By Jay Berry
Deion Sanders is again making headlines. This time, he addressed the backlash from retiring his son Shedeur Sanders’s jersey number at Colorado.
Colorado announced this week that they will be retiring the jersey numbers of Shedeur and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter. Both players have significantly contributed to the Buffaloes program, but some might argue that retiring their numbers is a stretch.
Backlash Should Be Expected
Yes, it’s a team sport, but did they accomplish anything extraordinary to warrant such honors? No. While they deserve praise for their contributions, Sanders shouldn’t be surprised by the backlash or upset about it.
“I don’t know if you know it, but I think every jersey I darn near played in is retired. So, I’m pretty familiar with this. It’s never been sore,” Sanders said regarding the decision to retire the number worn by his son.
Powerful: Deion Sanders responds to the critics who say his son Shedeur doesn't deserve to have his jersey retired:
“If his last name weren’t Sanders, we wouldn’t have this discussion.”
Coach Prime is speaking facts. Leave Shedeur alone 👏 pic.twitter.com/X1EfrkKXyv
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) April 17, 2025
More Sports News
“We’re talking about Shedeur. We ain’t talking about nobody else. If his last name weren’t Sanders, we wouldn’t have this discussion,” Sanders said.
He might be right, though. If it weren’t Shedeur, we wouldn’t be talking about it because the same player with a different name wouldn’t have had a jersey number retired.
Colorado Hall of Fame linebacker Chad Brown, who played from 1988-92, was an All-American and part of the Buffaloes’ 1991 National Championship team, voiced his opposition.
“If the players from the National Champ team have not received such an honor, by default, this action dismisses, diminishes & for a new generation of CU fans, erases their greatness. I would never minimize the impact of #2 or #12; they are amazing players. But this timing is poor,” Brown said in a social media post.
If the players from the National Champ team have not received such an honor, by default, this action dismisses, diminishes & for a new generation of CU fans erases their greatness. I would never minimize the impact of #2 or #12, they are amazing players. But this timing is poor. https://t.co/jprVdO0lhZ
— Chad Brown (@chadbrown94) April 15, 2025
Colorado had previously only retired four jersey numbers in its 135-year football history: No. 24 Byron White, No. 67 Joe Romig, No. 11 Bobby Anderson and No. 19 Rashaan Salaam.
The backlash Sanders referred to is quite the opposite. If Shedeur wasn’t the son of Coach Prime, his jersey number likely wouldn’t have been retired. While the last two seasons in Boulder have shown some improvement compared to recent years, a 13-12 record and a blowout loss in their only bowl game appearance doesn’t deserve a Hall of Fame-style recognition.
Focus on Awards
During the season, Sanders faced criticism from some who claimed that his team focused more on awards and recognition than on building a winning culture.
This jersey drama is happening while Coach Prime is dealing with schools tampering with his players by offering NIL deals without those players being in the transfer portal. It never seems to be a dull moment in Boulder.
Sanders might feel a retired jersey is the family standard, but Shedeur didn’t have the college career that his dad did. While he definitely deserves credit for helping to revitalize the Colorado football program, he doesn’t deserve jersey retirement credit.
