Georgia Tech Coach Brent Key Gets Candid on Deion Sanders’ Return to Atlanta

The Colorado Buffaloes are in Atlanta, preparing to take on Georgia Tech in a season-opening rematch of last year’s thriller at Folsom Field. And this year’s matchup is shaping up to be just as exciting.

Part of what makes the matchup so intriguing is that Colorado coach Deion Sanders was once a star for the Atlanta Falcons, eventually becoming an NFL icon and two-sport star in the city after signing with the Atlanta Braves.

All of that wasn’t lost on Georgia Tech coach Brent Key, who discussed the upcoming matchup on Tuesday and what Coach Prime’s return to Atlanta could mean for Thursday night’s game.

Ties to the “A”

While Georgia Tech will have the benefit of playing at home, Coach Key knows the Yellow Jackets won’t be the only team with plenty of local support inside Bobby Dodd Stadium.

“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’s roster boasts 17 listed players from the state of Georgia, including former five-star quarterback Julian “JuJu” Lewis, who will play a major role in the Buffs’ ability to find success against the Yellow Jackets.

However, the one person on Colorado’s sideline who Key believes could attract the most fanfare is Coach Prime himself. On Tuesday, Key didn’t hesitate to comment on the significance of Sanders’ return to Atlanta, making it clear that his presence could carry as much weight as any player on the field.

“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.”

However, this isn’t the first time Sanders has returned to Atlanta as a head coach. In 2022, Coach Prime led Jackson State to the Cricket Celebration Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Although the Tigers lost in heartbreaking fashion, Sanders’ return to Atlanta as Colorado’s coach gives him another opportunity to make his presence felt in the city that helped make him a star.

The Deion Sanders Effect

For Key, Sanders’ impact in Atlanta goes far beyond what he accomplished during his playing days.

Key compared Sanders’ return to Atlanta to Tom Brady coaching at North Carolina and returning to face Boston College, highlighting how much he believes Sanders meant to an entire generation of sports fans in Atlanta.

“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 selected No. 5 overall by the Atlanta Falcons in the 1989 NFL Draft and quickly became one of the city’s biggest sports stars thanks in part to his larger-than-life persona. In Atlanta, Sanders became “Prime Time,” transforming himself from another player on the field into a cultural icon. His personality, athleticism, and ability to excel in both football and baseball made him one of the most recognizable athletes in the world.

Now, more than three decades after Sanders first arrived in Atlanta, his return could add to an already electric atmosphere inside Bobby Dodd Stadium, where Colorado will be looking to spoil the Yellow Jackets’ home opener.

Big-Game Atmosphere

While Sanders’ Atlanta ties add another interesting layer to an already exciting season-opening matchup, Key believes the game itself has all the ingredients to create the type of environment college football fans have been craving all offseason.

“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.”

Key believes those factors have only added to the intrigue surrounding Thursday night’s matchup.

“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.”

Now, the wait is finally almost over for Colorado and college football fans alike.

Colorado and Georgia Tech will take the field Thursday at 6 p.m. on ESPN, where the Buffs will look to turn Sanders’ homecoming into the first road win of the season and avenge last season’s 27-20 loss in Boulder.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook for the latest news. 

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow