Deion Sanders Under Fire Over Retiring Shedeur Sanders’s and Travis Hunter’s Jerseys

Recent Colorado stars Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter having their jerseys retired has turned some heads.

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders yells from the sidelines during the first half of an NCAA college football game against TCU in Fort Worth, Texas, on Sept. 2, 2023. LM Otero/AP Photo

Colorado Buffaloes head football coach Deion Sanders came under fire this week amid his decision to retire the jerseys of two recent stars in Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter.

Both former stars of the team had their jerseys retired at Saturday’s spring game in Boulder, Colorado. Shedeur Sanders started as the team’s quarterback for two seasons, and Hunter won the Heisman Trophy in 2024 as he played both wide receiver and defensive back.

It upset some former Buffaloes players from further back. Colorado had a storied history before Deion Sanders arrived in 2023, which included the Buffaloes’ 1990 national championship and a Heisman Trophy win by late running back Rashaan Salaam.

“If the players from the national champ team have not received such an honor, by default, this action dismisses, diminishes, and for a new generation of CU fans erases their greatness,” former Buffaloes linebacker Chad Brown wrote on Thursday via social media. “I would never minimize the impact of No. 2 or No. 12, they are amazing players. But this timing is poor.”

Brown played in the NFL from 1993 to 2007 after playing college football with the Colorado Buffaloes and has been involved in sports broadcasting since. Former Colorado wide receiver Darrin Chiaverini similarly objected to the timing of the dual jersey retirement.

“Retiring numbers is a huge honor and something that should never be taken lightly. I believe strongly that there should be a cooling off period, the same as with the Hall of Fame in the NFL, so decisions are not made out of emotion,” Chiaverini wrote on Wednesday via social media.

Currently the head coach at Division II Northeastern State, Chiaverini detailed the previous Buffaloes stars who haven’t had jerseys retired yet. Chiaverini played for the Buffaloes in the 1990s before an NFL career from 1999 to 2002, followed by his coaching career.

“Players such as Darian Hagan, Alfred Williams, Deon Figures, Chris Hudson, Eric Bieniemy, Matt Russell, Joe Garten, Chris Naeole, Michael Westbrook, Daniel Graham, Kordell Stewart, Bryan Stoltenberg, Christian Fauria, Chad Brown, and the countless other great Colorado players,” Chiaverini wrote. “Rashaan Salaam won the Heisman Trophy in 1994 and his jersey was not retired until 2017.”

“[Legacies] need time to be evaluated and proper steps should be taken so history is preserved properly,” Chiaverini added. “Congratulations to Shedeur and Travis. No doubt they are etched in Colorado Football lore but let’s make sure we honor those that came before.”

Former Colorado offensive lineman Tyler Polumbus called it a “blunder” for Deion Sanders to make the call. Polumbus played for the Buffaloes in the 2000s, followed by a career in the NFL from 2008 to 2015.

“The vitriol from former players regarding CU retiring No. 2 [Sanders] is loud,” Polumbus wrote on Thursday via social media. “I think most (including myself) believe he deserves the honor ... eventually ... Bypassing the line, bypassing #2 Deon Figures doesn’t make sense. So many all time greats that deserve the honor and have waited their turn. Why so fast? Zero waiting period? Feels like the first blunder of the Coach Prime era that has upset alumni.”

Aware of the push-back, Deion Sanders addressed the issue after the Buffaloes’ spring practice on Thursday. That included the fact that Shedeur Sanders is also his son.

“Can we start off with me just shaking everyone’s hand that played here before, just give them a hug?” Deion Sanders told reporters. “They’ve got to come back for that, right? Let’s start with that ... that’s what I want to do.”

Both Shedeur Sanders and Hunter are in the middle of getting ready for the NFL Draft, which kicks off in Green Bay on April 24. In addition, Hunter and the younger Sanders could both go within the top-five picks.

“We’re talking about Shedeur. We ain’t talking about nobody else,” Deion Sanders said. “If his last name wasn’t Sanders, we wouldn’t have this discussion.”

“These guys are thinking about the draft, man,” Sanders added. “We’re thankful that Buff Nation has been gracious. They’ve been wonderful. I feel like we have the best fan base ever—ever, especially over the last two years. I can’t comment before because I wasn’t here.”