College Football

Deion Sanders explains unique Colorado jersey patches: 'I don't believe in captains'

Updated Sep. 25, 2023 9:00 p.m. ET

Deion Sanders does things his own way in just about every aspect of being a college football coach.

That includes how the Pro Football Hall of Famer and Colorado head coach singles out players to lead his team onto the field.

"I don't believe in captains," Sanders told Skip Bayless and Michael Irvin on Monday's edition of "Undisputed."

Instead, Sanders has used two terms to designate the four players in roles that traditionally go to college football team captains — "leaders" and "dawgs." Quarterback Shedeur Sanders, the coach's son who threw for a school-record 510 yards in his Colorado debut Saturday to lead the Buffaloes to a 45-42 upset of TCU, sported an L on his jersey to designate him as a "leader." Defensive lineman Shane Cokes, a graduate transfer from Dartmouth, also had that designation.

Two-way star Travis Hunter, who shined at both receiver and cornerback Saturday, is designated a "dawg," along with kicker Jace Feely, who netted a crucial 47-yard field goal just before halftime that made the difference in the final score. Both wear a "D" on their jerseys.

After Hunter tallied well over 120 total snaps in triple-digit heat to help Colorado to victory — tallying a team-high 11 receptions for 119 yards along with a crucial diving interception in the second half — Sanders praised the sophomore's mentality on "Undisputed."

Deion Sanders on Travis Hunter's two-way potential

"He loves the game," Sanders said. "He does not tire of loving the game and wanting to be in the game and studying the game and all the intricate details of the game. He and Shedeur can just look at each other and know what to do."

Hunter and the Sanders family are just getting started taking college football by storm, transforming a Colorado team that went 1-11 last season and already matching that win total.

You can see them next on FOX's Big Noon Saturday as "Coach Prime" makes his home debut against the Buffaloes' longtime rival Nebraska. Coverage starts with Big Noon Kickoff at 10 a.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports App.

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