Now we all know how tough it is for fathers. Here for Colorado Buffaloes HC Deion Sanders, the difficulty gets 100 times more. After all, two out of his five kids are about to step into an important chapter in their lives. Shedeur Sanders has already got up on the hype train to make it to the NFL. However, his other son Shilo Sanders considerably does not get the limelight as much as his lil bro. But so what? To a father, all kids are the same. 

As much as Deion wants to see Shedeur soar high in the pro league, he wants that for Shilo too. So, when the world fails to give the Buffs safety enough attention, Coach Prime tries to fill the void by giving his son a chance to prove his doubters wrong. Meanwhile, it’s time for Deion to let a big sigh of relief.  

Deion Sanders’ plan for Shilo’s last shot at redemption

The Buffs QB is hailed to be one of the top picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. Different NFL giants pursue him. But maybe the fault is in Shilo’s stars. His path to the national league turns out to be shrouded with clouds of uncertainty. The 2024 season had been full of injuries for Shilo. A broken forearm during a game against Nebraska that took him away from the gridiron for 2-3 weeks as it required surgery. Even though he carried the Sanders legacy, the NFL scouts do not see him as an elite prospect. And maybe that’s why Deion’s son got snubbed at the NFL Scouting Combine. Now when it’s Deion, you know how he cannot afford to see his kids unhappy, right? Here he came up with a shot of motivation.

Coach Prime knew that Shilo had to prove himself at any cost. So the proud father gave him the lifeline to prove himself for the one last in college. On March 13, Colorado released the list of players who are set to participate in Big 12 Pro Day in Frisco from March 18-21. The list has Shilo’s name on it. Not just the chance to play in the big event, here comes another lavish incentive with it. Deion has offered a brand-new car if Shilo runs a 4.4-second 40-yard sprint at the Colorado Pro Day. Now what makes Papa Prime so confident about his son? 

Projected to go as low as getting picked in the seventh round, Shilo had brought the Combine home. He hired official timers and recorded his fastest 40-yard dash yet. To prove himself to the NFL scouts, he hired Zybek Sports, the company that provides the official timing to the NFL to document his workouts. “We’re going to be using this to track training and track progress,” Shilo said. This hunger to prove his haters wrong shows the Buffs’ safety’s passion, pulling inspiration from his dad’s history. Meanwhile, a whole new life awaits Coach Prime. 

Deion Sanders no longer has to perform the act of balancing

Well, when Coach Prime stepped into Boulder he had a long list of things he had to fix. Even though he struggled in his debut year with a 4-8 score, in 2024 he flipped the narrative. The Buffs rounded off the season with a 9-4 record. Now for the ones who bashed Deion for his coaching talent, the pre-Deion Sanders era recap is enough to shut them up. Under ex-HC Karl Dorrell and the former interim HC Mike Sanford, the Buffs’ overall score in 2022 was 1-8. In that way, Deion transformed the program balancing the pressure of coaching his two sons. 

The present time catches the Buffs HC with some mixed feelings. Even though the Buffs fell 36-14 to BYU in the Alamo Bowl, that particular game was close to his heart. After all, it was indeed emotional as the proud father had the traditional walk with his sons Shilo and Shedeur to the sidelines. The emotional father tried to put it in words, “And then my sons, man, that’s tough. That’s tough, to know that that’s it, that that walk won’t happen again. That’s tough.” However, in this process, Deion gets to shake off a huge burden from his shoulders.

Yes, nothing beats the feeling of seeing your kids grow under your safe shelter. But with it came the dark side of the story- the constant ‘nepo kids’ attacks, it’s better to stay safe. So on Thee Pregame Network, appearing with Uncle Neely, Deion Sanders poured his heart out. “I get to be only a coach. I don’t have to be the coach and the father. You have no idea how much pressure that eliminates from my plate.” His kids are on their own now, but before stepping away, Deion Sanders did his part—fueling Shilo for one final attempt at success.