Stan Brock appreciates what Deion Sanders has done for the University of Colorado.

The former All-American tackle, who was inducted into the Buffaloes' Hall of Fame in 2017, loves the buzz in Boulder during weekends in the fall.

But Brock says Coach Prime's words can only carry the football program for so long.

"In all fairness, he's done a lot of good for the University, for the city of Boulder, and for the state of Colorado," Brock said in an exclusive interview.

"He's brought that attention there. You can't get a dinner reservation on a Friday night in Boulder, and the hotel prices are up. So he's done a lot of good for that. But at some point, you have to win, or all that goes away."

Colorado is coming off a 3-9 campaign following the departures of Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders.

The projections this year are muted, as the Buffaloes have the lowest projected win total in the Big 12 at 4.5 games.

Brock is hoping to see his alma mater outpace those projections, and thinks Sanders is developing the type of philosophy that lends Colorado to a stronger long-term outlook.

"It is hard to win when you lose a Heisman Trophy winner," Brock said. "I think he's making some changes with things he didn't think he'd have to do. He's doing a better job of recruiting high school kids.

"Before, he treated the transfer portal like free agency. He was going to build his teams through that. It's difficult to bring guys in as free agents, put them into your system and buy into 'We are family.' So he's doing a better job of going after the high school kids now."

Brock was the No. 12 overall pick in the 1980 draft and played against Sanders many times in the NFL.

He understands the former megastar has always been flashy, but believes the way to solidify the offense is by focusing on the offensive line.

"Flash doesn't do any good if they're laying on their back," Brock said. "You have to have an offensive line. I think that goes without saying. I know he believes that too.

"You have to have some horses up there. You saw Shedeur. He was running for his life at times.

"That's where it starts. I always said, 'If you don't have an offensive lineman as a captain, then I think I can beat you, because you have poor leadership on your team.' I believe in that strongly, that the offensive line has to be really good."

While Sanders can be a polarizing person, it's clear Brock is rooting for him to succeed. Colorado was far from a powerhouse before Sanders' arrival, and there is hope it can evolve into one.

"From a very selfish standpoint, I want them to win," Brock said. "I hope he does. I want them to be successful.

"Boulder is beautiful and a lot of fun. It's the most beautiful campus around. And it's a lot more fun on Saturdays when you can watch them win."

Brock: Alvin Kamara May Lose Confidence After Turbulent Offseason

The Saints and Alvin Kamara put an end to an offseason-long contract saga by agreeing to a reworked deal last week.

While there is clarity in Kamara's return, Brock, the longtime tackle who was inducted into the Saints' Hall of Fame in 1997, worries about the running back's confidence.

Kamara, a five-time Pro Bowler, has been a star since his rookie season in 2017, but at age-31, is expected to take a back seat this year to free agent addition Travis Etienne.

"It's different now than when I played, right?" said Brock, who played for the Saints from 1980-1992 and later became its color radio analyst. "There was no free agency, so there wasn't a big problem because they weren't bringing in free agents to replace you. Just with a draft pick.

"Now, the mentality is different, and guys start feeling that. I'm not as needed and I'm not as wanted as I once was. And anything that chips away at your confidence hurts your performance."

Kamara has long been one of the most potent pass-catching running backs in the NFL, and Brock thinks the Saints need to delicately handle the situation if he starts to decline.

"If they start questioning what he can do, whether it's catching the ball out of the backfield, getting outside, it's going to chip away at his confidence," Brock said. "That makes it a lot harder to go out there and give it everything you've got for that group."

If the issues snowball in camp or early in the season, Brock would not be shocked if a breakup still happens.

"Sometimes it's easier to go find somebody who wants you," Brock said. "Hopefully, just out of respect for him, I hope they treat him right."

Whether it's Kamara or Etienne with the ball, the Saints are projected to have a strong offensive line paving the way.

Brock was exceedingly durable during his career, playing all 16 games in 12 of his 16 seasons, but knows that's not always the reality.

Pro Bowl center Erik McCoy has missed significant chunks of time the past two seasons and offensive line health is going to be a huge key for the Saints this season.

"When you're playing with a backup center that's not quite as good, or if we moved this guy from guard to learn how to play center, there are a lot of questions," Brock said. "What's going to happen?

"(As a quarterback), you can't be trying to take care of another position when you're trying to do your job. He can't be worried about the offensive line. He needs to stay focused."

Brock: Justin Herbert Can Have Career Year if Alt, Slater Stay Healthy

A team that was ravaged by offensive line injuries last season was the Chargers.

Star tackle Rashawn Slater missed the whole year with a torn patellar tendon, while fellow star tackle Joe Alt went down with a season-ending ankle injury in early November.

Quarterback Justin Herbert led the Chargers to 11 wins despite those issues, and Brock forecasts a dominant campaign if Slater and Alt stay on the field.

"Herbert can (have a career year)," said Brock, who played three seasons for the Chargers and was a member of the 1994 team that made the Super Bowl. "That's the big question mark every year: who are we going to lose?

"If they can stay healthy, it's critical to have those tackles. They take on the edge. Those three guys in the middle take on a lot, but when you're out there on that island, you're all by yourself out there."

Alt was recently ranked the ninth-best offensive tackle in the NFL by ESPN and Brock believes he will continue to elevate.

"His attitude, his demeanor, he's a guy who is going to work hard to get better all the time at his trade," Brock said. "Those are the kind of guys you want to bank on, and to be your leaders."

Brock also has high praise for Slater.

"They're both leaders," Brock said. "People trust them. I think they're both super-talented guys."

Brock said there is a level of comfort the quarterback has when his best offensive tackles are on the field. The internal clock doesn't speed up and he can go through his progressions without bailing early from the pocket.

"They can feel it," Brock said. "The quarterback knows it and understands it."

Brock Analyzes Cardiovascular Health with HeartFlow

Brock is speaking from Seattle, where he recently enrolled in HeartFlow's GAMEFILM registry, a new program using artificial intelligence technology to analyze the heart health of former professional athletes and predict future cardiac events before they happen.

Brock, 68, is in good shape, but was recently shown a 3-D image of his heart that included plaque build-up.

"It was amazing what they were able to show," Brock said. "You can look right up inside of the arteries like you're looking through the tube. And this was mine you were looking through. You could see where the plaque was building up in there, and it's color coded."

Brock is taking steps to minimize the risk of cardiac episodes, and has been in the ears of former teammates to do the same.

"I preach it," Brock said. "I try to get my buddies to look at it. Heart disease is killing more people than cancer. That's crazy to me, as much as we talk about cancer.

"I preach it to all of them, to do something and figure it out. This is the only thing that I know of with the 3-D imaging and being able to move it around, be able to see everything. I'm preaching it. I'm all in."