UTEP head coach defends former Colorado player after Shedeur Sanders criticism: 'Check the tape'

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UTEP football coach Scotty Walden came to the defense of safety Xavier Smith on Tuesday after Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders took a shot at the ex-Buffaloes player on social media.

The issue stemmed from Smith’s comments about Deion Sanders in The Athletic earlier in the week. 

Smith, who eventually transferred to UTEP from Colorado, said the coach’s approach to his roster overhaul last season "was destroying guys’ confidence and belief in themselves."

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Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders during the Black and Gold spring game at Folsom Field in Boulder on Saturday, April 27, 2024. (Andy Cross/The Denver Post)

Shedeur Sanders called Smith "mid" in a post on X and that’s when Walden responded.

"I coached Xavier at (Austin Peay) and now here at UTEP. He is the furthest thing from soft," Walden wrote. "He is a great kid/player and led us to a conference title. 

"He answered a question honestly in an interview and was just telling his side. He was a freshman AA and has an extremely bright future on and off the field. I am glad he is on my team – check the tape."

Walden is entering his first season with the Miners.

Smith seemingly just had an issue with the approach and believed things could’ve been handled differently.

Head coach Scotty Walden of the Austin Peay Governors reacts during the Crimson Tide game at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Nov. 19, 2022, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

COLORADO'S SHEDEUR SANDERS SAYS HE DOESN'T 'EVEN REMEMBER' FORMER TEAMMATE WHO CRITICIZED DEION SANDERS

Smith, who entered the 2022 season trying to get healthy from a