It’s been two seasons since legendary Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders helped lead the Buffs past their in-state rival, the Colorado State Rams.
Now, he’s busy preparing for the season ahead with the Cleveland Browns, but a recent interview proved some rivalries don’t simply fade away when a player leaves college for the NFL.
Shedeur Sanders Corrects Colorado State Mix-Up
Sanders is no stranger to being the target of pranks since moving on to the NFL, but this one was much lighter in nature.
Sanders joined fellow NFL stars, including Browns teammate Jerry Jeudy, Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, and quarterback Bryce Young, to watch many of the nation’s top high school prospects compete at Nike’s The Opening Finals in Beaverton, Oregon.
However, during an interview at the event, the host introduced Sanders as the “former Colorado State legend.”
Sanders immediately stopped him.
“No. Hold on, let’s redo it,” Sanders interrupted. “Former Colorado. Colorado State’s like, ugh, we don’t *** with them,” he said, laughing.
Sanders wasn’t the only NFL star who got pranked, but his response quickly made the rounds online among Colorado fans, who appreciated that he still wasn’t about to let anyone confuse the Buffs with the Rams.
No Love Lost With Colorado State
Sanders’ arrival in Boulder not only brought the Buffs back to national relevance, but he also helped reignite the rivalry between Colorado and in-state foe Colorado State, creating two of the most memorable Rocky Mountain Showdowns in recent series history.
In 2023, during Sanders’ first season in Boulder, tensions boiled over even before kickoff after former Rams coach Jay Norvell made a statement that caught the attention of Deion Sanders, one that “Coach Prime” took as a public shot.
Then, during the game, Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter suffered a lacerated spleen after a controversial late hit along the sideline by Colorado State defensive back Henry Blackburn. Immediately after the play, Sanders sprinted downfield to confront Blackburn, helmet to helmet, before teammates and officials intervened.
Following Colorado’s dramatic double-overtime win, Sanders admitted seeing Hunter injured bothered him.
“When Travis went down, it made me feel some type of way, honestly,” Sanders said in his postgame interview. “It really hurt me a lot knowing the work he put in and everything just leading up to the game.”
The following season, the rivalry picked up right where things left off.
Before Colorado traveled to Fort Collins in 2024, Colorado State again added fuel to the fire when Rams wide receiver Tory Horton said, “We should have murdered them last year.”
Quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi dug them an even deeper grave, stating, “They out-gained us by less than 100 yards. We’ll see how far Instagram followers get them.”
Sanders responded by leading Colorado to a convincing 28-9 win inside Canvas Stadium.
After the game, Hunter joked, “Them Instagram followers got us far today, ya heard?”
Where the Rivalry Stands Today
Colorado and Colorado State have met 93 times on the football field, with the Buffs holding a commanding 69-22-2 advantage in the all-time series.
Unfortunately for fans of the rivalry, the two programs aren’t scheduled to meet again until Sept. 15 of the 2029 season.
Even so, Sanders’ reaction serves as a reminder to Colorado fans that his time in Boulder will always mean something to him, and while he may wear orange and brown on Sundays now, the former Buff still bleeds black and gold.
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