During Tuesday’s Colorado Buffaloes press conference, Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders said he had removed players from his team, but did not say who or how many.
Part of Sanders’ lament included that his team leaders came to him to learn the reasoning behind his decision. After two days, it’s clear that they are on the same page.
Following Sanders comments, linebacker Tyler Martinez, safety Randon Fontenette, and safety Naeten Mitchell each shared why they support Coach Prime’s dismissal of their teammates.
Martinez, who earned the ‘D’ for “Dog” on his jersey before the Northwestern game, has been one of Colorado’s outspoken leaders.
“You're basically living with them, so it's hard to see them go, especially when they're good people,” Martinez said. “But like Coach Prime said, if you know it's about the team, if you're about yourself, then we got to do what's best for us.”
“I'm sorry to see those guys go, but we have games to win here, and so whatever it takes is whatever it takes.”
Fontenette, who transferred from Vanderbilt this offseason, sees the move as a winning one. However, he understands the importance of keeping the team together before their trip to Baylor.
“[We’re] just coming more together, becoming more closer as a unit,” Fontenette said. “Just blocking out the distractions because at the end of the day, I came here to win. We came here to win, and that's all I'm trying to do. All we're trying to do.”
Mitchell, like his partner across the secondary, sees a bonding opportunity in adversity. His role is to keep the defense aligned.
“Certain things happen; [we’re] just coming together closer as a family,” Mitchell said. “Just knowing we got the guy next to us on our left and our right, know we got each other.”
As Colorado kicks off conference play on the road, the team has to buy in. If the Buffs fail to win, they could spiral like the same team from last season. However, they also have the opportunity to respond in big fashion.
Players Mentioned
Coaches Mentioned
