“I ain't your dad on the field”: $4.7M NIL-valued Shedeur Sanders recalls dad Deion Sanders’ stern message
Shedeur Sander provided some behind-the-scenes Deion Sanders personality traits on his podcast, "2Legendary with Shedeur Sanders.” He and his brother, Shilo, discussed their experiences playing for their father, sharing how the NFL Hall of Famer switches from dad to coach mode seamlessly.
The Colorado QB recalled his dad’s tough-love approach:
“Remember dad would say, ‘hey, I ain’t your dad on the field?’”
This attitude ensured that Coach Prime held his sons to high standards, pushing them to excel just like any other player. Shilo, who also felt the intensity of his father's coaching, joked about his dad’s extra focus on him during practice.
“He’s too busy with me. Watching me every day, the whole practice. Standing right behind me. I can’t even make the right breaks because he’s in my way,” Shilo said.
Coach Prime's particular attention towards Shilo Sanders could be because of their shared position as defensive backs. The 24-year-old humorously recalled an incident where he bumped into his dad during a drill, only for Deion to urge him to “get to the ball” instead of checking if he was okay.
Shedeur Sanders gets unique advice from Deion Sanders
Deion Sanders has a lot of football experience after playing 14 seasons in the NFL, and he is trying to pass on his learnings to his players, including his sons. The Colorado Buffaloes are hitting the preseason camp hard as they prepare for the upcoming Big 12 reunion season.
Shedeur had a rough debut campaign with the Buffaloes, finishing 4-8 in 2023. However, he is back with renewed vigor and armed with vital lessons from his legendary dad. On his podcast, he revealed Coach Prime’s wisdom: focus on the opponent’s coach to outsmart the game.
"[12:45] That's what dad says. Sometimes you're seeing too much. You played against all these different teams, very diverse in their coverages. So you gotta actually focus in on, 'okay, what does this coach do? What is his specialty? What type of coach is he?' Like the DC you're going against."
The 22-year-old talked about the importance of understanding the opponent’s defensive strategies to anticipate their moves and craft effective countermeasures. While Colorado struggled last season, Shedeur’s talent shone through in individual capacity with the QB logging in 3,230 passing yards and 27 touchdowns.
Also read: "I think it'll be opposite": Coach Prime's son Deion Sanders Jr. predicts where Shilo & Shedeur Sanders will land in 2025 NFL draft