Colorado football coach Deion Sanders introduced another special guest to his team this week – a fellow Pro Football Hall of Famer who told Colorado players in a team meeting that he saw “no brotherhood” among them as they started the season with a 3-5 record.
The guest was Ray Lewis, the former Baltimore Ravens linebacker who said he was making his first visit to the Boulder campus since 1993, when he was a freshman on a Miami Hurricanes team that beat Colorado 35-29.
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“Buffaloes, if you watch it on film, there’s no camaraderie,” Lewis said, as shown Friday, Oct. 31, on the YouTube channel of Sanders’ son Deion Jr. “There’s no brotherhood. You putting on the same uniform, but you walking out with different spirits.”
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Head coach Deion Sanders of the Colorado Buffaloes walks the sideline during the first quarter against the Wyoming Cowboys at Folsom Field on Sept. 20, 2025 in Boulder, Colo.
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Head coach Deion Sanders of the Colorado Buffaloes walks the sideline during the first quarter against the Wyoming Cowboys at Folsom Field on Sept. 20, 2025 in Boulder, Colo.
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Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders reacts after a play during the third quarter against the Houston Cougars at TDECU Stadium in Houston on Sept. 12, 2025.
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Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders before the game against the Delaware Fightin Blue Hens on Sept. 6, 2025 at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colo.
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Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders congratulates Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Kaidon Salter following a touchdown pass in the first quarter against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colo. on Aug. 29, 2025.
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2025: Colorado head coach Deion Sanders and head coach Todd Bowles look on during the 2025 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Training Camp at AdventHealth Training Center on July 23, 2025 in Tampa, Florida.
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2025: Colorado head coach Deion Sanders speaks with the media during 2025 Big 12 Football Media Days at The Star on July 9, 2025 in Frisco, Texas.
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2025: Head coach Deion Sanders of the Colorado Buffaloes looks on as a field goal drill is attempted in the Black and Gold Spring Game at Folsom Field on April 19, 2025 in Boulder, Colorado.
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2025: Head coach Deion Sanders of the Colorado Buffaloes walks on the field during the Black and Gold Spring Game at Folsom Field on April 19, 2025 in Boulder, Colorado.
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2024: Deion Sanders embraces Travis Hunter after the wide receiver/cornerback won the 2024 Heisman Trophy.
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2024: Head coach Deion Sanders of the Colorado Buffaloes watches from the sidelines during the second half of the NCAAF game against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium on October 19, 2024 in Tucson, Arizona.
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2024: Head coach Deion Sanders of the Colorado Buffaloes watches as his team plays their spring game at Folsom Field on April 27, 2024 in Boulder, Colorado.
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2024: Shilo Sanders (21), Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders, quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) and social media producer Deion Sanders Jr. following a win against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Folsom Field.
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2023: Colorado football coach Deion Sanders and celebrity guest picker Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson exchange pleasantries on the set of ESPN College GameDay prior to the Buffaloes game against Colorado State at Folsom Field on Boulder, Colorado.
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2023: Colorado coach Deion Sanders in attendance before the national championship game.
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2022: Deion Sanders is introduced as the head coach of the University of Colorado.
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2022: Deion Sanders during the Celebration Bowl. Sanders went 27-6 in three seasons leading Jackson State.
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2021: Deion Sanders coaches during the Celebration Bowl. Sanders required a scooter following blood clot issues that ultimately led to the amputation of some toes.
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2017: Deion Sanders, working for NFL Network, interviews New England Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount during Super Bowl LI Opening Night at Minute Maid Park.
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Melissa Stark (left), Deion Sanders (center) and Kurt Warner (right) smile during an NFL Network broadcast at the Super Bowl XLIX NFL Experience at the Phoenix Convention Center on Jan. 26, 2015.
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Rich Eisen (left), Deion Sanders (center) and Michael Irvin on the NFL Network set before the “Thursday Night Football” game between the Houston Texans and the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field on Dec. 5, 2013.
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2013: Deion Sanders as “Leon Sandcastle” of Primetime University arrives on the red carpet prior to the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
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NFL network broadcaster Deion Sanders interviews San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree during media day in preparation for Super Bowl XLVII against the Baltimore Ravens at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Jan. 29, 2013.
