Weekly Press Conference Quotes

Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders

Opening Statement
"You know our kids got robbed during the game last week. I think that's a travesty, and I would expect the NCAA to do something about that. These are college kids, I am pretty sure they don't think about insurance. At this point we have talked about NIL and how they're really maintaining their finances. We have given them financial planners and given them resources for that. I know the kids will be forthright in what was stolen. This is the Rose Bowl, he said the granddaddy of them all, I am sure your granddad had some money. I am going to have a list made out for these kids and I know they will be truthful about what they lost. They may not get the items back but we should be able to reimburse them and I did hear the home team was robbed too."

On Shedeur's health
"He's good, I am thinking of giving him another day off to heal properly. So he could be his best and he's doing well mentally, physically, as well as psychologically."

On protecting Shedeur
"I believe in the staff we have on hand and that they can do it. I have the utmost faith in them. I had a private personal meeting with the whole offensive line and the meeting was phenomenal. The thought process is that those guys are going to step up tremendously. You're going to see a more cohesive, more aggressive, more physical, more prepared group than ever before this weekend, I really believe that."

On if a glaring issue is a deterrent for recruits
"No, not whatsoever. I am going to say it's a blessing but our phone rings wonderfully. And they know we aren't hard to find in certain areas. When you're on television, as much as we are, the recruits want that exposure. That's the first thing and foremost for recruits and being able to be developed and understand what's at stake, understanding the type of Quarterback that you have on hand as well as receivers and running backs."

On "I Believe" and how he'll inspire the team to win out
"First of all, I believe in everyone that's inside this locker room and on this staff and this is the way I look at it. It's been one game that we've truly got our butts kicked. I mean there was no winning in that when we got off the bus. I think it was 40 points on the scoreboard when we looked up there so Oregon did their thing. Every other game we've been in. We've had a chance to win those games. It was 7-6 at halftime, when we come up and give up something so now I think it's 14-6 we still in the game and you see how opportunity that's promising for not only the kids that play for us, the coaching staff, the fan base, it's promising because we had an opportunity to win those games. We just got to learn how to win. And we're gonna be okay. So we love the direction that we're headed. It could be tremendously the other way. But when you have an opportunity to beat ranked teams. That's tremendous for us. We just got to do it."

On his top-5 candy picks
"I'm not a candy guy. I don't even like candy. If I had a number one, it would be Now and Later's. Some of you might have to ask what that is. It's good, I'll go on Amazon and order you some later, but a pack of those are everything to me."

On how he prepares the team with late kickoffs
"We have different ways to keep the energy up and the guys that love this game you have no problem with their energy being it is just the guys that don't love the game. We just have we got to minimize that and make sure we put in the guys that love to play. So it's not hard for these guys to get situated and desire to play these games because first and foremost, many of their family members are here and they want to put on a show for the family members and the girlfriends of loved ones and they just want to and they want to shout it to the next level, but scouts are watching as well. So I think it's on them to get themselves up but we know how to motivate them tremendously."

On how Kaleb Mathis earned playing time
"He runs route to the right depth he turns around and catches the ball consistently. Every practice he does it, anytime you put him out there he does what's right he don't have any bust whatsoever meaning running the wrong route, running in the wrong place, running the wrong depth, and Shedeur has chemistry with him. So that's what he did to earn it. He's a consistent football player. And we love it."

On Alton McCaskill
"I don't know if he wants me to disclose what transpired, you know I am always honest with you guys. Alton came into my office yesterday and he wanted to be red-shirted, which I think is very wise, which I'm all for him if he would have wanted to play, continue to play. I'd have been all for him. He's one of my favorite human beings on his team. He's a great young man who was raised properly and he wants it but he does understand that it's been a while since he has had his full strength and full potential and ability to move and cut and explode. And he understands that so he wants to train and work his butt off and get into shape and come back in the spring and earn that number one spot. That's what he echoed to me. And I love it. I saw him today on the scout team going 100 miles an hour trying to get a guy's look and just being the player that he is, he's a great team guy. He's a great human being , he's a great young man. So that's where he is right now."

On if he's happy with how the defense fought
"Yeah, I'm happy with everything. They did, shoot what we had three four turnovers in the first half. We got to cash those in and we got to score. I mean, it's a whole different game. You come out in the second half. We blew a couple of things and, and it didn't go like we expected on that half. But I like what they did. And I liked the effort that we gave. I truly do. We're building, we're getting better and better. And I liked it."

