 22 Black & Gold Game which will be televised live by ESPN and has been slated as the network’s only spring game designated for live broadcast.
For Sanders, he expects his Buffaloes to generate consistency with their work across the remainder of spring camp. That means consistency from the quarterback, his son, Shedeur Sanders, and the remainder of the roster.
“Consistency. New offense, third offense in three years. Understanding the nuances of the offense,” Coach Prime said of his son, who has former Jackson State offensive coordinator Brett Bartolone on staff at Colorado but has a new offensive head in Sean Lewis.
“We’ve got to get that consistency and communication and all the different receivers. Trust. That’s probably the best word, trust. I know what he’s going to do throwing the dern football, he’s very accurate.”
Beyond trust, tempo is the element Sanders is demanding from this spring camp.
“It was a fast tempo.,” Sanders said of the first practice. “We don’t take breaks. … Practice is fast-paced. No idle feet. We had five plays 1s versus 1s, 2s verus 2s, ball start on the 20-yard line
“By the time we hit the field [for the upcoming season] and game-time running, we’ve got a tempo that’s out of this world. Because that’s the expectation of practice. That’s all you see right now, especially in the PAC-12, all you see is high-speed, fast-paced offenses. We’re gonna be in shape if we don’t be anything.”
The ultimate goal?
“I want to be something to behold,” Deion Sanders said. “Something you’ve got to prepare for. Really prepare for.”
In other words, Sanders has a simple message for his players; honeymoon’s over.