Matt Rhule and Deion Sanders are the two of the biggest names in American football history. They have been arguably the two highest-profile hires from last season’s college football coaching cycle history.
Both attempting to rebuild proud former national champions but coming from dramatically different paths of their own. While both of them are now a coach leading their respective teams, they have recently been involved in a heated exchange of words.
As Deion Sanders and Colorado’s star players are embracing the Buffaloes’ long-held rivalry with Nebraska, the coach Nebraska coach Matt Rhule disrespected Sanders’ Colorado, and Shedeur Sanders could not hold back. While the comment made by Nebraska’s new head coach on Deion Sanders appeared to be extremely personal to Shedeur, he claps back at Matt Rhule, saying, ‘You disrespected us first.’
Why Did Shedeur Sanders Felt Disrespected?
Deion’s youngest son and Colorado’s starting quarterback talked about his father and how the head coach and Cornhuskers stood on the Colorado logo before the game. While reacting to Matt Rhule, Shedeur said, “The coach said a lot of things about my pops and about the program, but now, he wants to act nice.”
He later said that it was extremely personal for him and revealed what made him furious. “It’s OK if a couple of players do it, it’s fine, just enjoy the scenery. But when you’ve got the whole team trying to disrespect it, I’m not going for that at all. I went in there and disrupted it,” added the quarterback.
What Happened Between Matt Rhule & Deion Sanders?
Saturday’s game was won by the Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes as it scored 36-14 at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colo. It was their first home game of the season, and the fans eagerly rushed to the field after the win.
Matt Rhule took action with one second left in the game to ensure he congratulated Sanders on the epic win.
He knew the audience would likely celebrate the victory, and Deion Sanders has some mobility issues due to having two toes amputated. Matt walked across the field to meet Sanders and hugged him sharing a message as the latter appeared to appreciate whatever Rhule said.
What Matt Rhule Had To Say About Deion Sanders?
Matt appreciated how Deion had won everything in the game. During the press for the match, he called him the most serious person about football, adding about how his poster was on people’s walls for a reason as a player.
“He’s won at everything he’s done in football. He’s won as a player, he’s won as a coach. Everyone maybe thinks from outside — not me, everyone else — thinks that ‘Well, this is all a show and act.’ He’s the most serious person about football. His poster was on people’s walls for a reason as a player because he’s one of the hardest-practicing, hardest-playing people that has ever played the game. Why would we think that his team wouldn’t be the same?” said Nebraska coach Matt Rhule.
Cold War Between Matt Rhule & Deion Sanders?
A user on social media found Matt Rhule’s comments pointing out that he had appeared to take veiled swipes at Deion Sanders’ approach to rebuilding Colorado’s program during the offseason.
Back in March, he appreciated how his team was always “working” and not “talking” in videos posted to social media. Matt prided himself in not having cameras follow him into team meetings which Sanders does, taking a dig at his documentary.
How Did Deion Sanders React To Matt Rhule Leading The Nebraska Cornhuskers?
It is unclear whether Sanders holds any grudge about the comments made by Matt in the past. Even if he does, he did show it during the press conference, as he said that he admired Nebraska’s coach tremendously.
“What he did at Baylor, I know things didn’t go the way they desired it to go at Carolina, but just that opportunity and doing what he did is what some aspire to go to. I like him. He’s done a phenomenal job with that team and trying to get them to go in the right direction. They play hard, they play tough, they’re physical. They dot i’s and cross t’s and, trust me, they’re not going to lay down [against us] by any means,” said Deion Sanders.
Let us know in the comments about what you think about Matt Rhule and Deion Sanders.
