Shedeur Sanders hasn’t played a game yet for the Colorado Buffaloes, but he’s already giving back to the community, as he paired with Gatorade to gift the N.E.D. Falcons youth organization with nearly $45,000 worth of new equipment.
The equipment will help support more than 200 youth athletes in the club’s cheerleading and football programs.
Sanders also surprised the N.E.D. Falcons at their Monday practice, where he was mobbed by a swarm of excited children.
“Sometimes as a college athlete you forget the impact you have on kids,” Sanders said via BuffZone’s Brian Howell. “I was a kid and I remember looking up to Justin Fields and just talking to him here or there. That’s still my favorite player. So just coming out here and even the kids just recognizing me, that means a lot to me.”
Shedeur Sanders also says that paying it forward by giving back to youth groups is something he’s always wanted to prioritize, and now that he’s set the foundation for his football career, he feel’s he can pursue those off-field initiatives.
“Now I’ve got a good idea of what it takes and just having real game experience,” Sanders said. “So, I know what I’m able to do off the field. So I’ve been talking to my dad about it just in general; I want to give back to the kids. We talked to a brand and we were finally able to do that.”
Sanders also highlighted the fact that charitable efforts like this would’ve been impossible, prior to the recent adoption of NIL.
“[NIL] is positive because I feel like you don’t have to wait until you get to the (NFL) to do something like this,” Sanders shared. “Now you’re able to do it in college.”
Hopefully we get to see Shedeur Sanders further ingratiate himself into the Colorado community as his collegiate career wears on.