Colorado Buffaloes football superfan Peggy Coppom, 99, opened up about her unlikely friendship with head coach Deion Sanders.
In a recent interview with USA Today, Coppom revealed how her life changed after meeting Sanders, 56, at her home. The meeting was orchestrated by Colorado athletic director Rick George in January after Sanders’ hiring in December of last year.
“Well, my gosh, this year, first of all, it’s been unbelievable, and it’s been a lot of fun,” she told USA TODAY Sports. “There’s been a lot of excitement and a lot of public recognition, which I didn’t ever feel like I should have.”
Additionally, she credited her friendship with Sanders for opening doors for her, which included appearing on the Sports Illustrated magazine cover with the former athlete, naming him “Sportsperson of the Year.”
Coppom also revealed the pair “hit it off” this year.
In her lifetime, Coppom has witnessed 16 head football coaches come and go in the city of Boulder for over eight decades, including four who were terminated since 2010.
She gained fame due to her matching attire and shared a passion for CU sports, with her twin sister, Betty Hoover, which began after both of their husbands’ deaths decades earlier.
They attended over 3,000 CU games together dating back to the year 1940. In 2020, Hoover died at the age of 95 after battling pancreatic cancer.
In 2021, the university honored Coppom and Hoover with “twin trees” along with a plaque on campus dedicated to “The Twins.”
Speaking of his shared connection with Coppom, Sanders described her as “unbelievable.”
“She’s a pillar of stability. She’s a pillar of love, a pillar of hope, of consistency, legacy. And she’s so dear,” Sanders continued.
The former Atlanta Falcons player further explained, “She don’t have bad days; I don’t have bad days. That’s why we connect.”
Sanders also stated he has “never seen Peggy with a bad attitude or mad about something.”
“It don’t happen. I love her for that. She’s so consistent,” he added.
