Deion Sanders avoided a landmine of a college coaching opportunity

Every coach's and player's career will have their "would've, could've, should've" moments, but not Colorado head coach Deion Sanders. He's right where he wants to be.

Sanders was hired by Colorado prior to the 2023 season and has since taken the Buffaloes by the horns, so to speak. Sitting with a 3-0 record in what could be Pac-12's last ride, Sanders and Colorado have started a wave of "Coach Prime" mania across the nation, and the Buffaloes have suddenly become a fan-favorite team. Count quarterback Brett Favre as one of those fans.

The former Packers quarterback last (dis)graced the covers of newspapers for his alleged involvement in welfare fraud, the largest case of public fraud in Mississippi state history.

Four months ago, Favre was accused of misappropriating roughly $77 million in state funds in Mississippi. He denied the allegations, but they nonetheless left a black mark on his legacy.

This past week, perhaps trying to jump on the Deion Sanders bandwagon, Favre planted some good news about himself and told TMZ that he wanted to lure Sanders to coach at the University of Southern Mississippi years ago.

Favre reportedly had his sights set on Sanders before Sanders became the head coach at Jackson State in 2020.

Brett Favre tries to clear his name, jumps on Deion Sanders' bandwagon

Favre said: "I knew the things that we needed at Southern Miss, [Deion] checked the boxes. Attention, enthusiasm, getting people in the seats. He would’ve done that... And I knew players would follow him. Not to mention, we’d have gotten his son, who’s probably going to be one of the Heisman finalists this year."

Sounds a little desperate for attention, Brett. Coaching at Southern Miss would likely have derailed Sanders' career given the university's connections to Favre and, by association, his shady dealings. As reported last year, Favre allegedly tried to divert $1.5 million in state funding to the construction of an indoor football facility at Southern Miss. That was on top of the alleged $5 million Favre paid for a new volleyball court.

In Favre's text messages to former Mississippi governor Phil Bryant back in 2019, Favre told him that he had talked to Deion's son, Shedeur Sanders, and told the young quarterback that Southern Miss was planning on building an indoor facility in "less than 2 years."

Favre was clearly trying to recruit Shedeur Sanders as well as Deion Sanders to Southern Miss, and it's a blessing that neither of them got involved with Favre, who played with Deion on the Falcons in 1991.

The two ex-Falcons may go way back, but make no mistake, Sanders has enjoyed the far more fruitful post-NFL career. After this little gimmick, Sanders may be one leaked quote away from telling Favre, "Keep my name out of your mouth."