"Highest honor you could ever get in football": Fran Brown lauds Coach Prime after spring game chatter

Syracuse Orange head coach Fran Brown holds Coach Prime in the highest regard, and he once again made it known on Tuesday.

While discussing the NCAA shooting down the proposed spring game between Syracuse and Coach Prime’s Colorado Buffaloes in “The Rich Eisen Show”, particularly the injury risk of holding the joint practices and spring games between schools, Brown spoke about Deion Sanders’ past as an athlete.

“Primetime played the highest level of football," he said. "He has the highest honor that you could ever get in football. He’s a Hall of Famer. The best cornerback to ever walk Earth is Deion Sanders. Probably one of the best athletes.

Him, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods. One of those guys, who knows who it is. But, one of those guys who are the best athletes to ever walk Earth, and he would never do anything to put anyone in danger.”

After Sanders suggested holding spring games between different schools to prevent them from going extinct, Brown answered the call. However, after Colorado and Syracuse asked for a waiver to allow them to play, the NCAA rejected it.

Brown also mentioned that the plan for Colorado and Syracuse went beyond the football field, as they had planned for other activities as well.

“On Friday morning, we were making both teams, everybody was going to have two hours of study hall, so it wasn’t just going to be about us playing football, It was to let them know men handle their business,” Brown said.

While the NCAA shut down the joint scrimmage plan this year, the Orange coach believes it will happen sooner or later, perhaps as early as next year.

With numerous programs canceling their spring game because of the long postseason or to keep other programs away from tampering with their players, Sanders opened the door to make it an even more appealing event for fans and programs.

Colorado will hold their spring game on Apr. 19, while Syracuse will have theirs on Apr. 12.

Fran Brown jokingly takes shot at NCAA

When the NCAA first denied the Colorado-Syracuse bid to hold a joint spring game, the Orange head coach jokingly took a dig at the organization.

"We should have just told Coach Belichick and Bill O’Brien to come up with it," Fran Brown said. "You know damn well they weren’t about to allow Coach Prime and Fran Brown to be the first two guys to do it. Over their dead bodies."

However, the coach clarified his words should be taken as a joke and not literally. He added that the NCAA had “all the right reasons” to deny the request for the joint spring game, but hopes it can be arranged in the future.

After finishing in 2024 with a 10-3 record, the Orange will open the season on Aug. 30 against the Tennessee Volunteers in Atlanta.