boulder — Staffing college programs in an era when college football players have the opportunity to make money off their name, image, and likeness (NIL) and have more freedom than ever to move from school to school. That makes a lot of sense. There are people who can help players navigate those waters.
George Hegamin was added to the staff this week by Colorado's Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders as CU's first director of football leadership and engagement.
Hegamin played with Sanders for the Dallas Cowboys in the mid-1990s, and the two became friends, and their relationship remained strong over the years. He played for seven years in the NFL as an offensive lineman and then served as both a coach and administrator in the NFL Players Association (Senior Manager of Player Services) and his famous IMG Academy.
In these roles, he has played alongside a number of other players, including All-Pro offensive lineman Trent Williams and Alabama O-lineman J.C. Latham, who is expected to be a first-round draft pick this season. He has served as a coach and mentor to notable athletes.
His job now will be to provide guidance to CU's players.
“Our coaches are doing a great job of what they need to do on the field,” Hegamin told the media Thursday morning. “But what I can say about our kids is that most of them want to turn pro one day. That being said, there's a lot more to it than just what you know on the field. .The difference between a player and a pro is: Pros are going to attack their plan, make a plan every day.I went through the transition from high school to college, college to pro, won the Super Bowl. I'm one of the better people because I graduated from doing that.”
The Hegamine has a sociable and sociable personality commensurate with its size.
“This is my lifeline,” Hegamin said. “I love coaching. I love working with kids. I love working with young staff. I love working with young staff who not only know what they're doing, but also know what they're doing. It’s important to have people in the building who love being there.”
Hegamin's addition is another step in Coach Prime's plan to make the NFL atmosphere part of the overall Colorado football experience. CU's staff has several coaches with his NFL experience, including both coordinators, as well as members of the support staff.
“College football is a lot different than it used to be,” Hegamin said. “Right now, we have players coming in from high school, players transferring from other colleges, players of that nature. You have to be able to meet them exactly where they are. It's the same in the NFL. Draft picks. There are some players who did that.''
Hegamin watched Coach Prime's debut season in Boulder last year, where the Buffs opened 3-0 and earned a top-25 ranking before finishing 4-8.
“I think the biggest thing I can tell you is that I didn't want to see what my brother was going through,” Hegamin said. “I was tired of sitting on my couch and watching…the stars were aligned and I had the opportunity to help us accomplish what we wanted to accomplish.”
