At the 2025 ESPY Awards, Shane Gillis turned back the clock on one of college football’s most polarizing debates as the comedian blended humor with pointed criticism by taking aim at both Shedeur and Deion Sanders.
The topic at hand was the decision taken by the Colorado Buffaloes to retire the #12 jersey following a successful resurgence in the Big 12 conference, led by a trifecta of Shedeur and Deion, as well as Travis Hunter but Gillis hints the honor might not be solely authentic.
“Shedeur Sanders had his jersey number retired at Colorado this year,” Gillis said. “People are saying it’s because of nepotism, because of his father, and it’s not.
“It’s because he went 13-12 over his career, and he almost won the Alamo Bowl. Definitely not nepotism, right? Alright.”
It was a calculated jab, mocking not just Shedeur’s record, but the institutional decision behind honoring him, as the 23-year-old continues to battle away claims that his football success is everything to do with his father.
And the laughter from the audiences in Los Angeles echoed sentiments voiced much earlier by college football veterans who saw the jersey retirement as a break from precedent.
Sanders strikes back at critics
The University of Colorado announced it would retire the numbers of Shedeur and Hunter, players who had been with the program for just two seasons. During their time, the Buffaloes posted a 13-12 record and failed to win a conference championship.
This marked a shift from the traditional method of only reserving jersey retirements for legends of the college football organization, whose impact extends over years and includes tangible success. For many, the Buffaloes’ decision felt rushed.
Over a 135-year history, Colorado had retired just four numbers before Shedeur and Hunter. Those included Byron “Whizzer” White, a Supreme Court justice; Joe Romig, a Rhodes Scholar; Bobby Anderson, a first-round NFL draft pick; and Rashaan Salaam, a Heisman Trophy winner.
Adding to that, the familial tie between player and coach did little to ease the perception of favoritism and an ex-quarterback, Darian Hagan, one of the program’s most respected figures, expressed his dismay publicly.
“We were always told there was a waiting period,” Hagan said. “There was a policy in place…
“That was shocking news to me. It was hard to stomach.
The abrupt addition of two active players with no championships struck many as a break from institutional integrity and their former NFL linebacker, Chad Brown, echoed the concern.
However, Sanders bit back at the noise in characteristic manner as he shrugged off the critics and suggest people only have an issue with his son being nominated for the honor because he is Coach Prime’s son.
“I don’t want to talk about this too long,” Deion said. “I’m just gonna talk briefly and let it go.
“We’re talking about Shedeur. We ain’t talking about nobody else. If his last name wasn’t Sanders, we wouldn’t have this discussion.
“Only reason we’re having this discussion is that his last name is Sanders.”
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