CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets coach Brent Key is looking forward to opening the season at Colorado -- not only because it is a national spotlight game, but also because he is a big Deion Sanders fan.
Key told ESPN during ACC Kickoff on Wednesday that he grew up as a football and baseball player himself, when Sanders and Bo Jackson set the standard. The teams play on Aug. 29 (8 p.m. ET, ESPN).
"Hopefully -- I'll ask for [a] selfie pregame and shake his hand or I'll bring his rookie card out there with me and see if he'll sign it." Key said. "He's a legend of our game so it's exciting all across the board."
Key praised the job Sanders has done over the past two years in turning around the Colorado Buffaloes program but also noted how important this game is for his team. Expectations are higher than ever for a Georgia Tech team that has six wins over ranked teams under Key and nearly upset Georgia last season.
"It's a great opportunity to play on a Friday night in front of a national audience, which has kind of been our M.O. the last couple years, and that feels important for our place right now." Key said "We've worked our asses off to build the identity of this football team.
"We haven't arrived. We're not there yet. So we look at every opportunity as a chance to improve as a team and get to what our goals are internally -- not externally, what the media thinks, but internally."