Former Colorado star tight end Christian Fauria added some clarity and context to his recent harsh criticism of Colorado coach Deion Sanders, telling USA TODAY Sports he became especially disenchanted with Sanders last year when Colorado retired the jersey number of Sanders’ quarterback son Shedeur.
Fauria, a two-time Super Bowl champion, also wanted to make it clear his public critique of Deion Sanders had “nothing to do” with his son Caleb, who was on the Colorado team when Sanders was hired in December 2022 but then left the team in 2023 before transferring to Delaware.
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Fauria had ripped Sanders during a podcast with host Zach Gelb on Tuesday, Feb. 10, saying Sanders is not “very bright” and that “brainwashed” people support him “regardless of how stupid he is sometimes.”
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USA TODAY Sports followed up on those remarks with Fauria, who played at Colorado from 1990 to 1994 before moving on to the NFL, where he won two Super Bowls with the New England Patriots.
“I don’t want Colorado to fail — I want them to succeed!” Fauria said in an email. “But I find the head coach’s priorities off-putting. I officially tapped out in April 2025, when athletic director Rick George allowed the University of Colorado to retire Shedeur Sanders’ No. 2 jersey.”
The jersey retirement beef at Colorado
This is a sore subject for many former Colorado players, particularly those who played at Colorado around the time the Buffaloes won the 1990 national championship. USA TODAY Sports previously reported Colorado went against previous standards for lifetime player honors last year when it retired the jersey numbers of Shedeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter. Colorado hasn’t even retired the jersey number of Darian Hagan, who led the Buffaloes to three straight Big Eight titles and the national championship with a 28-5-2 record as quarterback. Shedeur Sanders’ starting record was 13-11 with no championships or bowl games victories, including 9-4 in 2024.
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Hagan even told USA TODAY Sports last year he was “flabbergasted” by the decision, which the school said was made at the discretion of the athletic department administration and head coach. Before last year, Colorado had only retired four football jersey numbers in school history.
“Believe me, I can root for Shedeur as a player while still calling his jersey retirement what it was: a vanity project driven by his father,” Fauria told USA TODAY Sports. “It’s this strange, twisted loyalty from Sanders die-hards — now spilling over into the NFL — that I want no part of. So I hold my nose and move on.”
Fauria clarifies some criticism about Deion Sanders
In the podcast, Fauria said he wasn’t a fan of Sanders’ coaching style or messaging. He also said he wasn’t very smart. USA TODAY Sports asked him to clarify.
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(USA TODAY Sports also reached out to Colorado to see if Sanders or the university wanted to respond. Colorado declined comment.)
Fauria said Sanders’ messaging is “confusing and contradictory.”
“It flips as fast as the weather at the base of the Flatirons,” Fauria told USA TODAY Sports. “One minute it’s all empowerment, family and toughness; the next it’s excuses, deflections, or bizarre postgame word salads that leave you scratching your head. What boggles my mind most is how reporters rarely challenge him on late-game management or coaching decisions.”
Criticism of Deion Sanders unfairly labeled as hate
Fauria said Sanders and some of his followers have “thin skin,” where any criticism is considered “hate” even if it’s valid and constructive. Sanders’ three-year record is 16-21, including 3-9 in 2025.
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“What I find comical is that any criticism of Deion Sanders gets labeled as ‘hate,'” Fauria told USA TODAY Sports. “Apparently, only blind loyalty is acceptable — no matter how self-serving or self-promoting his personality comes across. Those traits are ones I personally don’t value and never will. Ask anyone who knows me or anyone I played with at any level.”
Does issue with Deion Sanders involve Fauria’s son?
Some questioned whether Fauria’s criticism had something to do with the fact his son left the team under Sanders. Fauria said that’s not true.
“He loved it there and his teammates,” Fauria said of his son Caleb. “That angle is fabricated and used to create a narrative that isn’t true. Responding to those comments is just a waste of my time and energy.”
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Fauria’s remarks also aren’t isolated among former Colorado players. They want the program to succeed but have questioned Sanders’ roster-building strategy, his clock management in games and his perceived lack of care for Colorado history and tradition, such as not having his team learn the fight song.
Former Colorado lineman Matt McChesney talked about it Feb. 12 on his own podcast “Zero 2 Sixty.” McChesney questioned the need to attack Sanders’ intelligence but otherwise supported Fauria.
“I’m glad that Christian’s saying some of the stuff he’s saying,” McChesney said. “I can’t sit here and disagree with him, honestly.”
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why Deion Sanders was slammed by ex-Colorado star Christian Fauria
