Colorado State University football head coach Deion Sanders had a tense exchange with a reporter during a press conference on Aug. 9. Sanders made it clear that he did not like some of the reporting that Denver Post columnist Sean Keeler had done in the past about him and the Buffaloes football program.
“You hate us, why would you do this?” Sanders asked Keillor at one point during the press conference. “No, I'm serious. Why would you do this? Like you know you hate us. Why would you do this?”
Two weeks after the exchange, Colorado announced it would future ban Keeler from directly questioning Sanders or anyone else associated with the football program.
The decision sparked some backlash, but ESPN college football commentator Desmond Howard defended Sanders, arguing that the restrictions were imposed on the columnist to protect the mental health of head football coaches and players.
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ESPN College GameDay commentator and Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard stands on set before the college football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Indiana University Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana on August 31, 2017. (James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“When I first heard about this, the first thing that came to mind was how do we talk about taking care of our mental health,” Howard said on ESPN's “Get Up,” via On3 Sports. “I don't know if people understand that Deion Sanders is a guy who has publicly spoken out about having attempted suicide before.”
“So if you're a mental health advocate and you want to protect your own mental health, your No. 1 job as a coach is to also protect the mental health of your players, because you always want to treat every player like they're your own son.”
Deion Sanders warns reporters to refrain from negative reporting after reporters are banned from asking questions
When offering his thoughts on why Keeler, a Pro Football Hall of Famer, wanted to keep columnists out of the media room, Howard cited the approach Keeler took in his previous reporting on Sanders.
“So, with that being said, if Deion Sanders believes that this guy is using words like 'false prophet' or whatever and it feels personal to me, then I wouldn't be opposed if he decides not to answer any more questions from him, because I think he has to do what he believes is best for his mental state and the mental state of his players.”
Former NFL players Desmond Howard (left) and Deion Sanders attend the DirecTV Beach Bowl at Pier 40 in New York City on February 1, 2014. (Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for DirecTV)
Howard's colleague, ESPN college football commentator Paul Finebaum, disagreed with Sanders and the university's decision to ban Keeler from asking questions for the time being, calling the coach a “bully” and a “hypocrite.”
“This shows that a primetime manager is not ready for primetime,” Finebaum told ESPN earlier this week. “This is a disgrace. Dion may want to talk about love and joy, and that's the core of the words he's spewing, but treating a reporter like this is like being in some dictatorship. This is not America. The fact that it's in his contract makes it even more ridiculous.”
Desmond Howard on the set of ESPN College GameDay before the game between the Colorado Buffaloes and Colorado State Rams at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado, USA on September 16, 2023. (Andrew Webers – USA Today Sports)
“But let's not forget, he did the same thing at Jackson State. This is typical of Deion Sanders. He wants to have his way. I view him as arrogant and a hypocrite. And frankly, as someone who was a fan of his throughout his career, including at Colorado, I am embarrassed by his behavior.”
The university called some of Keeler's past reporting “personal attacks on the football program.”
“Following a series of ongoing personal attacks against our football program, and Coach Prime in particular, the University of Colorado athletic department, in conjunction with the football program, has decided not to take questions from Denver Post columnist Sean Keeler at any football-related events,” the athletic department said in a statement obtained by ESPN.
Howard pushed back against the idea that Colorado would have been better off quietly taking questions from Keeler rather than making a public statement about its decision.
Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders speaks during the 2024 Big 12 Conference Football Media Day at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 10, 2024. (Louis Glass/Getty Images)
“So what Adam Schefter and Stephen A. Smith also said, which I saw, was that it shouldn't have been announced, but it was going to be announced anyway because people would know that we weren't answering this reporter's questions. So rather than putting all of that off until later, maybe in two or three weeks when it becomes noticeable that we weren't answering this reporter's questions, we can announce it now and let everybody know,” Howard said.
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Colorado officials added that the reporter's access to “football-related activities” will remain intact and that colleagues at the paper are free to question the Buffaloes' head coach.
“Keeler will continue to be permitted to participate in football-related activities as a credentialed member of the media, and other Denver Post reporters will be able to question any football program personnel who are available to the media, including coaches, players and staff.”
Keeler published a column shortly after his exchange with Sanders, in which he said the coach “suddenly looked, acted and sounded… scared confident.”
The Denver Post reported that Sanders' contract states he must only speak to “mutually agreed upon media outlets.”
Colorado finished the 2023 season with a 4-8 record, and Coach Sanders hopes to improve on that record this year. The Buffaloes open the 2024 season on Aug. 31 when they host North Dakota State.
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Chantz Martin is a sports reporter for Fox News Digital.
