Deion Sanders Wants Recruits From "Single Mama" Households

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Deion Sanders paid a visit to The Rich Eisen Show a few days before Super Bowl LVII, and the new Colorado Buffaloes’ head football coach gave some offbeat insight as to what he looks for in new recruits. “Well, we have different attributes,” the two-time SWAC Coach of the Year started off. “Smart, tough, fast, disciplined with character.” But then Sanders ran down the specifics best suited for each position. “Now, quarterbacks are different,” he noted. “We want mother, father. Dual parent. We want that kid to be 3.5 [GPA] and up. Because he has to be smart. Not bad decisions off the field, at all. Because he has to be a leader of men.” And Sanders added that a good temperament for offensive linemen is not too far from that of good QBs either. But his focus shifted a bit when he shared what makes for a good defensive lineman.

“Defensive linemen is totally opposite. Single mama, trying to get it, he’s on free lunch,” Sanders proceeded to say. “I’m talking about just trying to make it. He’s trying to rescue Mama. Like Mama barely made the flight. And I want him to just go get it.” Sanders has never been known to bite his tongue. But whether his remarks were serious or tongue-in-cheek, he has made it clear that one characteristic he demands from all of his players is the hunger to win.

“It’s a whole different level of expectation around here, and you got to be able to play the game,” Sanders told ESPN last Friday. “So a certain level that might have been welcome, that level is no longer welcomed here. It’s a whole different game now.” “We will not settle for mediocrity,” Sanders said. “It is what it is. You’re going to get on this program, or you’re going to get up out of here. We plan on winning and we don’t have time to procrastinate.”