Deion Sanders' comments to rival coach revealed: 'You was talkin' about my mama'
The newest episode of "Coach Prime" on Amazon Prime Video has revealed what Colorado football coach Deion Sanders said to the Colorado State coach on the field in September after being criticized by him earlier that week about his manners.
Television cameras showed the two meeting on the field then in Boulder after Colorado beat Colorado State in double overtime but didn’t provide the sound until now, reigniting the tension of that week.
It started three days before the game, when Colorado State coach Jay Norvell said on his radio show Sept. 13 that "when I talk to grown-ups, I take my hat and my glasses off. That’s what my mother taught me."
It was a clear shot at Sanders, who often wears hats and sunglasses.
What did Deion Sanders say to Jay Norvell?
Sanders’ quarterback son Shedeur stepped in when his father walked toward Norvell for the customary postgame greeting, as documented in the third episode of the Amazon series that chronicles Sanders’ first season at Colorado.
"Don’t put your hands on him," Shedeur Sanders told his father.
"Congratulations," Norvell then told Deion Sanders.
"God bless you," Sanders replied.
"And I was never talking about your family," Norvell told Sanders as he leaned into him.
"Oh, you was talkin’ about my mama, dawg," Sanders said.
"No, I was not," Norvell said.
"Yes, you were," Sanders said as Norvell turned away. "You were. You were."
The newly released episode appears to have prompted Norvell’s wife to go on the social media site X Wednesday to fill in what wasn’t shown in the exchange on Amazon.
"Shadeur (sic) acted like a B when Jay turned his back after trying to talk to his dad, and held up his watch," said a screenshot of the post, since deleted.
Shedeur Sanders did hold up his watch toward Norvell after Norvell turned away – a move that became his signature flex.
Deion Sanders said he was bothered by Norvell’s comment because it insinuated his mother didn’t raise him correctly. His mother also is shown in the episode addressing the Buffaloes before the game. At Sanders’ prompting, she said, "I raised him right."
"I also told him to always be yourself," she said. "And if you have to kick ass, kick ass."
What did Deion Sanders say about it in September?
After the game Sept. 16, Deion Sanders was asked about the exchange in a news conference but declined to reveal details of it.
"There was nothing meaningful,” he said then. “I know that Shedeur kind of got in between, but no. … I don't have time for any of that. I'm on to bigger things.”
But before the game, Sanders did hype the postgame confrontation to come later that night. "When we meet at the conclusion of the game, just keep the cameras rolling," he said on ESPN.
Whether it was intentional then or not, saving the details until now spiced up the six-episode Amazon series that debuted last week and was produced by Sanders’ business management team, which had editorial control over it. Colorado’s win over Colorado State improved the Buffs to 3-0 before they finished 4-8.
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: [email protected]