Ray Lewis respects Coach Prime. Significantly. To the point that despite not being on his Colorado football coaching staff, he is providing free recruiting promotion for why prospects should consider the Buffs.
While speaking to CBS Sports' Romi Bean, Lewis explained that when Coach Prime details where he plans on taking top recruits to their families, he actually has been there and done that in just about every pitched scenario.
“Because what kids want to do, he’s (Deion Sanders) done,” Lewis said (h/t Buffaloes Wire). “No disrepect to coaches, but most coaches have never done what they are trying to tell a kid to do. He’s ran every race there is to (run) — the ups, the downs, the goods, the bads, all of that. And now you know his only reason for doing it is he must sharpen the iron. That’s why we do what we do, right? The game is just the product. The process is taking these young men and making them men, teaching them the fabric of what a man’s supposed to be and what a man’s supposed to stand for. That’s why he’s always going to be successful.”
Asked Ray Lewis why @DeionSanders will be successful this season:
— Romi Bean (@Romi_Bean) February 9, 2024
“What kids want to do, he’s done it. No disrespect to coaches but most coaches have never done it” pic.twitter.com/8JHLNfhrpM
Coach Prime has NFL on his side, but he needs to have Colorado football brain trust too to see any real results
Since stepping foot in Boulder, Deion Sanders has had NFL influence from every which direction. Former Denver Broncos and New York Giants head coach Pat Shurmur was on staff, and was promoted midway through the 2023 season because his offense is one Shedeur Sanders is more likely to see in the pros. This past offseason, Coach Prime has only added more prominent names in NFL circles.
Phil Loadholt brought NFL legitimacy to the coaching staff and helped rebuild the offensive line seemingly overnight. On the defensive side of the ball, new defensive coordinator Robert Livingston comes from the Cincinnati Bengals after nine years coaching the secondary, and Warren Sapp, if his hiring as a GA is allowed by the University of Colorado, brings notoriety; if a bit of controversy with it as well.
Coach Prime could do all this, but it won't matter if CU's boosters aren't trying to spend enough in pay-to-play NIL to compete in modern college football.