Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders has dismissed several players from his team for detrimental conduct following a heavy defeat at Northwestern.
Sanders announced the roster cuts on Tuesday but did not specify which players were no longer with the program. He indicated the decisions resulted from a recurring pattern of behavior rather than solely the 41-7 loss at Northwestern over the weekend.
"It's never one thing," Sanders said. "Those guys will tell you: I'm the most loving, giving and forgiving man you can ever meet. But when you start being conduct detrimental to the team that will set us back in things that you're doing, you don't care about the team. You care about you. I have a problem with that."
Sanders, a two-time Super Bowl champion, is in his second season leading Colorado football. He referenced last season, when the team struggled after an early start and finished with a 3-9 record.
"A year ago, I didn't put my foot down in it enough," Sanders said. "It lingered a little bit. Then, it imploded. I'm not doing that. I'm not doing that anymore."
Player apology and stadium video controversy
Before Sanders spoke to reporters on Tuesday, defensive back Ben Finneseth addressed the media to apologize for comments made prior to the Northwestern game. Finneseth was caught on a social media video speaking harshly about Northwestern's temporary stadium, where a player could be heard comparing the venue to a library.
"It was childish. It was a stupid thing that I said. It won't happen again, and the way I handled it was horrible," Finneseth said. "I promise you guys that it will not happen again, and it will be much more mature moving forward. So I apologize."
Before Finneseth left the room, Sanders shook his hand and added, "that's why I love you."
The Buffaloes won their first two games of the season before being beaten 41-7 by Northwestern. Sanders expressed frustration on Saturday night, acknowledging he confronted several players over their reaction following the loss.
"I don't understand how you can have joy in a loss, especially when I'm upset and I'm walking right behind you," Sanders said. He emphasized that accountability starts with him, adding that the program will not tolerate a losing mindset or bad-mouthing opponents.
"A loss by 10, a loss by three, a loss by 30, it hurts me," Sanders said. "There's no degrees of loss. Like, there's no degrees of sin. A sin is a sin. A loss is a loss to me."
Penalties and preparation for Baylor
Colorado struggled with discipline against Northwestern, committing four turnovers and nine penalties for 80 yards. Through three games, the Buffaloes have accumulated 28 penalties for 247 yards.
The penalty total has frustrated Sanders, who noted that the team displays strong discipline during practice sessions. "Then when you get out from the field and you're undisciplined, I don't understand," Sanders said. "It's hard to fathom. We're challenging them to be who they say they want to be."
Linebacker Tyler Martinez acknowledged the impact of the roster changes on the squad. "It's hard to see somebody go," Martinez said. "Like Coach Prime said, it's about the team. If you're about yourself, got to do what's best for us."
Sanders is examining all aspects of the team as Colorado prepares for Saturday's game at Baylor. He noted that several team leaders approached him to discuss ways to maintain standards and prevent further dismissals, an action he applauded.
