Colorado coach says he never offered $50,000 to quiet critics

Money and coaching have collided at Colorado, where Deion Sanders dismissed a claim that he put a price on silence. The coach said Tuesday he would not pay anyone to stop talking about him.

Sanders told reporters at his weekly news conference that a $50,000 offer to keep his name out of commentary was a joke. "That was a joke," he said. He said he had never offered cash to anyone for that purpose. "I would never offer a man money. I don't give a darn what you say about me."

The remark traces to Christopher Neely, a YouTube content creator called "Uncle Neely" who has worked with Sanders since Jackson State. Neely described a conversation on a roundtable internet program. "Which is why he told some of them, 'Hey man, let's just do this. I give you $50,000 to not mention my name for a year.' And ain't nobody took the deal yet," Neely said. Sanders said the exchange was never a real offer: "That was really a joke about someone prospering off of your name and your brand."

Sanders is in his fourth year at Colorado. His record stands at 18-26, and the Buffaloes have lost five in a row. They are 2-5 this season, following a 3-9 finish last year. Colorado plays Kansas State on Saturday.

Sanders coached Jackson State before taking the Colorado job. At Colorado, his son Shedeur Sanders plays quarterback, and Travis Hunter won the Heisman Trophy during a 9-4 season that ended in a bowl game. Sanders said he has faced criticism most of his life, as a player and a coach, and that he does not respond with insults. "I never belittled, downgraded, hated. Never said anything to my opponent," he said. "I danced, I high-stepped." He said he does not know reporters well enough to judge them. "It's not in my heart to not like anybody in this room."

Sanders said he was unapologetic about what he says and how he lives. Colorado's game against Kansas State is set for Saturday.