Deion Sanders Calls Out Criticism of Shedeur's Colorado Jersey Number Retirement

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders doesn't understand why the jersey retirement of Shedeur Sanders has become a controversial topic.

"Not really," Sanders said when a reporter mentioned jersey retirements could be a "sore subject" while discussing Colorado's recent decision to do so for Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter (6:30 mark). "This is the first time I've ever seen it sore. I got, I don't know if you know it, I think every jersey I darn played in is retired, so I'm pretty familiar with this. It's never been sore. Let's get the elephant out of the room. I don't want to talk about this too long. I'm going to just talk briefly and let it go. We talking about Shedeur, we ain't talking about nobody else. His last name wasn't Sanders, we wouldn't have this discussion. Only reason we're having this discussion is his last name Sanders. That's it. It's been so many things accomplished at this university, expeditiously, it's been unbelievable. ... The root to all it, it's personal."

He added that Shedeur Sanders didn't care about the criticism being levied against his jersey retirement.

"Let's just get this straight," he said. "He's a Sanders, he don't care. Travis don't either. I don't either."

There shouldn't be much controversy regarding Hunter's jersey retirement—he's just the second Heisman Trophy winner in the history of Colorado's football program, joining running back Rashaan Salaam (1994).

But jersey retirements have been rare at the school.

According to David Ubben of The Athletic, "Colorado has retired just four jersey numbers in the program’s 122-year history. Byron 'Whizzer' White's No. 24, Joe Romig's No. 67, Bobby Anderson's No. 11 and Rashaan Salaam's No. 19 are the only other jerseys that Colorado's football program has retired. Salaam's No. 19 was the most recent. The Buffaloes retired his jersey in 2017, more than 20 years after his career in Boulder concluded."

So rare is a jersey retirement at Colorado that none of the players who led the team to a national championship in 1990 have received the honor.

Sanders' jersey retirement résumé includes a school record for career touchdown passes (64), the single-season record for passing yards (4,134 in 2024), winning the Johnny Unitas Award as the top quarterback in college football and being a second-team All-America selection by the Associated Press this past season.

The timing of the jersey retirement is one of the reasons it has become controversial, however, alongside the fact that Sanders and the Buffs didn't even win a bowl game in his two seasons at quarterback:

Sanders is undoubtedly an important part of Colorado football history. But a jersey retirement is rarefied air, which has led to some debate about Sanders receiving the honor.