When you once signed up for Deion Sanders’ army, quitting is never really an option! That’s exactly what helped the former NFL offensive lineman and Colorado Buffaloes coach George Hegamin win the battle called life. There came a time when the Buffs staffer had given up all hope of surviving when he was down with a terminal disease. But on September 27, he came up with a big surprise for the Colorado fans and an inspiring story to tell. It’s clearly evident that the Buffs HC Deion’s philosophy has motivated him mentally. Thank god, the gold jacket is back to its original form!

Setbacks are life’s biggest lessons. And people like Hegamin refuse it to crush their morale and instead come off as even stronger than before. On September 27, a day before the Buffs are going to face the UCF Knights on September 28 Saturday, their coach came up with a thrilling post. He posted a collage of two of his pictures taken a year apart and as rightly put in the caption, it read, “What a difference a year makes!”

On the left, it was Hegamin bound on his hospital bed with a rice tube attached to his nose, looking all pale. The right side of the collage had the coach’s latest picture, donning a wide smile, looking all fresh and stylish with the CU Buffs cap. And with this came the news that the Buffs had been waiting for so long to hear, “Fully recovered, living in my purpose, and grateful for each day.”

Hegamin had been battling with a rare condition of blood clotting that led him to bid adieu to coaching for some time. But again, just like Deion firmly believes, the coach too seemed to have been inspired by Coach Prime’s affirmation and wrote, “God is good, y’all!” So now the Buffs know when life gets rough, it’s time for you to be stronger. Hegamin ended the note with a message for the players, “So keep pushing, keep believing, and trust the process! Your story isn’t over yet.” Well, of course, his words are going to hold some heavy weight. After all, he is the gold jacket.

Deion Sanders’ masterstroke in bringing George Hegamin on board

Back in April this year, Deion thought it wise to have Hegamin on board. The Buffs already boast 127 years of NFL experience in their coaching roster. But Coach Prime thought of taking it to a level higher and hired Hegamin for an interesting role. Colorado’s first Director of Football Leadership and Engagement.  

Well, Deion had always had that soft corner for him ever since the two played together with the Dallas Cowboys in the mid-90s. But Coach Prime being Coach Prime, is not only driven by his emotions and ensures that Hegamin is talented enough. The coach played in the NFL as an OL for seven long years. Later on, he held positions in the renowned IMG Academy and the NFL Players Association (Senior Manager of Player Services) both as a coach and administrator. 

And what about the ex-NFL legend? Was he interested? It seemed that George Hegamin had been on cloud nine on receiving the offer. “I think the biggest thing I can tell you is I didn’t want to see my brother (Deion Sanders) go through what he was going through,” shared the concerned coach. So a reminder for the Buffs, when things get rough, remember Hegamin—he didn’t give up!

It seems that you are interested in the Buffs. If so, you must know how important is NIL for the Buffs. You can have a detailed understanding of the topic on the latest episode of the Think Tank podcast.