Former Colorado All-American blasts Deion Sanders: ‘He’s not very bright’ in stunning comments originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Former Colorado All-American tight end Christian Fauria delivered a shocking critique of Deion Sanders this week, saying he is “not very bright” and accusing supporters of being “brainwashed.”
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A two-time Super Bowl champion and former standout at Colorado in the early 90s, Fauria made the remarks on “The Zach Gelb Show” when asked about the direction of the program in Boulder. Fauria didn’t hold back and said he has grown increasingly frustrated with Sanders’ leadership style during his three seasons at Colorado.
“I’m just not a fan of (Sanders),” Fauria told Gelb. “I just don’t like the way he coaches football. I don’t think he’s very bright. I don’t think he can manage a game. I think there’s a lot of flash, but I think there’s no substance, you know. And he’s got a lot of people, like, brainwashed.”
Has Sanders worn out his welcome at Colorado?
Coach Prime was hired in December 2022 and has compiled a 16-21 record through three seasons, including a 3-9 mark in 2025. Colorado rebounded to national prominence in 2024 with a 9-4 season and a Heisman Trophy campaign from two-way star Travis Hunter, but inconsistency and late-game management issues have drawn scrutiny from some alumni.
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“As time went on, I was just like, wait, none of this makes any sense,” Fauria said. “I’m like, ‘How long are they gonna to put up with this?’ And what else are we going to do? So if relevancy and having a sold-out crowd, having people talk about you on Twitter, if that’s what you want, well then congratulations. You’ve achieved it.”
He went on to say, “I can really care less if anybody likes it or not. My give a s— level is zero right now with people caring about my opinion of Deion Sanders.”
This might be personal for Fauria
Fauria’s son, Caleb, was briefly on the team before transferring ahead of the 2024 season, questioned Sanders’ heavy reliance on the transfer portal and frequent roster turnover. He suggested that constant change makes it difficult to build culture and tradition, referencing players not knowing the Colorado fight song as an example.
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“Win games,” Fauria said. “The way you recruit. Know everybody’s name. Give everybody the same attention. Sing the fight song. Learn the fight song.”
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Fauria acknowledged winning at Colorado is challenging, citing former national championship coach Bill McCartney as an example of what sustained success looks like. Still, he said relevancy and social media buzz are not enough.
Colorado opens the 2026 football season in Atlanta against Georgia Tech on Sept. 5.
