When it comes to stirring up the players with vocal tonics, no one does it better than Deion Sanders. We have witnessed earlier how one ill-advised move by the Colorado players means a trip to the conference room. Deion waits in front of a big screen, with the tapes ready, to pinpoint the mistakes. And guess what? Nobody can bypass Deion’s watchful eyes. Not even his favorite Julian “JuJu” Lewis. 

On October 16, LockedOnBuffs dropped a clip from the Colorado Buffaloes’ latest practice. It captured Deion in a sour mood as Lewis got an earful from Coach Prime. Putting a pause to the practice, Deion felt that having a man-to-man talk with Lewis was more essential. “Have you said something…have you said anything?” the Buffs head coach sounded angry.

Lewis defended himself, saying, “I thought he was right the one time.” Maybe that was not the answer Deion had been expecting from Lewis. He wants his quarterback to address the issues by confronting his mates then and there. Coach Prime thus came up with a clear yet sharp instruction: “So we’ve had three bad snaps…and you don’t even tell him. So he don’t know. He don’t know. Take control of this! It’s got to be better.” The other player spotted in the scene is interior offensive lineman Chauncey Gooden. 

Quick communication prevents repeated mistakes, allowing the team to adjust instantly instead of letting errors pile up. Deion and Co. are now enjoying their first bye week of the season. But Coach Prime keeps Lewis and his mates on high alert, ensuring they do not lose the momentum or focus before the Utah face-off. Starters and key players watched from the sidelines as Colorado’s backups went head-to-head at the school’s Ford Practice Facility. Even though Lewis gets criticized, some of his mates make Deion proud. 

First up in the line was running back Ronald Coleman. He had promised the Well Off Media CEO, Deion Sanders Jr., that he would deliver a touchdown. Coleman kept his word and gifted a 7-yard rushing score. Then it was time for Deion’s walk-on quarterback, Dominiq Ponder, to steal the spotlight. He delivered the standout moment of the day, plowing through cornerback Kyle Carpenter for extra yardage rather than sliding or stepping out.

He became a reason for hope for Deion, warding off worries at the second cornerback position. On the other hand, wide receiver Quentin Gibson, too, caught the limelight with multiple long catches. Maybe Deion had set high expectations for Lewis, considering the efforts he made to woo him. Plus, to motivate the players, Coach Prime also invited a special guest.

Deion Sanders and Michael Irvin reunited in Boulder

We know Deion shares a strong bond with 3x Super Bowl winner Michael Irvin. He called him up to make a trip to the Boulder camp after Coach Prime’s boys gifted him a 24-17 win over the Iowa State Cyclones. After all, the Buffaloes (who were 2-4 heading into the game) went to the game as a 3-point underdog. They faced off against the 22nd-ranked Cyclones, who held a 5-1 record.

Yet then, Deion’s boys did not allow the pressure to get to them. So, this is a call for some celebration. However, the Buffs’ head coach ensured it would turn into something encouraging, and the team would show up like this in every game. That’s when Irvin came. “Let me just tell you, it’s such a pleasure to be out there to watch that. But you understand what that is. I watch young men turn the real grown men in that cocoon right there,” he said. 

His kind words were enough to inject motivation into Deion’s boys’ blood. “Every time you step on that field, make a promise to one man to the other. I will get my job done today and then get the job done on that date, and you’ll be a champion.” Yes, this time Deion ensured not to make a mistake with the guest speaker selection. After all, last time things had taken a U-turn.

The Buffaloes were recovering from an embarrassing 36-20 loss against the Houston Cougars. Yes, we know how Deion had good intentions about boosting the team’s morale and invited legendary rapper Ice Cube to the practice. 

And this move opened the doors to criticism. Colorado loyal Matt McChesney did not mince his words, saying, “Look, I love IceCube. I love NWA. This is awesome. I’m glad that he’s at in Boulder, but honestly, I’m sorry, but who gives a s—? So the team plays that bad, and their prize is not a really hard day of practice… Their prize is more celebrities talking.”

Now, it’s to be seen how Deion Sanders’ vocal tone gives birth to a strict leader in Julian Lewis as Coach Prime leaves no stone unturned to keep his players satisfied.