When University of Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders jogged onto the field late in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game, only one thing was on his mind.
“All I was thinking was Brady mode,” Sanders said postgame. “That’s it. Simple.”
The 21-year-old son of Colorado coach Deion Sanders shares a close relationship with seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady. They text after every game, Shedeur said. And he didn’t want to disappoint the “GOAT.”
Shedeur led Colorado on a 98-yard touchdown drive and an ensuing 2-point conversion to tie the game against Colorado State with 36 seconds remaining in regulation. Colorado went on to win, 43-35, in double overtime to improve to 3-0 on the season. Shedeur figured if Brady, known for his late-game heroics, could thrive in late-game situations, he could, too.
In the aftermath of the win, father and son joined Brady’s “Let’s Go” podcast on Monday, co-hosted by former NFL receiver Larry Fitzgerald and sportscaster Jim Gray. They discussed topics ranging from the incredible list of athletes Shedeur’s drive reminds Brady of, to whether the three-time NFL MVP thinks Colorado’s star QB needs a new Rolls-Royce.
Check out some of the highlights from the conversation.
Dustin Bradford/Getty Images
Brady sees Jordan, Bryant in Shedeur’s drive
Shedeur Sanders has thrown for 1,251 yards and 10 touchdowns across the first three games of the 2023 season. But his performance on the field might not be as impressive as the way he acts on it, at least according to Brady.
Brady raved about Shedeur’s competitive spirit about 13 minutes into Monday’s half-hour episode. But he didn’t stop there. The 15-time Pro Bowler compared the college QB to some of the most accomplished athletes of all time.
“I love seeing when people go out there to compete, that’s ultimately what the game’s all about,” Brady said. “Mike Tyson wasn’t trying to make friends. Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, they weren’t trying to make friends. You’re out there to do a job. Tiger Woods wasn’t trying to make friends. We weren’t trying to make friends. I love when I see other people like that.
“I relate to them so much more than the guys hugging on the field in pregame. Man, get that out of here. That was a bunch of BS to me, I was never trying to love anyone up.”
Fitzgerald joked afterward that every game was personal for Brady, a nod to Deion Sanders’ motivation tactics.
‘Brady mode’ takes on new meaning
After 23 seasons in the NFL, Brady retired, for real, last off-season. To the future Hall of Famer, “Brady mode” means something different in retirement than it did when he was carving up NFL defenses in crunchtime.
“Brady mode to me now is my golf game and slicing 98-yard sand wedges,” Brady said. “Like I said on my [Instagram account], I said I wanna be in ‘Shedeur Mode’ just one time.”
Shedeur previously was trained by Brady, and frequently seeks out his tips on how to play the quarterback position. Deion Sanders said Shedeur “loves” Brady, and that he will frequently use the former QB as an example when he’s trying to “get on [Shedeur’s] butt.”
In his first season at Colorado after transferring from Jackson State, Shedeur ranks second among Division I quarterbacks in passing yards and seventh in touchdowns thrown.
“I’m so proud of him, just watching him grow and mature,” Brady said of Shedeur. “We all start at a certain place and he had a lot of high expectations and he’s embraced it. I love him, and it just makes me proud to see what he’s doing. So I know it’s just the beginning for you guys and obviously this season.”
At one point in the show, Brady told Shedeur to stay humble in light of all the nice things being said about him. “I’d rather be telling your dad this and telling you to get back to work,” the former Patriots and Buccaneers QB said on the podcast.
Despite having a Hall of Fame football player as a father, Shedeur said it’s still valuable to pick Brady’s mind.
“Hearing it from dad, I always hear it my whole life,” Shedeur Sanders said. “So it’s like I kind of, I kind of understand what he’s saying now the majority of the time, I would say. But of course, whenever I talk to Tom, then it’s just different. Because he’s actually been back there taking snaps. My dad ain’t never been at quarterback.”
“I was there in high school, son,” Deion Sanders said. “Don’t minimize it.”
Sanders family seeks car advice from the ‘GOAT’
The end of Monday’s “Let’s Go” podcast went slightly off the rails.
Brady said Monday that he is “always here” for Shedeur whenever he needs any advice. And the Sanders family made sure to seek out some immediately. The debate at hand? Whether the 21-year-old Sanders needs a new Rolls-Royce.
“Tom, do you think a college kid needs a Phantom, like a Rolls-Royce?” Deion Sanders asked.
“No, it’s not a Phantom,” Shedeur Sanders said. “It’s a Rolls-Royce Cullinan.”
“I think he needs to get his [butt] in the film room and spend as much time in there as possible,” Brady replied.
“Thank you, Tom,” Deion Sanders said.
“Less time in the car and more time in the film room,” Brady said.
The Sanders family will be back in the spotlight on Saturday during a Week 4 matchup between No. 19 Colorado and No. 10 Oregon. The game will be nationally televised on ABC at 3:30 p.m. ET. Until then, Brady is preaching the same thing he texted Shedeur after Colorado’s Week 1 win: “Don’t be satisfied.”