On what they can do to prevent things getting stolen
"Having our own security. We don't depend on someone else's security. We leave our own security in the locker rooms and make sure we're straight by our own means. But you gotta understand that it was on the road. You're not thinking like that. You're not even thinking like that at home. Who robs the Rose Bowl? Who robbed the Rose Bowl, somebody did. A lot of the things were emotional things that we're giving to them like chains and necklaces and gifts. These are young men that worked their butts off or they were blessed and gifted by their family members to give them whatever will be stolen. I know someone had a significant amount of cash, but one of our camera guys and that's we pray to God that he gets that replacement but it's not good though."

On if the NCAA or Pac-12 has communicated to him about Shilo's hit
"No, not to me I am sure they reached out to someone. What are you gonna do? Say I'm sorry. My bad. Every coach in America hates 'my bad'. We don't want to hear that. What are you gonna do about it? It's over now. No, we don't want to hear about it. It is what it is and move on."

On if the leaders of the team are keeping the middle group accountable
"I don't think that the middle group is the negative group. Everybody has knuckleheads, I know a couple of mine are. I wouldn't go with those percentages, but we definitely have some that are bonafide leaders and they want this with everything they have. You have some just meandering around and you got some that you know probably don't want to be where they are because they think they deserve more playing time or more of something that didn't get it. That's just that's just like that's the office job. That's a reporting job. That's anybody in life. But we haven't lost our passion and or intensity for our purpose. And that's the win. We're still on the same page, but the coaches included everybody inside the locker room and as a part of this organization, we definitely have the desire and the goal is to win and it's to win out."

On if he has an NFL comparison to Xavier Weaver
"Got a lot of Andre Rosin in him. He's tough, he's gritty. He's nasty. And he can get vertical. He can run routes. He's gonna catch the ball. He can return kicks. He practices his butt off and you're really not a complainer. Andre wanted that ball everyday that ends with a Y. Xavier he's a good kid, man. That's my biggest comparison. I'm sorry, going old school on you. But that's the guy that I played with in a practice with that. He was a phenomenal player. Should probably be a Hall of Famer since they let everyone else in for free."

On Travis Hunter's first interception
"It's instinctive and athletic and that's why you don't worry about him. You don't worry about the snaps, you don't worry about the plays. You don't. The game that Travis has had wasn't his best game on the defensive side of the ball because he played well on the offensive side of the ball. He just wasn't focused on defense. Was more focused on his job on offense and that's it. He stayed over the break and refocused."

On if people understand how good Travis Hunter is
"No, because he plays for us. we got some people that don't like nothing we do, but they will. They understand they will understand we got several players that are really really good. Really good."

On if he worries about league officials getting a rep with his kids
"There were a couple calls I didn't like, but no, these guys are really good man. I think we have the best officials in the country. When I say football officials. I really do and their game is tough. Their job is tough. So you know, sometimes they miss it sometimes. It's an interpretation of why. And that was just interpretation. We felt like he was clean of course because he's our guy but I was on the opposing team I might have felt indifferent. Just like the kid with the great catch, I told him, I thought he was out but it was a great catch. So I think the officials really do a great job."

On if playing a run heavy and physical team changes preparation
"Yes, it does. You incorporate more tackling drills to compensate for the physicality. You pad him up maybe a little more, maybe allow a lot more contact with them because of the physicality. You may elongate some periods that involve physicality in it that you want to make sure your team is ready and on point but you still want to tail off on those things to keep them fresh as well. So these guys are watching film, they've increased the film viewership tremendously since we challenged them to so they know what they're in for. And I I can't wait especially since looking all the linemen in the eyes. And just seeing how they responded in the candid conversation that we had. It's tremendous. I can't wait to see how they respond."

