Graphic: Hannah Anderson/The Olaf Messenger
Deion Sanders is bringing major wins to the Colorado football program, and he’s doing it while bringing race to the forefront of his persona. Sanders’ team has gone 3-0 this season, one of the best starts in the program’s history. His coaching could make an immeasurable impact on the struggling program. But that’s not the real lasting legacy Sanders may leave.
Black Americans have been championing Sanders for his “audacious blackness.” In an interview with CNN Sanders said, “When you see a confident Black man sitting up here talking his talk, walking his walk, coaching 75 percent African Americans in the locker room, that’s kind of threatening. Oh, they don’t like that.” His coaching style is unapologetically himself, and he is making waves in a majority white coaching industry.
Sanders’ refusal to code-switch is another example of the changes he is bringing as an African American coach. His interviews and sideline moments indicate a rich culture unrevealed by other African Americans in his position. Sanders is becoming a star in the collegiate world for his knowledge, but he’s becoming a star in the public eye for his unabashed expression of self.
Sanders played in the NFL and MLB in his professional career and was a superstar athlete in his own right. Sanders is the only man to play in both a Super Bowl and a World Series, to hit an MLB home run and score an NFL touchdown in the same week, and to have both a reception and an interception in the Super Bowl. His success on the field has led to a platform to make an impact on the field.
Not every former player can do what Sanders has for the sport of football. His legacy will continue despite Colorado’s record. American football fans can only watch as he continues to innovate in an industry that desperately needs it.
Alli Hering is a senior social studies education and political science major from Apple Valley, MN. It is common to run into Alli outside or in the cage reading books instead of doing classwork. She also is a avid sports fan and loves trying new sports and activities! In the future, Alli hopes to combine her passion for writing and politics in the education realm.