The war of words in the Rocky Mountain Showdown has finally began, with Colorado State Head Coach Jay Norvell taking the first shots. "I don't care if they hear this in Boulder, I told them [ESPN] -- I took my hat off, and I took my glasses off. I said, 'When I talk to grown-ups, I take my hat and my glasses off. That's what my mother taught me." Norvell's comments came on his weekly radio show as he prepares for the first in-state rivalry match since 2019. It's Norvell's first Rocky Mountain Showdown, having joined Colorado State after four years with Nevada.
Norvell oversees one of the most interesting squads in the country. A recent profile in The Athletic noted the Rams squad as having "An Arnold Amateur Strongman champion, a sumo wrestler, two tribesmen, an openly gay defensive lineman, a 30-something father of three and so much more." Furthermore, Norvell made a comment that could be taken as a shot at Sanders' marquee recruit signing approach. “We have the whole world to find guys that fit what we’re looking for.”
Norvell Ready For Sanders
With ESPN College GameDay in Boulder for the game, Norvell has had plenty of time in front of the camera. "It was great. I loved it," Norvell said of the added attention. "But our kids came out of those [interviews] really with a chip on their shoulder. They're tired of all that stuff. They really are tired of it. They're [Colorado] not gonna like us no matter what we say or do. It doesn't matter. So, let's go up there and play. That's just how I feel about it." However, Norvell also acknowledged that Colorado has "a great football team".
Colorado State are 0-1, having dropped their opening game to Washington State 50-24. Meanwhile, the school has dropped their last five games against Colorado and their last 23 games against ranked squads. However, the last six Rocky Mountain Showdowns to feature a ranked team have been won by the unranked side. Despite this, Colorado enter as 23-point favorites. "Deion Sanders has had a lot of public critics. I'm not one of them," Norvell told reporters. "I really respect all head coaches and the sacrifices they've had to make to become head coaches, and I appreciate the path they have to go through to get there -- especially African American coaches. I was happy to see Deion get his opportunity, I had to wait a long time to get mine."
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