Deion Sanders’ ‘Praise Jesus’ discount: When Colorado HC controversially refused to pay $4.5K bill on Lincoln Continental repair in God’s name
Deion Sanders is set to earn the big bucks after agreeing to become the head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes. He is set to earn $29.5 million over five years, putting him in the top tier of college coaches. As an accomplished player in the NFL as well as the MLB, he also earned quite a bit across his career which sees him currently having a net worth of $45 million.
Despite his financial standing, he was involved in a peculiar court case back in 2003, when trying to allegedly save a few bucks. It is a truly bizarre recollection from the time he first retired from the NFL.
Deion Sanders, 1961 Lincoln Convertible and 'Praise Jesus' discount
Deion Sanders once rolled up to a Super Bowl in his Lamborghini. He certainly loves his cars and they frequently require upkeep, especially the vintage cars in his collection.
He gave his 1961 Lincoln Convertible for repairs to a car repair shop, Magrathea Inc., owned by Phil Compton. It required an expensive slate of repairs, including changing gaskets, installing a new radiator and thermostat, and flushing the engine. Additional repairs to the car's electrical system and gages were also performed. They had to replace the starter motor and remove contaminated fuel. The carburetor also needed rebuilding. The details were taken from the court filings.
Anthony Montoya, a representative for Deion Sanders, had approved all the repairs. When the car was then sent back from the shop back to the owner's house, it was alleged that his wife Pilar took the keys and the invoices after checking that the car was working and refused to return them. Meanwhile, associates of Sanders moved other cars in front of the convertible so that the Lincoln could not be taken to the garage. The bill amount was $4,265.57.
It was alleged that instead of wanting to pay that amount, he gave Compton a $1,500 check, saying,
"Praise Jesus ... I follow what in my heart I'm told to pay.''
He has been open about his faith in the public sphere, but choosing to invoke it in a dispute was unusual.
This was not the only case brought against Sanders for allegedly not paying the exact bill amount for car repairs. Subsequent to the settlement of the first case, All Pro Collision of Dallas filed claims that the former NFL player had refused to pay a $4,420 bill for bodywork on his 1985 Mercedes convertible.
The two cases resulted in conflicting conclusions. In the Lincoln convertible case, State District Judge Joe Cox ruled in favor of Sanders, saying he had paid the requisite amount of money. In the Mercedez Benz convertible case, Judge Juan Jasso ruled against Sanders and asked him to foot the entire bill in addition to $750 legal fees.
Although he may have been vindicated once and found in the wrong the other time, it seems Deion Sanders, as great an athlete as he was and despite his net worth, does not take kindly to receiving bills for the repair of his expensive cars.