Shedeur Sanders Has Turned Teams Around Before And Says He'll Do It Again

INDIANAPOLIS – The point of being drafted high in the NFL draft is to be the guy who changes things, improves things. Shedeur Sanders is familiar with that concept.

He's lived it.

"I've done that at two locations already, so it's simple," Sanders said Friday from the NFL Scouting Combine. "So that's why, when people say I'm not one of the top quarterbacks or the top quarterback, it's 'What are y'all going based off of?'"

Dec 28, 2024; San Antonio, TX, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) warms up before the game against the Brigham Young Cougars at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Sanders Changed Jackson State, Colorado

Earlier during his press conference, Sanders reminded everyone that Jackson State was in a rough state before his father, Deion Sanders, became the head coach, and he became the quarterback. And the University of Colorado football program was 1-11 the year prior to the Sanders family arriving in Boulder.

"We went from Jackson State to Colorado and changed two programs back-to-back," Sanders said. "So you don't think I could come to an NFL franchise and change the program again? It's history. We've done it again. It's always going to repeat itself."

That logic is difficult to dispute because it's based on facts. 

But someone should remind Sanders that rehabilitating the Cleveland Browns, New York Giants or Las Vegas Raiders has been an assignment undertaken by multiple quarterbacks – some of them somewhat accomplished before they arrived with their new teams.

And it didn't work out.

ORLANDO, FL - SEPTEMBER 28:  Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders and Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) talk during a college football game between the Colorado Buffaloes and the UCF Knights on September 28th, 2024 at FBC Mortgage Stadium in Orlando, FL. (Photo by Chris Leduc/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Browns, Giants, Raiders Need QB Help

And so the Browns are picking second in the draft.

The Giants are picking third.

And the Raiders are selecting No. 6 in the first round.

All three have had poor quarterback play for a number of consecutive years. And Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco, Daniel Jones, Jimmy Garoppolo, Aidan O'Connell, and others struggled to set those programs right.

That, of course, doesn't matter one bit to Sanders. The dude's a Sanders and he carries both the bravado and confidence that his dad does.

He also carries the same apparent chip on his shoulder.

So tell the younger Sanders that going from an HBCU to Division I program isn't anywhere near the same as making a leap to the NFL.

BOULDER, COLORADO - NOVEMBER 29: Shedeur Sanders #2 of the Colorado Buffaloes warms up prior to the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Folsom Field on November 29, 2024 in Boulder, Colorado. (Photo by Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)

Sanders Plan Is Turn Things Around

"You think I'm worried about what critics say or what people got to say?" Sanders said. "You know who my dad is? They hated on him, too. So it's almost normal. Without people hating, it's not normal for us. So we like the adversity. We like everything that comes with the name. That's why we are who we are."

The plan for Sanders is to be drafted at some point and proceed to turn things around.  

"That's the plan," Sanders said. "If that's not what you're trying to do, don't get me. If you ain't trying to change the franchise or the culture, don't get me. So you should know, history repeats itself over and over and over and I've done it over and over and over. 

"So it should be no question why an NFL franchise should be."