Blood tends to run a little hot during practices before the season starts. It's August, the sun is beating down, and players are just jonesing to hit someone.
New Colorado coach Deion Sanders wants players to give into that urge, provided their teammates do it first, even if that does encourage a bit of friendly fire.
When Colorado offensive lineman Gerard Christian-Lichtenhan got in Colorado safety Jaden Milliner-Jones' face after Jones threw down running back Anthony Hankerson following a whistle this week, Sanders noticed a few Buffalo players turning away from the play. The Pro Football Hall of Famer and new Buffaloes head coach was displeased with that apathy, to say the least.
"He just fought. I saw two of y’all walking off over there, and you got a teammate fighting. Where do they do that at?" Sanders said, per ESPN690.
“If one fights, we all fight,” he continued. "You understand that? I don't want to see you all walking off when somebody's fighting. Never again!”
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While the ideal response is "don't fight," that isn't always realistic. Scuffles happen all the time during practices. It's not necessarily a sign of a lack of chemistry. It's more about players who are ready for the season to start.
Nevertheless, it's true these are players who haven't gotten a chance to jell yet. That could be contributing to the flare-ups.
Sanders would never admit it, but he's put a ton of pressure on himself as a first-year coach with the Buffs. Between the complete overhaul of the roster through transfers, hosting celebrities like Lil Wayne at Colorado facilities, and the brash expectation of immediate results, if he can't get quick success with a program that went 1-11 last year, the naysayers will be loud and incessant.
Sanders and the Buffaloes will open their season on Sept. 2 against TCU in Texas. They begin this season unranked as Sanders attempts to leave his mark within a Power 5 conference after his success with HBCU Jackson State.
Looking ahead, Colorado will be absconding from the Pac-12 to join the Big 12 in 2024. That makes this season all the more important for Sanders, as Colorado looks to switch conferences with some momentum.
Sanders is instituting a culture that is going to be seen as controversial. But if it gets results, that controversy will dissipate quickly.