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The Colorado Buffaloes are coming off a 3-9 season but head coach Deion Sanders is only looking forward and talked about the next steps for the program during Big 12 media day Tuesday at the Ford Center at the Star.
Im thankful that God didnt allow my neck to go all the way back and look back, because that would be in tremendous pain right now, and Im thankful that I look ahead and Im right on point, said Sanders.
Im loving everything Ive seen in the spring, Im loving everything that weve added, Im loving what we did in the portal, Im loving what were doing.
Recruiting wise, right now were right where we want to be.
Sanders got some good news on that front on Tuesday when four-star offensive lineman Dewey Young announced his commitment to the program, which has the 31st best incoming recruiting class in the country and third best in the Big 12, according to 247 Sports.
Sanders has had an up-and-down tenure at Colorado after a competitive first season his Buffaloes came close to the College Football Playoff before finishing 9-4.
This season,, Sanders is and refusing to look ahead when asked about the teams first two Big 12 games against Baylor and the leagues defending champions, Texas Tech.
Well take [it] one game at a time, and Im not thinking about those two games...
Were thinking about that first one.
First of all, were think about going to camp and having a wonderful camp, said Sanders.
Im excited about everything that we have on this roster, because I feel like we have the team to win, and I cannot wait to see it.
The Big 12 coaches didnt seem to agree with their preseason poll having no Buffaloes on their awards list though Sanders paid the list no mind.
We dont care about what people say.
People are always going to have opinion.
If my kids and my coaches and our staff dont understand who they are, we have a problem, said Sanders.
Just because our guys were snubbed off a poll thats probably not going to be consistent with the end of the season, we dont give a darn.
Our kids know who, what, when, where, and how they are.
They know what they got to do and how they got to work.
It just gives them that extra hmph inside of them, and Im thankful and appreciative of that.
Last year Sanders suffered from a bout with bladder cancer and spoke about what his younger self would make of his fight and what hes accomplished as a coach.
My younger self would be proud, would be proud that I was here last year fighting a battle called cancer, and now Im here with full strength, full energy.
I got that bang back, I got that swagger back, I got that dog back, I got that charisma back, said Sanders.
Sanders also talked off the field ventures and explained why fans wouldnt see him in upcoming EA Sports video game College Football 27.
Sanders hadnt been in the games previous two editions, joining Miamis Mario Cristobal, UNCs Bill Belichick, Iowa Kirk Ferentz, Utah State Bronco Mendenhall, Southern Missisppis Blake Anderson and UNTs Neal Brown (North Texas).
I dont know about the video games.
I have a wonderful team that handles a lot of business for me.
If Im not in the game, that means they werent paying enough.
It probably didnt fit where were going right now.
Thats probably It was probably that simple, said Sanders.
The Buffaloes will open their season against Georgia Tech at 6 p.m.
on Thursday, Sept.
3 in a nationally televised game airing on ESPN.