$45,000,000 worth Deion Sanders has clear answer to how much money he would've made through NIL: "I probably would've been reluctant to go pro"
Deion Sanders, a football legend and the coach of the Colorado Buffaloes, recently reflected on the evolution of college football, mainly because of the impact of NIL deals.
When asked about the potential earnings he could have secured through name, image and likeness deals if they existed during his Florida State days in the 80s, Sanders admitted uncertainty about the exact amount. Sanders, whose net worth is around $45,000,000, said:
"I have no idea what the dollar amount, but.... I probably would've been reluctant to go pro. Let's just say that."
One of the best defenders the game has ever seen, Sanders was destined for greatness when he left college and entered the NFL in 1989. Atlanta Falcons scooped him up as the fifth-overall pick, and he became one of the highest-paid players in the NFL.
Deion Sanders has accepted NIL is a reality now
In the contemporary era, college football recruiting has witnessed a shift from traditional norms. Promising recruits are increasingly expecting NIL payments as part of their commitments.
Deion Sanders acknowledged this change on Amazon Prime's "Thursday Night Football" pregame show, emphasizing the importance of recruiting players driven by the aspiration to reach the NFL rather than immediate NIL gains.
“There’s kids nowadays that want to play for money and there’s kids, they want to get paid, but their heart is to one day be out here,” Sanders said. “You know that ‘Why?’ You understand that, ‘Why?’ All of us sitting up here right now, we had a ‘Why?’ And I want the ‘Why?’ not to just be about a bag. Let’s be about getting to the NFL, not the NIL.”
No one can deny the impact of financial security on the players in such early stages of their careers. Having this particular burden off their mind helps them to perform better. Apart from this, Sanders knows that NIL deals will now be one of the major requirements for recruiting the best prospects.
“The collectives are tremendously important,” Sanders said. “If you do a search on the top-five schools right now in their budget, a recruiting budget or just a budget for football, it’s unbelievable and it topples ours. We’ve got to have finances to compete, as well.”
Deion Sanders would want to take the positives from the 2023 season and move on to the Big 12 with a jacked-up squad. However, only time will tell whether Colorado can sign promising players in the transfer portal.