Sports writers Alanis Thames and Cliff Brunt used sources and aggressively followed leads to take an idea initially raised by Ron Vample and turned it into insightful and informative reads about the impact Deion’s early run at Colorado has had on the Black community and what it could mean for more diversity in the top college coaching ranks.
The effort took a team effort that included powerful photos, promotional video and informative context — all put in front of customers and readers in collaboration with the audience team.
The AP Deion story went beyond the celebrities who were making headlines during Sanders’ early success at Colorado and took a deeper dive into exploring why there is a strong connection within parts of the Black community, and if his impact would open doors for other coaches of color. The AP Deion story was featured in the Top 10 headline package on espn.com.