Robert Griffin III shows gratitude to Deion Sanders after receiving phone call from him after ESPN firing: "That meant the world to me"
Former ESPN analyst Robert Griffin III welcomed Deion Sanders on his podcast "Outta Pocket With RGIII" on Tuesday. They talked about the Colorado Buffaloes coach's latest techniques that he would implement in this year's college football season.
Griffin was fired by ESPN on Aug. 15 as part of the network's cost-cutting measures. He had two years remaining on his contract and was part of the NFL pregame show "Monday Night Countdown" for two years before being replaced by former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce.
Griffin expressed gratitude to many people who supported him during the time the firing news broke. He especially thanked Sanders on the podcast as he was among the first ones to immediately call.
“[50:20] Is the camera still on? I do want to say this with the camera still on. What happened to me last week, you called me. And that meant everything to me. You talk about, as black fathers, as black men, a lot of times people don’t check in on each other. That meant the world to me. I want you to know that,” Griffin said.
“You a good brother, man,” Deion Sanders replied. “Like, you don’t bother nobody, you don’t mess with nobody, you don’t talk about nobody. You’re thought-provoking, you’re entertaining, you’re clean, you’re a great husband, you’re a great man, we gotta support that. So that foolishness that they did, dog, I don’t know what God has planned but I know it’s mighty.”
Deion Sanders helps Colorado football players with a unique NIL opportunity
Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes NIL collective, 5430 Alliance, surprised eight players who are fathers on the school's football team. The Buffs coach partnered to open bank accounts for the students. He surprised them by calling them forward and announcing the opportunity. He emphasized that the children are not a mistake but an opportunity to mature and grow.
"Want y'all to know, ain't like you're in trouble," Sanders said. "You ain't done nothing wrong. Matter of fact, you did something right. And a child is not a mistake. A child is an opportunity to mature you, grow you, advance you, and give you some skills. Y’all know how I am about fathering."
"You know I would not hire a coach unless he’s a great father. I don’t hire a coach that’s a deadbeat, I don’t hire a coach that’s not taking care of his responsibilities. I would never hire a man that he says he’s going to look after y’all but he won’t look after his. That don’t make sense to me."
Deion Sanders posted on X on August 22 that he was seeking a bank in Denver or Boulder to partner with for this initiative. Elevation Credit Union was on board with the plan, which resulted in the opening of 529 savings plan accounts for the eight players' children. Each account will have $2,121 as a starting balance in honor of Sanders' former jersey number.