Shedeur Sanders, the son of Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback and Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, is making a name for himself as one of the most exciting quarterbacks in college football. The junior transfer from Jackson State, who won the Deacon Jones Trophy as the nation’s top HBCU player last year, has been lighting up the scoreboard for the Buffaloes with his arm and his legs.
On Friday night, it was his rushing touchdown late in the first half that caught everyone’s attention, not only for its athletic brilliance, but also for its bold celebration. With Arizona State leading 14-7 and less than two minutes remaining in the second quarter, Colorado faced a third-and-10 situation from the Sun Devils’ 25-yard line.
Sanders took the snap and dropped back to pass, but seeing no open receivers, he decided to take off and run. He sprinted to his left, eluded a defender with a nifty stutter step move, and dashed into the end zone for a game-tying touchdown.
As he crossed the goal line, Sanders looked towards the crowd and raised his right arm, and did the watch celebration, showing his wrist as if to check the time. He then flashed a confident smile, and jogged back to his sideline. The gesture seemed like a taunt to the Arizona State fans, who had been booing him throughout the game.
Sanders’ celebration may have been controversial to some, but it also seemed to spark his team’s comeback. After trailing 14-7 with a few minutes left to go until halftime, Colorado now holds a 4 point lead early in the fourth quarter.
In the past Sanders said that he was proud of his team’s resilience and determination. The outcome of this game will ultimately determine how legendary Shedeur Sanders’ watch celebration will be in the history books.