Dan Patrick lays out a reason why HC Deion Sanders may not succeed in the NFL 

Dan Patrick suggested a reason why Deion Sanders as a coach in the NFL may not work. The Colorado coach has been linked to a host of openings and potential openings in the league over the past weeks. He has, however, reinstated his commitment to continuing in Boulder.

Reacting to Sanders’s statement about Travis Hunter missing out on the Jim Thorpe Award on “The Dan Patrick Show” on Wednesday, Patrick noted he was skeptical about Sanders's NFL future. He believes his coaching approach is more suited for college football and unlikely to work in the NFL.

“He has a very paternal approach to his players, like a fatherly figure,” Patrick said on Wednesday. “There's tough love, it's important to have their back, especially in college. I don't know if it would work in the NFL, but this fatherly figure, it works.”

Deion Sanders has been linked to a host of NFL jobs including the Dallas Cowboys, Las Vegas Raiders, and New York Giants. He’s also been rumored to take the Florida State job following Mike Norvell’s underwhelming season.

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What Deion Sanders said about Travis Hunter’s Thorpe Award snub

The Thorpe Award, presented annually to the nation's top defensive back, unveiled its three finalists on Tuesday: Texas’ Jahdae Barron, Ohio State’s Caleb Downs, and Georgia’s Malaki Starks. Notably absent from the list was Colorado's two-way star, Travis Hunter.

Deion Sanders did not hold back in criticizing Travis Hunter's exclusion as a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award. Speaking on Tuesday, Sanders argued that it undermines the credibility and integrity of the prestigious honor, which is awarded annually to the nation's top defensive back.

“How is Travis Hunter snubbed by the Thorpe Award?” Sanders said at his weekly news conference Tuesday in Boulder. “You can have my award. You can have it back. Matter of fact, I’m going to give him mine. I ain’t using it. It’s just sitting up there collecting dust.”

“Travis can have my Thorpe Award, because if this ain’t the most idiotic thing in college football, that he’s not a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award and he is, I would say arguably, but I don’t think it’s really an argument about this young man being the best defensive back in college football.”

Deion Sanders was a winner of the award in his senior season at Florida State in 1988. Given the standout performance of Hunter this season, the coach had anticipated his player following in his footsteps in claiming the honor. However, the two-way has not been considered.