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Amid all the roster turnover, these Buffs have stuck around
Being a football player for the Colorado Buffaloes in the Deion Sanders era isn’t easy. When Coach Prime came to town, he brought sky-high expectations, the brightest lights possible, and hardly any room for error. That’s doubly true for the players Sanders didn’t hand-pick to be on his roster.
When Coach Prime came to Boulder, he inherited a 1-11 team with a below-average roster (and that’s being generous). Prime’s solution to fix the roster was to essentially start from scratch, as he cut over half of the program. 53 players left Boulder after Deion took over the reins, while 87 newcomers were brought in to take the remaining players’ spots.
Despite their head coach actively trying to replace them, a small number of holdovers decided to stick it out and prove to Deion and his staff that they deserved to stay in Boulder. As of June 2024, only 11 players from the Dorrell regime remain on the roster. Those players have been affectionately known as the “Original Buffaloes,” or “O.B.s” for short.
The nickname O.B. didn’t just come out of nowhere. Sanders was the one who created the accolade as an effort to acknowledge the hardships that these select players have had to endure to stay within the program. In a practice at the end of May, Deion pulled the O.B.s in front of the team and gave them some due recognition.
“These guys are the O.B.s, Original Buffaloes,” Sanders told the team. “Always give them respect, always give them love because they’ve gone through hell and high water. And guess what? They’re still here.”
The O.B.s will have their new rank stitched onto their jerseys, much like the “Leaders” and “Dawgs” did in 2023. Headlining the O.B.s in 2024 will be running back Charlie Offerdahl.
Offerdahl’s story in particular is something special. The Colorado native came to Boulder as a walk-on in 2021 under Karl Dorrell, worked his ass off and made the team. After not seeing action in 2021, Offerdahl saw significant use in 2022, breaking the school record for rushing yards by a walk-on with 150.
Despite Offerdahl seemingly being on an upward trajectory, Sanders coming to town changed that. Deion brought in Dylan Edwards, Alton McCaskill and Sy’veon Wilkerson to act as Colorado’s RB room.
Offerdahl once again had a team to make, and he did just that. His impressive work ethic stood out to Coach Prime, earning him the nickname “Charlie Often-Ball”. Despite being primarily a special teamer in his first year under Sanders, Offerdahl stuck around and awaited his chance.
Before the Buffs’ 2024 spring game, that chance finally came. Deion surprised Offerdahl, telling him that he’d finally been put on scholarship. All his hard work had finally paid off.
Offerdahl perfectly embodies what it means to be an Original Buffalo. They’re hard-working and committed to achieving their goals, not stopping at anything to achieve them. Most importantly, he loves Colorado and being a Buffalo.
“Colorado is home and I’ve always said home is where the Buffalo roam,” said Offerdahl when asked what has kept him in Boulder.
Other than helping the Buffs win games this year, Offerdahl has another individual goal this season; scoring a touchdown at Folsom Field. Despite seeing plenty of touches in 2022, Offerdahl never found his way into the end zone. Now on scholarship and looking poised for playing time in 2024, he’s looking to change that.
“I’m looking to make a difference on the field in any way I can,” Offerdahl told the DNVR Buffs podcast. “The dream is scoring a touchdown at Folsom, keeping that ball and framing it.”
As the 2024 season approaches, Offerdahl is one player fans should keep their eyes on. His work ethic and dedication to staying a Buff are truly inspiring and should make him a fan favorite in no time. Offerdahl will likely play a significant role in the offensive backfield, so remember his name when Colorado’s first game rolls around.
by RylandScholes
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