Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders recently declared himself cancer-free. And while his wellness is good news to the program, the better news is that his good health now gives the Buffs the chance to revive themselves from the woefulness of the 2025 season. As they prepare for a better 2026 season, the players have been urged by the strength coach Andreu Swasey to improve their weak attitudes, as there would be no room for any of that in the 2026 season.

“As we get sharper, we get to start getting more what? Detailed,” Swasey emphasized. “You don’t even know, I may say this: ‘hey, we’re just going to make up something to see how they act. As much as they bench is as much as we’re going to do’. You don’t know that’s how it goes. You’re in shape, really technically you can run. That ain’t the issue, your attitude is the issue. Attitude enhances performance. Bad attitudes, we’re going f—–g suck.”

This message was posted through a video posted Monday on the Well Off Media Youtube channel operated by Deion Sanders Jr. After a conditioning session at the Ford Practice Facility, Swasey gathered the players and stressed that talent and fitness alone would not be enough for success in 2026. He then challenged the team to improve their mindset, and he made it clear that poor attitudes will not be tolerated.

After his speech, Swasey got his desired result, as the players immediately roared in unison, “let’s go, let’s get better today. Ten minutes on one, ten minutes on 3, 1, 2, 3”. The players had gotten Swasey’s message that their emotional behavior under pressure would be a major determinant of their success or failure.

Swasey is entering his second year with the Colorado Buffaloes, and he is known for his stern speeches to the Buffs players, being very vocal about his dissatisfaction with the program’s 3-9 record in the 2025 season. Swasey joined the program last January and was not part of the 2024 team that finished with a 9-4 record. But a coach who is credited for coaching over 100 draft picks, including 35 first-round picks, knows the kind of mentality excellent players have, and at the moment, he feels the Buffs are far from that mentality. Right from the winter training program, Swasey has been flogging the players with his words, with repeated warnings.

“I’m just telling you, the moment of truth is coming,” Swasey said in a video posted by Thee Pregame Show. “Your heart rate is gonna hit another level. You’re gonna have an out-of-body experience. Between you and you, you’re gonna find out how much you love CU.”

“Now, we’re in the trenches. Now, it’s time. What’s done in the dark is gonna come to light. Eat iron. You got to look like iron… When we say down, set, hike, blue 30, it’s showtime. You’re gonna hold on with that speed and knock people into the middle of next week.”

Fall camp in Boulder will not begin until July 27, but the players can already feel the moment of truth. Having enjoyed success with the Hurricanes, Swasey wants to infect the players at Boulder with the same spirit.

Coach Prime acknowledged Swasey’s efforts

Swasey was the strength and conditioning coach of the Miami Hurricanes for 15 years. Even while the team performed poorly on the field, Deion Sanders acknowledged Swasey’s efforts in the physical transformation of the players. Sadly, the transformation ended in the weight room, as they could not take it to the pitch in 2025.

“He can make them look like Tarzan, but we can’t play like Jane,” Sanders said after Colorado’s season finale in November.

Sanders got Swasey into the program to work alongside Maurice Sims. Sims had been with Sanders since his time at Jackson State in 2022, and he finally left in the end for Florida A&M.