Touchdown for Deion Sanders! The man who brought the groove back to Colorado's football scene has now snagged Sports Illustrated's Sportsperson of the Year title.
In a season that played out like a blockbuster movie, Coach Prime took the reins of a struggling 1-11 Colorado team and turned it into the talk of college football town. From sellout crowds to A-list celebs on the Folsom Field sidelines, Sanders brought the buzz back.
Sure, the Buffaloes had their ups and downs, sprinting out with a 3-0 start only to face some challenges later on, ending up at 4-8. But hey, it was one entertaining roller-coaster ride.
It's the year of COACH PRIME!
— Good Morning America (@GMA) November 30, 2023
Congratulations to @DeionSanders for being named SI's 2023 Sportsperson of the Year!@SInow pic.twitter.com/qQeg37nUXu
Sanders, true to his style, did things his way. He revamped the roster, gave the transfer portal a spin, and raised a few eyebrows. But as Sanders puts it, "Your opinion of me is not the opinion that I have for myself." Sporting a Colorado sweatshirt that reads, "I ain't hard 2 find," Sanders made it clear that his door is open for top-notch recruits.
And the Buffaloes aren't just moving forward; they're switching conferences from the Pac-12 to the Big 12 next season. Big moves on and off the field!
Catch Sanders on the cover of the Dec. 15 issue, surrounded by his cheer squad, including his kids, the athletic director, super fan Peggy Coppom (who recently turned 99!), and a bunch of Buffaloes supporters. This isn't Sanders' first rodeo with Sports Illustrated; it's his seventh appearance, marking his dominance both as a player and a coach.
Coach Prime is here, and he's just getting started
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) November 30, 2023
Deion Sanders is SI's 2023 Sportsperson of the Year! https://t.co/Xebtm9bmNZ pic.twitter.com/Sdt500V93u
SI's editor in chief, Stephen Cannella, sums it up perfectly: "Deion Sanders dominated the sports conversation in 2023 as a transformative figure not just in Colorado but for the entire realm of college sports."
