Shedeur Sanders has never lacked confidence, and at the NFL Combine, he made it clear that he believes his track record as both an HBCU and Power Four quarterback speaks for itself. The former Jackson State and Colorado quarterback sees himself as a franchise-changing leader, capable of elevating an NFL team just as he did in college.
“We went from Jackson State to Colorado and changed two programs back-to-back,” Sanders said. “You don’t think I could come to an NFL franchise and change a program again? It’s history, it’s always going to repeat itself.”
Sanders, who posted impressive numbers despite facing constant pressure behind Colorado’s struggling offensive line in 2023, emphasized that his success is driven by his mentality. He believes his leadership and ability to connect with teammates set him apart from other quarterbacks in the draft.
During his time at Jackson State Sanders was clearly the top quarterback in all of HBCU football. Critics questioned if that would translate to Colorado when he transferred for the 2023 season. The critics were quickly silenced. Sanders talked about some of his traits that carried over from his HBCU experience into his time in Boulder.
“I would say being a leader, that’s my best trait overall, because everything is mental,” he explained. “So, if I play my game from the neck up, I got to be able to adjust to my players, to have them have relatability for them to get to know me, for us to make everything smooth. I came from an HBCU and then went (to a Power Four conference), those two types of different players, and it’s very diverse, and getting to know people, talk to people and making everything genuine.”
With his father, NFL legend Deion Sanders, as his coach at both Jackson State and Colorado, Shedeur has been under the microscope since high school. He understands the scrutiny but insists that his performance on the field should silence doubters.
“When people say I’m not one of the top quarterbacks or the top quarterback, what are y’all going based off of?” Sanders asked. “Because I did it year after year after year, and you see the progression. Obviously, it has to be some kind of external hate that you have for the family, for the last name, for anything, because I know I’ve proven myself on the field.”
Sanders also emphasized the importance of mental toughness, citing Tom Brady as an example of how intelligence and decision-making lead to long-term success.
“It’s extremely important to keep your mental in the best place because that’s where my game is played,” he said. “My game is not played from my legs and not even just my arm. So I know longevity, the all-time greats. What’s Tom Brady’s best trait? His mental. He’s able to think. So if you have those traits of greatness and I know where I’m heading, then why wouldn’t a franchise pick me? You’ve got the ultimate cheat code.”
Beyond his physical skills, Sanders is eager to show teams the person behind the player.
“That’s why when I’m here interacting with people, I love interacting with people so they can truly get to know me and not just know clicks or anything like that.”
With his confidence, leadership, and track record of success, Sanders is out to prove that he belongs among the elite quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft. Whether teams buy into his vision remains to be seen, but one thing is certain—he’s betting on himself.