Shilo Sanders

On why his hit was illegal
"After that play I went home and I did my research on football nowadays and just watched a lot of football watching a lot of big hits. And what I came up with is it's really just up to the refs in those situations. Because even in the NFL they don't always call things like that because everyone has the narrative that football is just getting soft, which is kind of true. But even in the NFL, I've seen some hits that were worse than that but they didn't call it so I just think it's up to the ref. I'm just one of those players that I just try to have my presence felt when I'm on that field. I want to come in and let everybody know what headache gang is. So that's how I play and I don't really think I need to change. Maybe I could go lower just to make sure because I can't do my team like that and and not be available for them not be available to contribute. I think I could have made a big impact if I was in the game. It just felt like one of those days where I was gonna make something happen so I just have to play my game. If I get in a situation like that, just know it's up to the refs. I won't change my play style, but still be conscious of if you can go a little lower to make sure because you know I got this target on my back too, it says Sanders so that's pretty much how I'm thinking."

On what his dad said after the targeting call
"I was over there celebrating because I knew for sure I was like there's no way they're gonna call targeting on me. So you saw I was flexing and doing all that celebration because I was like there's no way. I would have felt my head hit his head if my head hit his head. My dad has seen me play for a long time so he knows how I hit, I don't ever lead with my head like that. And it was really just up to the refs. The refs made a decision. I think there was just one ref because we talked to some other refs too, but it was just one of them and they made the decision. My dad was just like, man, you played hard today just keep your head up, not like head up but your spirits high. Like you played hard today I'm proud of you and stuff like that so that's really just what he said."

On the defense reaching its peak vs UCLA
"Yeah, I usually always tell the defense we need turnovers, we need turnovers. This is our first year together, our edge is getting to the ball fast and getting turnovers. That's how we started off the season and whenever we were playing like that, getting turnovers and stuff then you see we have better results. We could put the offense in better situations than giving up a lot of points. And I was really proud of everybody how we started off but as I was watching when I got out of the game, as I was just standing on the sideline watching as the game went on I feel like we just started losing focus to detail, just paying attention to the little things and those things add up."

On NFL players reacting to his targeting on social media
"Uncle Gronk, yes sir. I met him one time when I was doing my ACL rehab in Dallas last year. I met him actually and man he's such a big dude I was like how could people not guard you? I just feel like I could cover him but when he's on the field it's different. But yeah, it was cool seeing, I think Richard Sherman first tweeted, and just seeing guys like that give their opinions. I feel like if I'm good with them, I'm good. So yeah, it was really cool seeing Gronk comment on that. He said he'd rather get hit up here [chest] than in his legs or anything because when you start enforcing the rules like that it starts making DB's want to go low. And I don't really think that's what y'all really want because it gets dangerous when you do that especially going full speed. I'm coming from 20 yards deep with a target knowing where I'm going so if I aim lower, bad things can happen. We got pads, we got helmets for a reason. As long as you're not being crazy and using your helmet as a weapon I feel like you should be alright."

On the CSU hit on Travis Hunter being worse than his
"Even that play with Travis it's like you don't have any pads right here [ribs]. So if I start aiming at ribs, they don't want that, you know I'm saying. It's best that I aim in the shoulder pads area. The back of my helmet clipped his face mask, it is what it is. But these pads are there for a reason. This right here [ribs] has no padding. I just know how I play and my play style. Whenever I actually catch somebody like that it's gonna get a lot of attention. And sometimes I just feel like the refs see, oh, he hit him way too hard I just have to draw a flag just so we could look at this. And I've seen that happen a lot in football. So it is what it is."

On maybe being looked at as a dirty player
"Well, I usually talk junk before every game and every practice, even to my own teammates. Even to our own coaches I be talking so nobody is safe. I looked over there before the Oregon game, the receivers looked pretty small so I just said y'all too little. And that's how I play I'm gonna play hard regardless, it could be against anyone. So I don't ever go out there thinking anyone is as good or even close to being as good as our team, our defense, because that's just the mindset you gotta have. And as you're gonna see, none of these games are so far out of reach. It's not like oh, man, you guys are just horrible. Every game is winnable that we play, but I feel like just as the game goes on we lose attention to detail. And that's what the game of football is all about, who messed up the most? And we just need to limit those little mistakes and we're gonna be a great team."

On playing this week
"I'll be able to start the game off this weekend. I'm not really changing and I'm still going hard, still going full speed. If I get in that situation, I'm gonna go a little lower, but I'm not gonna change my play style, though. I'm still gonna be running to the ball, still gonna be physical and I'm gonna be the enforcer. I'm gonna let everybody know what headache gang is for real."

Players Mentioned

Travis Hunter

Kaleb Mathis

Alton McCaskill

Shilo Sanders

Xavier Weaver

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