It’s the month of heartbreaks. Nobody knows it better than Deion Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes. Already, the Buffs fans are on their toes now that the trio- Shedeur Sanders, Shilo Sanders, and Travis Hunter, are all set to spread their wings and fly high in the NFL. Well, other than them, Deion will be losing another special player. That’s none other than the Buffs defensive tackle Chidozie Nwankwo. During his last days in Boulder, the single dad prodigy shared gratitude to Warren Sapp and the other coaches who paved his way this far. At the same time, he showed the NFL scouts to better watch out.  

Nwankwo has been playing the sport since 2019. He joined the University of Houston as a fresher. Back there, he did come up with some unique stats. Racking up 13 tackles and 1 sack, he was given a 3-star rank. It was in 2023 that the Houston big man announced joining Deion’s program. With 40 games and 33 starts under his belt and a stature of 5-foot-11 and weighing 290 pounds, he brought dominance to the Buffs’ D-line. Sadly, time has come for Colorado to bid farewell to their starter. On Saturday, January 4, Nwankwo declared himself for the draft. He came up with a farewell note.

The defensive tackle’s journey has been a tough one. Since outside the gridiron, he is a full-time single dad to a beautiful baby girl. Nwankwo wrote, “GOD I LOVE YOU! WITHOUT YOU I WOULDNT HAVE NOTHING. Only me and you know how much it took to get to this point of life, to be able to have the opportunity to continue to chase my dreams. With my Beautiful baby girl and my family alongside me.” He then thanked the pillars of his athletic journey. “I WILL FOREVER HAVE FAITH THROUGH IT ALL. To my coaches Coach Brian Early, Damione Lewis and Warren Sapp, Coach Prime yall already know what the deal is…the job is nowhere near finished.” Well, we know how Nwankwo has still some unfinished business.

He still has to make his daughter proud. And what better gift for her lil princess than to get drafted by an NFL program? The caption of the IG post came off as a clear warning on how Nwankwo remains focused on his goal. It read, “Yall ain’t seen nothing yet 🙏🏾.” In his lone season in Boulder, the athlete tallied 31 tackles, 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble. But beyond the stats, Deion connected with Nwankwo on a personal level. 

Deion Sanders’ push for Chidozie Nwankwo

Not many know, that before committing to Houston Cougars, Nwankwo had earned huge fame in the world of wrestling. He even bagged the district championship four times. Having an eye for real talent, Deion must have been already wooed by the athlete. Besides, Nwankwo’s athletic talents, Coach Prime could connect with him since he is a great father. And the feeling has been vice versa. Back in August, the Buffs HC took the initiative to help a few members of his program. Deion tweeted, “I’m looking for a Bank in Boulder or Denver that’s wants to have a business relationship with a few members of our team. It’s gonna bless whichever Bank that partners with us. Let’s Go. #CoachPrime @CUBuffsFootball @SMAC.” 

As per the reports, this initiative allowed the players’ children a total of $2,121 in savings in collaboration with 5430 Alliance. Flattered by this move, Nwankwo posted, “@elevationscu Thank you for all for this Blessing!!! This is why I love my coach.” From the very beginning, Deion Sanders was aware of Chidozie Nwankwo’s struggles. He single-handedly managed his athletic responsibilities and his duties as a single father. 

As Coach Prime once said,  “A child is not a mistake. A child is an opportunity to mature you, grow you, advance you, and give you skills,” it filled his heart with pride to see Nwankwo struggle to be a better person for his daughter. That’s when the Buffs HC assured “I’m pushing you, sir. I’m back here pushing you every time a scout comes here…Watch what he do. I cry to you before I lie to you, watch what he does………Don’t let the size fool you. That is a killer.” Now Deion Sanders can’t be wrong!