Colorado RB almost knocks out Deion Sanders at Buffs' intense practice before pro day

Modified Apr 04, 2025 19:55 GMT

NCAA Football: Colorado at Arizona - Source: Imagn

On the Colorado Buffaloes' Pro Day (or "NFL Showcase" as Sanders is calling it) on Friday, the draft-eligible Buffalo players will be working out in front of representatives from all 32 NFL teams. That will be very important for those who are not currently being considered for a draft pick. A good performance here will massively help their chances to make it to the team.

This has led to some players putting in intense performances during the training sessions leading up to the event. One such session saw a running back almost knock out Colorado coach Deion Sanders.

The player in question is RB Dallan Hayden. The incident can be seen in the video below.

Expand Tweet

In the clip, Hayden can be seen powering through a sea of defenders. The commotion caused by his run saw Coach Prime run into another player to avoid a head-on collision with the charging RB.

Hayden spent his final year in College Football with the Colorado Buffaloes after spending the previous two seasons with the Ohio State Buckeyes.

As with his time in Columbus, the 21-year-old was scarcely used in Boulder. During the 2024 season, he recorded 196 rushing yards from 64 carries. Hayden was able to score one touchdown all season, this score coming in the Buffaloes' win over UCF.

Luckily, Hayden is not committing to the NFL Draft this season, and will continue his career with the Buffs. In the coming season, he should be able to continue his development as a player.

Now that Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter and other key passing targets over the last few seasons have left, one could expect Hayden to be able to get more time on the ball and help the Buffaloes run game.

Dallan Hayden on his goals and love of Deion Sanders

Before the pro day, Dallan Hayden spoke about his goals for football and his admiration for his coach, Deion Sanders.

"I just love the game. Coach is awesome. I love Coach Prime. I try not to think about stats. My goal is to make a play everytime I get the ball and protecting the QB"

Sanders took a chance on Hayden as someone who was not playing much with the Buckeyes. While he still hasn't played much, Sanders has given Hayden a lot more opportunities at Colorado than he would have got if he were still at Ohio State.

The goals that Hayden spoke about are common for many players in this position. Now, he will get the chance to achieve them.

About the author

Ben Tredinnick is a journalist who covers college football and college basketball at Sportskeeda who is currently studying for a masters in Data Science. His degree in Psychology has helped him gain an in-depth understanding of the minds of coaches.

Ben has been involved in sports writing since 2022 and covered the NFL previously. His strengths include providing in-depth profiles of athletes and coaches, with a particular focus on development, and looking at which teams could be in the hunt for today's college stars.

Ben enjoys following college sports more than the NBA or NFL because there is more variation in terms of playstyles. The tournaments are often more competitive than the major leagues, and due to the constant turnover of players, there are rarely any "superteams" in college sports.

He prioritizes research, looks at multiple sources and publications to make sure he gets the full picture of the story before writing. He tries not to write from a one-sided perspective to allow the reader to be able to make their mind up on their own.

A Texas Longhorns fan, as well as a massive New York Giants fan, some of his favorite college players of all time are Arch Manning, Tim Tebow and Reggie Bush.

When he is not working, Ben enjoys watching films (especially Godzilla) and spending time with his cat.

Know More

Colorado Buffaloes Fan? Check out the latest Colorado Buffaloes depth chart, schedule, and roster updates all in one place

Edited by Satagni Sikder