Colorado head coach Deion Sanders issued a warning to NFL teams Friday − don’t draft Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter if you won’t let him play both ways.
Sanders said this on ‘The Rich Eisen Show’ Friday and also hinted that a contract extension is in the works that could keep him at Colorado for the long term.
In Hunter’s case, Sanders even said Hunter could leverage the fact that he could return to Colorado for another year of college football next season if NFL teams don’t give him assurances he can play both cornerback and receiver.
“He’s gonna do that (play both ways), or they shouldn’t draft him,” Sanders told Eisen. “Don’t do that. And I’m gonna make sure of that. Don’t draft him if you’re not gonna give him the opportunity to play on both sides of the ball. Now, you can be creative. He don’t have to do what we did with him here and play every snap.”
Hunter told USA TODAY Sports last month in a media Zoom call that he was “definitely” turning pro after this season even though he has another year of college eligibility left. Sanders on Friday said that year could be used as a bargaining chip. Hunter is intent on playing both offense and defense in the NFL even if teams might view it as increasing his risk of injury after investing millions of dollars in him.
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“It’s gonna be abundantly clear that this is what he wants,” Sanders said. “This is who he is, and it’s not gonna work unless you entertain this and give him an assurance that this is what’s gonna happen. You gotta understand: Travis Hunter has another year of eligibility. So if you start the foolishness, he can do that.”
Contract extension for Deion Sanders?
As his team prepares to face BYU in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 28, Sanders has been setting the table for his future at Colorado. That includes signing potential successors to his son Shedeur at quarterback. After bringing in high school quarterback prospect Julian Lewis, Sanders also recently got a commitment from Kaidon Salter, a transfer quarterback from Liberty with one year of eligibility left.
It’s not likely they’d have decided to come to Boulder without Sanders planning to stick around. Yet speculation has persisted that Sanders might be a “package deal” to coach in the NFL with Shedeur as his quarterback. Sanders dismissed that when asked about it by Eisen. He also hinted at a contract extension at Colorado. His current contract runs through 2027.
“I’m confident that we’re gonna get something done to keep me here so that we can bring this wonderful city a national championship,” Sanders told Eisen.
Looking out the window from his office in Boulder, Sanders said he wanted to establish a legacy that would merit chiseling his face into the mountains there like the presidents at Mount Rushmore.
“I want to see a Black face on this white snow out there,” Sanders said with a laugh.
Deion Sanders said Heisman voting was too close
Hunter won the Heisman last weekend by the slimmest margin since 2009 − 214 points over Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, who’s rushed for 2,497 yards this season.
Sanders said on the ‘Colorado Football Coaches Show’ Thursday that nothing compares to what Hunter did this year as an elite player on both sides of the ball who seldom came off the field.
“I’m sick of being nice to everybody,” Sanders said. “And first of all, it was too close. C’mon man. We’ve seen all the other stuff before. What everybody else did that was there (at the Heisman ceremony), we’ve seen that before. We ain’t never seen this before. So how can it even be close? That’s the kind of stuff that make me mad.”
The show’s host, Mark Johnson, noted that “29 players have rushed for over 2,000 yards. We’ve seen that.”
“Thank you,” Sanders replied.
“And that’s taking nothing away from the young man (Jeanty) who was phenomenal this season,” Johnson said.
“Thank you,” Sanders said.
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com