Deion Sanders’ Colorado is set to start the 2026 season on Sept. 3 against Georgia Tech, which will be on the road before the Buffaloes come home to play Weber State on Sept. 12. Coach Prime’s time on the sidelines hasn’t yet matched the heights of his legendary playing career. Still, he remains fully committed to turning Colorado into a winning program.
Deion Sanders Opens Up About Playing Quarterback During His High School Career
Sanders began his coaching journey at the FCS level with Jackson State before making the jump to the FBS with Colorado. However, long before becoming “Coach Prime,” Sanders built his reputation as one of the most electrifying athletes in sports history, as he was considered the most excellent shutdown cornerback the game has ever seen.
In an appearance on NFL on Prime, former NFL quarterback Michael Vick revealed he had only recently learned that Sanders once played quarterback. Vick encouraged him to talk more about that chapter, saying that fans should know the legendary corner actually lined up under center in high school.
“I love quarterback, man,” Sanders said. “Me and my high school coach was so tight, I called my own plays… I was that astute with the offense to call my own plays. I loved it. And that’s why when I got out of the game, I was coaching my sons, and they played quarterback.”
Sanders was a rare two-sport icon, having won two Super Bowls and competed in a World Series, spending 14 seasons in the NFL and 9 in Major League Baseball. He remains the only athlete ever to appear in both a Super Bowl and a World Series.
Meanwhile, Vick revolutionized the quarterback position as the quintessential dual-threat weapon, who remains the all-time leader in career rushing yards by a quarterback. He spent more than a decade in the NFL and was the first quarterback in league history to rush for over 1,000 yards in a single season (2006).
As a phenomenal quarterback himself, Vick asked Sanders to describe his style of play at quarterback, and Coach Prime had a hilarious answer.
“I wasn’t Mike Vick,” Sanders said. “I was like a microwaveable Mike Vick. You just had to warm me up. I could throw. Recoveries like crazy. Definitely could run. Nothing in the gun there.”
The two legends also share ties to Atlanta, where they both starred for the Falcons at different points in the franchise’s history. They have something else in common, as both are head coaches.
Sanders is entering his fourth season at Colorado as he is continuing the Coach Prime era in Boulder. Despite a 3-9 season in 2025, he remains one of college football’s most influential figures and is preparing for the 2026 season after overcoming a battle with bladder cancer. The Buffaloes finished last year ranked No. 80 in the PFSN College Football Offense Impact Score.
Meanwhile, Vick took over as a first-time head coach at Norfolk State in 2025. His debut season proved challenging, as the Spartans finished 1-11 under his leadership.