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2011: Former Atlanta Falcons cornerback Deion Sanders poses with his bust at the Enshrinement Ceremony for the Pro Football Hall of Fame on August 6, 2011 in Canton, Ohio.
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Deion Sanders makes his return to football with the Baltimore Ravens after a three-year retirement in the 2004 season opener iat Cleveland Browns Stadium on Sept. 12, 2004. The Browns beat the Ravens, 20-3, in the game.
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2003: Deion Sanders and family celebrate Kids Day at the New York Knicks vs. New Orleans Hornets NBA game at Madison Square Garden in New York, on Nov. 29, 2003.
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2000: Washington’s Deion Sanders jukes the Detroit Lions’ Brock Olivo at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan, on Sept. 10, 2000.
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1999: Dallas Cowboys defensive back Deion Sanders acknowleges the cheering crowd after intercepting his first pass of the game versus the Miami Dolphins at Texas Stadium, November 25,1999 in Irving, Texas.
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The Dallas Cowboys’ Deion Sanders outdistances Indianapolis Colts defensive back Tito Wooten to score a touchdown at the RCA Dome on Oct. 31, 1999.
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1997: Deion Sanders at the plate for the Cincinnati Reds during the 1997 season. The Reds were among four different MLB teams that Sanders played for during a nine-season career.
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On Oct. 11, 1992, Deion Sanders played in a game against the Miami Dolphins, then flew to Pittsburgh for the Atlanta Braves’ NLCS game against the Pirates (he did not appear in the game).
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Atlanta Falcons defensive back Deion Sanders (21) on a kick return against the Green Bay Packers at Fulton County Stadium on Dec. 1, 1991.
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The Atlanta Braves’ Deion Sanders bats against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on July 7, 1991.
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The Atlanta Falcons’ Deion Sanders in action against the Dallas Cowboys at Fulton County Stadium on Sept. 17, 1989.
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Deion Sanders was a two-time All-American, the 1988 Jim Thorpe Award winner and a 2011 College Football Hall of Fame inductee.
Ray Lewis asked for a show of hands
Lewis’s speech was part sermon, part critique and part pep talk as the Buffaloes prepare to face Arizona Saturday in a 7 p.m. ET game Saturday at home. At one point Lewis asked for a show of hands from those who silence and put away their phones when they get home so they can “dial in for about two or three hours” to study and prepare themselves as players.
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Only three appeared to raise their hands.
“And we say we’re trying to win – how?” Lewis asked. “How do you win? You win by giving up what you think is pleasurable.”
As a player, Lewis said he put his own phone away when he got home every day so he could study the likes of legendary former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning. He gave a colorful example of how no detail was too small to learn.
“And I’m not leaving for six or seven hours, because I want to know what Peyton Manning’s going to do if he got to go (urinate),” Lewis said. “I want to know how bad he got to go (urinate). That’s how much information you got to want to know to be great.”
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Ray Lewis, shown at the Super Bowl, was a guest speaker at the Colorado Buffaloes’ team meeting.
‘Let’s fix it,’ Ray Lewis tells Colorado players
Lewis is among several football and celebrity quests that Sanders has invited to address his team over the years, including actor Denzel Washington and former NFL receiver Randy Moss.
“Learn your craft and stop letting Colorado Buffaloes be represented off a bunch of individuals,” Lewis told them. “Let’s become a team. Let’s talk more, and let’s find out who hurting in their silent cries. Let’s fix it. Get on the football field and deliver the package that that man (Sanders) expects from each and every one of you.”
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Lewis’ visit impressed the Buffs, especially linebacker Martavius French, who couldn’t seem to believe that Lewis shook his hand. French said in a video on Instagram that he might cut off his hand to “frame it” after touching Lewis.
“I’m saving this video, too, and gonna remember this day,” French said.
Colorado needs to win three of its four remaining regular-season games in order to become eligible for a postseason bowl game. The Buffs are 16-17 in three seasons under Sanders after suffering the worst loss of Sanders’ college coaching career last week at Utah.
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ray Lewis has choice words for Deion Sanders’ Colorado team