The Colorado Buffaloes have had a weird pregame ritual playing out all season that’s finally blown up into a full-blown controversy. It involved their pass rush coordinator and the head coach, Deion Sanders. Before every game, Warren Sapp would walk into the opposing team’s end zone and kick over all four pylons marking the goal line. He then casually strolls off like it’s no big deal. What happens next is even stranger. 

Deion Sanders, who’s dealing with blood clots and mobility issues that make every step painful, limps behind his assistant and personally picks up every single pylon his staff knocked down. CBS Colorado reporter Romi Bean captured the whole thing on video before the Utah game, and social media absolutely exploded with criticism, calling Warren Sapp’s actions disrespectful, unprofessional, and embarrassing for a college coach.​ Coach Prime clearly had enough of the noise.

He opened his press conference this week by directly addressing what he called “stupidity” from people trying to make it into something bigger than it is. “Let me start by addressing some stupidity that happened a week ago, that someone tried to make a big deal out of,” Sanders said. “Coach Sapp, knocking over the pylons, that’s our little thing. He knocks them down, I pick him up. That’s what defensive linemen do, right? They knock them down, the defensive back, pick them off. So that’s our little thing. Stop, try to make something out of nothing.” Sanders was essentially framing the entire routine as a symbolic representation of their defensive philosophy. The D-line disrupts, and the secondary cleans up by getting interceptions.​

The Buffs HC’s explanation makes sense if you buy into the metaphor. But the optics are still pretty rough when you actually watch it happen. The video shows Sapp with his headphones on, completely absorbed in his own world as he knocks over each orange marker one by one. Then there’s Sanders, having to bend down and reset each pylon his assistant just scattered across the end zone.

Multiple fans and media members have pointed out that this is something Sapp used to do as a player during his Hall of Fame NFL career. But doing it as a college assistant coach, especially on the road at opposing stadiums, just hits differently.​ The backlash wasn’t just about the act itself. It’s about what it represents for a program that’s currently 3-5 overall and 1-4 in Big 12 play. Fans tore into Sapp on social media. The criticism got even harsher when people connected Sapp’s focus on pregame theatrics to Colorado’s actual defensive struggles.

The unit ranks 87th nationally in stop rate and is giving up 210.38 yards per game on the ground. Sapp can knock over all the pylons he wants, but it won’t mean anything if his defensive line keeps getting pushed around once the ball is actually snapped.​

Coach Prime won’t let health concerns slow him down

Deion Sanders isn’t about to let anyone convince him he needs to step away from coaching, no matter how legitimate their concerns about his health might be. First, he went through bladder cancer and had his bladder removed. Then, three weeks ago, the blood clot issue reappeared and had to be dealt with. It was Coach Prime’s 16th surgery. But when he was asked about how these issues might impact his coaching future, he kept it simple.

“I’m a one day at a time type of guy. We’ve got to win. That’s the only thing I’m worried about. My health is wonderful. I’m good. I’m not thinking about anything but winning.” That’s vintage Deion Sanders, deflecting the health talk and redirecting everything back to the team and getting Colorado back on track after that brutal 53-7 loss to Utah.​ The thing is, Prime Time genuinely believes coaching isn’t what’s hurting him; it’s actually what’s keeping him going.

He knows friends and fans reach out constantly with concern, telling him he needs to slow down or take a break, but he’s not buying it. “My health is not going to increase sitting on the lake fishing,” Sanders told the Associated Press.“My health is not going increase sitting at my property in Texas… I’m not damaging or putting my health at risk by doing what I’m doing. Matter of fact, it’s enhancing my health, doing the things I do”. It’s a bold stance considering his medical history. But his focus remains on the program. Not letting any outside noise affect him or his team’s mindset.