Deion Sanders Jumps to Defend Opposing Player Who's Getting Death Threats After Illegal Hit: 'I Want You Guys to Record This'
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders is keeping the college football world on its toes.
Sanders is unpredictable, to say the least, and his unconventional approach to coaching, roster-building and motivation has divided fans in his short tenure.
The former NFL star stunned again on Tuesday when he called for grace for a Colorado State football player who has been accused of intentionally hurting Colorado’s most talented player.
Rams defensive back Henry Blackburn knocked the Buffaloes’ star wide receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter out of Saturday night’s nail-biter in Boulder with a late hit.
According to Fox Sports, Hunter was hospitalized with a lacerated liver and will miss several games — including against Colorado’s in-conference opponents Oregon and Southern California.
Here is the hit:
Henry Blackburn was assessed a personal foul after this late hit on Travis Hunter. pic.twitter.com/0avKi1erLU
— ESPN (@espn) September 17, 2023
ESPN reported Monday that police were investigating death threats against Blackburn.
The player’s phone number and address were published online — as were those of his parents.
Sanders, who one might expect to be angry over the hit, made his thoughts on the situation known while speaking with reporters on Tuesday.
“I want you guys to record this and run with this: Henry Blackburn is a good player who played a phenomenal game,” Sanders said. “He made a tremendous hit on Travis on the sideline. You could call it dirty, you could call it he was just playing the game of football.”
Very classy move by Deion Sanders, who made sure to say this during his press conference today:
“Henry Blackburn is a good player who played a phenomenal game… This is a still young man trying to make it in life … He does not deserve a death threat over a game.”
“I forgive… pic.twitter.com/bx64k0ypgY
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 19, 2023
Sanders continued, “Whatever it was, it does not constitute that he should be receiving death threats. This is still a young man trying to make it in life. … He does not deserve a death threat over a game. At the end of the day, this is a game.”
“Very unfortunate. I’m saddened if there’s any of our fans that’s on the other side of those threats. I would hope and pray not. But that kid was just playing [to] the best of his ability, and he made a mistake.
“So I forgive him. CU, our team forgive him. Travis, he’s forgiven him. Let’s move on. But that kid does not deserve that,” Sanders concluded.
Coach “Prime” has his detractors, including this avid sports fan.
But instead of complaining or pouring fuel on the fire, Sanders showed grace to Blackburn (in keeping with his professed Christian faith).
It was not what one might have expected from a coach who motivates his team with raw emotion and bravado, especially without his best player and with two offensive juggernauts on the schedule in the next two weeks.
One negative word from Sanders would’ve been another black mark against Blackburn. Good for him for promoting grace in a culture that allows little room for forgiveness.
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