Shedeur Sanders had nothing but good things to say about his NFL draft visit with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Shedeur Sanders wrapped up his top 30 NFL draft visit with the Pittsburgh Steelers on April 10, and he appeared to be very pleased with how things went.
“It was a 10. It was a 10,” Sanders told NFL host and reporter Kay Adams with a smile after she asked him what grade he’d give his “job interview” with the Steelers. The chat between Adams and Sanders — shared via FanDuel TV’s “Up & Adams” — was recorded live from the Pittsburgh airport, and the confident quarterback prospect had a sort of warning for the rest of the league.
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Everything you need to know about his visit with the Steelers.
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“I’ve seen what you can do with a 1-11 team,” Adams noted, pondering: “Is it even fair? Should you be allowed to go to a 10-win team like the Steelers?”
“That’s on the people. That’s on the other franchises that make that mistake and let me go there,” Sanders responded with a smirk.
He also voiced that he “understands [head coach Mike Tomlin’s] mindset and why [the Steelers] win a lot.” Explaining: “Just how [Tomlin] is as a person [and] the value that the team has in what he preaches from his staff down is similar to like my dad.”
Sanders is obviously referencing Pro Football Hall of Famer and current Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, who taught Shedeur much of what he knows about football.
“I enjoyed my time in Pittsburgh,” the youngster said, in a more general sense. “I think I connected well with all the coaches, and it was real fun.”
Shedeur Sanders’ Confidence After Steelers Visit Reminds Fans of One of His Greatest Superpowers at the NFL Level
It’s not the first time Sanders has warned teams about passing on him.
“All I need is an opportunity. Simple,” Sanders told ex-NFL DB Louis Riddick after his pro day. “Whatever franchise wanna change they franchise, then it’s no doubt who to go with. I’ve done it, over and over and over. So, you’d be a fool not to pick me.”
And before that at the NFL Combine, Sanders stated very clearly: “If you ain’t trying to change the franchise or the culture, don’t [pick] me.”
Continuing: “You should know history repeats itself over and over and over, and I’ve done it over and over and over, so [there] should be no question why NFL franchises should pick me.”
Sanders’ confidence may come off as arrogant, but it’s one of his superpowers as a player. For an athlete like Sanders, no mountain seems too steep, and no goal is too unrealistic.
That likely stems from growing up in the shadow of Deion Sanders. But Shedeur has done well for himself despite that everyday pressure.
The draft prospect joined Jackson State University and turned them into a Southwestern Athletic Conference powerhouse that went undefeated in conference play in back-to-back years. Then he took his talents to Colorado — with the help of his father and his recruiting prowess — and led the Buffaloes to a 13-11 record over a two-year span.
Yes, Shedeur Sanders is an accurate passer and plus decision-maker, but it’s his unwavering confidence that sets him apart from other prospects.
Shedeur Sanders’ Background Includes Shades of Jalen Hurts
Part of Sanders’ culture-changer mentality comes with being a coach’s son. Jalen Hurts has talked about growing up as the son of a high school football coach, and how it’s prepared him for the NFL.
Now take that experience and amplify it by the thousands. Deion Sanders isn’t just a great football coach who pushed Shedeur throughout his journey to the NFL, he’s one of the best to ever play the sport.
Living with and learning from a mind like that has helped mold Sanders into the player he is.
Sanders has a hunger to win, but he also has the football IQ to succeed. He’s spent his entire life watching film and being taught how to read defenses. Drinking in the wisdom of a defensive back with 58 career interceptions.
No offense to Hurts, but that makes his football upbringing sound like child’s play.
