Lampron's Mid-Flight Pitch to Sanders Lands at Colorado
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- Gideon Lampron approached Deion Sanders on a Dallas-to-Cleveland flight in December shortly after the transfer portal opened; Sanders told him to send tape and he'd make calls, and days later Lampron was enrolled at Colorado.
- Lampron arrived in Boulder after one season at Bowling Green, where he recorded 119 tackles under head coach Eddie George, following a three-year FCS stint at Dayton that produced 27.5 tackles for loss and first-team FCS All-American honors in 2024.
- Lampron joins a revamped Colorado linebacker corps under new defensive coordinator Chris Marve alongside transfers Liona Lefau (Texas) and Tyler Martinez (New Mexico State); Lampron and Lefau are both on the preseason Butkus Award watch list.
- Sanders called Lampron "a bona fide leader" and "a playmaker," and invited him to a leadership retreat at Sanders' mansion near Dallas last month alongside other Buffaloes players.
- Colorado finished 3-9 last season while allowing 30.5 points and 425.7 yards per game, and opens the 2025 season Sept. 3 at Georgia Tech.
- Lampron's distinctive middle name, ESPN, was chosen by his father Marty, an avid sports fan; Lampron said the Sanders quote that stuck with him most was: "Everyone in your life is there for a season or a reason. You've got to decide what they're there for."
Why it matters: Colorado surrendered 30.5 points and 425.7 yards per game during a 3-9 2024 season, and Sanders rebuilt his linebacker room through the transfer portal — Lampron's emergence as a Butkus Award watch-list pick signals the Buffaloes may have their defensive anchor for a potential turnaround under new DC Chris Marve.
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