Georgia Tech coach Brent Key isn’t pretending Deion Sanders’ return to Atlanta is just another wrinkle in Thursday night’s opener.
It’s a big deal, Key said Tuesday, and not only because Colorado is bringing a roster with local ties into Bobby Dodd Stadium. Sanders’ presence, in Key’s view, changes the feel of the whole night.
“They've got some guys from Georgia,” Key said during his Tuesday press conference in Atlanta. “They're going to have a ton of people here to watch them. I'm sure they've played against a lot of the guys that are on our team.”
Colorado lists 17 players from Georgia, including former five-star quarterback Julian “JuJu” Lewis, who figures to be central to the Buffs’ chances against the Yellow Jackets. But Key made it clear the biggest draw may be Sanders himself, a former Atlanta Falcons star who also signed with the Atlanta Braves and became one of the city’s defining sports figures.
“It’s not far-fetched; it’s the truth,” Key said. “Deion is probably the biggest sports celebrity to ever play in the city of Atlanta, and he's coming back home.”
Sanders has already made a coaching return to Atlanta once before, leading Jackson State to the Cricket Celebration Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2022. That trip ended in a heartbreaking loss, but this one gives Coach Prime another chance to leave his mark in the city where he became “Prime Time.”
Key said Sanders’ impact in Atlanta goes well beyond the numbers from his playing career. He compared it to a hypothetical Tom Brady coaching North Carolina and then facing Boston College.
“I equate it kind of like, say, Tom Brady's coaching North Carolina and they go play BC,” Key said. “I mean, it's a big deal, especially for somebody that grew up in the 80s. I mean, golly, he was the top of the top, the premier guy that everybody wanted to be when they were growing up.”
Sanders was the No. 5 overall pick by the Falcons in the 1989 NFL Draft, and in Atlanta he turned himself into a cultural force as much as a football and baseball star. His personality, speed and two-sport stardom made him one of the most recognizable athletes in the world.
That history now folds into a season-opening game that already had plenty going for it. Georgia Tech and Colorado are meeting in a rematch of last year’s thriller at Folsom Field, which the Yellow Jackets lost 27-20 in Boulder.
Key pointed to the matchup itself as a major part of the appeal, saying the game carries the kind of energy college football fans want to see right away.
“Two new coordinators that have had success against us,” Key said. “The defensive coordinator has had success against us.
They've got good players. We've both been head coaches the same amount of time at our respective schools.”
He added: “So you put all of those things together, and you create an environment for a really big college football game that recruits want to come to,” Key said. “And that's what we want every game here at Bobby Dodd to be.”
Colorado and Georgia Tech will kick off Thursday at 6 p.m. on ESPN, with the Buffs trying to turn Sanders’ homecoming into a road win and open the season by avenging last year’s loss.
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