OutKick In Boulder: Deion Sanders Creates Buzz That Captivates The Country, Pays Off Locally

BOULDER, Colo -- Onlookers are staring out onto the Colorado practice field as Deion Sanders barks out orders to his offensive group, mesmerized by the moment. The campus bookstore has a line of 20 people waiting outside, 30 minutes before the store opens.

On this Thursday in Boulder, on the campus of Colorado, there's a feeling of hope, which hasn't been felt around these parts in a while.

Players, with smoothies in hand, make their way out of practice and start their trek back to the athletic facility, by way of a long bridge that connects the two.

Colorado players make their way from the practice field to the athletic facility. (Trey Wallace/OutKick)

Just behind them is Deion Sanders, driving his own golf cart, with security riding on the back. It's certainly a different scene, as he drives past a group of fans who traveled from Florida to see the game this weekend.

"I got love for ya, but I gotta get back to the facility," Deion Sanders says as he scoots his golf cart by players and a few fans.

While the casual student just walks by, I overheard one of them ask a friend if that was Coach Prime, exclaiming "that's pretty darn cool." For others, it was a chance to get a look at the man who has already made a lot of noise around college football.

Deion Sanders Has Captivated The Folks Of Boulder

When Deion Sanders was hired by Colorado last year, a lot of folks in this town didn't foresee Boulder turning into a town that college football fans descended upon. They had read the stories, seen the press conferences, but this is a different type of football town. This isn't Tuscaloosa, Gainesville or Columbus, it takes work to sell the program.

But outside of the natural beauty that surrounds the city, with travelers coming in during every season of the year, now it's an influx of college football fans.

"You know, I haven't been to a college football game in my life. But my husband and I agreed that we needed to see what all the fuss was about," Mary from Denver mentioned to me. "Me and my husband both graduated from Colorado 30 years ago, and didn't go to one game during our time here. Now, I couldn't wait to come back for the USC game.

"It's definitely Mr. Sanders. I see him on television all the time, but it's still crazy to think he's coaching my school. That Colorado State game was so unbelievable that we decided to come back."

Looking out over the field. Colorado holds its final big practice before hosting USC on Saturday.

This is the difference between other coaches around college football, Deion Sanders is such a known name. If you asked someone in middle America who the head coach for Ohio State was, they probably wouldn't know if they don't follow college football religiously.

But, that's not a problem for Sanders, with his television presence or profile pieces on 60 Minutes. Sanders let the world know that he plans on continuing to build something in Colorado. The allure of playing for Coach Prime sells itself, but it's fascinating to see how folks react around him.

"He's always so nice, but we also know to give him his space. The first thing he did after grabbing some coffee early one morning was tell me 'Thank you for the support, be blessed'," one coffee shop owner mentioned to me. "We know he's a celebrity, even outside the world of Colorado football, but it feels like he's proud to be here. Who knows what the future holds, but I know that he's helped me.

"We're a busy town, but my goodness our sales have certainly gone up on Friday and Saturday of our first two home games."

Folsom Field will host Colorado and USC on Saturday morning. (Trey Wallace/OutKick)

Just getting a feel of the Boulder community, it's not hard to see why Deion Sanders has already succeeded in the eyes of many. The community has embraced its celebrity coach, and it's not just the university who's seeing a profit.

One local summed it up pretty well for me as we ended our conversation around the campus.

"We're not just a place you come mountain biking, hiking or skiing anymore. Based on all these television trucks and folks descending on our town recently for football games, I'd say the hire of Deion paid off. You flew out here, right?"