Deion Sanders’s tough-love approach at Colorado is facing scrutiny, but the sharpest critique is coming from a former Buffalo himself. An ex-alum has voiced his frustration, pointing to what he believes is the ‘real issue’ plaguing the program, and it’s not what Coach Prime might think.

“The issue now becomes striking the fear of God into some of these players, which is what they’re doing, reminding them they’re on scholarship, reminding them everything’s free, reminding them what they get paid, and reminding them they have the privilege of being here to play football,” analyst RJ Young said on his Adapt and Respond podcast. “Is that going to work? Because one of the things that I’ve been very interested in is how your philosophy is played out.”

Well, in this modern era of NIL, where players have shown to value money over anything else, Deion Sanders is someone who’s trying to return them to their roots. He brought new rules for posting fines on players for coming late to practice of $500, then for coming late to meetings and film sessions, it’s $400, and $2000 for missing them entirely.

Perhaps the most significant fine is for social media misconduct, which will cost players $5,000, highlighting that discipline takes precedence for Sanders. He believes that without the fear of paying a high price, it’s impossible to restore order. The Buffs’ coach even quotes “God” in every one of his one-on-one sessions with the players, trying to build an atmosphere where they are accountable for all their deeds. So the “real issue” is a question–Can Sanders make players fall in line with these fines?

While we can’t be too sure about that, Sanders might face certain problems because of his approach. In this era of NIL money, threatening players with $500 fines feels archaic. Instead of building accountability, taxing players risks alienating the locker room and accelerating their rush to the transfer portal.

News served to you like never before!

Prefer us on Google, To get latest news on feed

Prefer Us on Google

Back in August, Deion Sanders gave an ultimatum to his players while watching their scrimmage video. He made it crystal clear about his unhappiness with their game and also pointed to the root cause of it, which is their use of social media.

“If you perform like you performed in that scrimmage, they are going to eat you alive,” Sanders said. “Disconnect your social media.”

Well, it’s a tried and tested method. Fear of failure can motivate players, and high school coach Art Haege used to push his players by yelling, shouting, and motivating them in adverse situations, and for Sanders, this is his mantra. While Sanders’ methods are designed to build discipline, they haven’t been immune to criticism, especially from those with deep ties to the program.

Deion Sanders faces major criticism

The criticism cuts deeper for Deion Sanders when it comes from a former Colorado player like Christian Fauria, who took a sharp shot at him on the Zach Gelb Show. He said that Sanders isn’t “very bright” and also claimed that he “brainwashed” people to support him no matter what.

Fauria played at Colorado from 1990 to 1994 under head coach Bill McCartney before heading to the NFL. He even made his son Caleb join the program, but he transferred from Colorado after Sanders’ hiring. Now, with all the history, he is stating publicly why he doesn’t like Deion Sanders’ way of handling the program.

“I’m just not a fan of the coach,” Fauria said. “I’m not. I’ll never be a fan of the coach. I love the school. And this isn’t me picking on Deion Sanders, because I pick on (former NFL coach) Joe Gibbs. The worst coach I’ve ever had was Joe Gibbs (with the Washington NFL team), so me picking on Deion Sanders is nothing.”

“I just don’t like the way he coaches football. I don’t think he’s very bright. I don’t think he can manage a game. I think there’s a lot of flash, but I think there’s no substance, you know. And he’s got a lot of people, like, brainwashed,” Fauria added.

The team’s 3-9 record, despite these disciplinary measures, raises the question of whether the core issues are related to on-field execution rather than off-field accountability. Colorado even has to face 45 portal exits that shake the very core of the program. With a new season fast approaching, it will be interesting to see if Deion Sanders can prove all these claims wrong!