Deion Sanders: 'Tough to Know' I've Coached Shedeur, Shilo for Final Time at Colorado

It was more than the loss that was weighing on Colorado head coach Deion Sanders following the Buffaloes' 36-14 defeat to BYU in the Alamo Bowl.

Sanders said in his postgame press conference it was "tough to know" this is likely to be the last time he coaches sons Shedeur and Shilo on the gridiron.

In the locker room after the game, Sanders told his players not to be "angry" about the outcome but use the Alamo Bowl as a learning experience instead:

Before the game kicked off, the significance of the occasion wasn't lost on Sanders. He was visibly emotional in an on-field interview with ESPN's Taylor McGregor when thinking about the "journey" he has taken with Shedeur and Shilo:

The Hall of Fame cornerback's comments and his heartfelt reaction to coaching his sons' last college game are notable within a different context.

Throughout the season, people have floated the idea that Deion and Shedeur could in effect be a package deal for an NFL team. A franchise with a high draft pick could hire Deion and then tab Shedeur as its quarterback of the future.

Sanders has maintained his long-term commitment to Colorado, saying in November he's "got a kickstand down" in Boulder.

ESPN's Adam Rittenberg also cited a source at Colorado who said in December that Coach Prime is "acting as if he's back."

"I think he's all-in," the source said. "Normally, you can tell when guys are fed up and they're trying to leave and they're unhappy. They're probably going to pay him a lot of money, extend his contract, keep him happy."

Still, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN followed up to report there's a belief that NFL teams might be willing to at least reach out to Sanders as a prospective candidate.

On Saturday at least, the 57-year-old didn't sound like somebody who's expecting to work in the pros, where the opportunity to coach Shedeur and/or Shilo would again present itself.