Imagine having a 16-year glorious career only to watch yourself get 12 surgeries by the time you are 57 years old. Injuries are a part of any sportsman’s life. But to have two toes amputated and stand a chance to never walk normally again, that’s the story of the Prime Time of NFL, Deion Sanders, as he wished for one thing, “I want normalcy. I want to be able to walk in two shoes and not be in pain, not taking meds all night.” However, through it all, we have also seen him fight. Fight for his name, fight for his fame, and of course, his mother. But even according to him, it is not him living for her, but her living for him.

Connie Knight has been the perfect idol that Sanders could have asked for. And when given the option, he chose to be like his mother; a hardworking single parent, until Deion was 8 years old, who helped his son pursue his dreams any way she could. But what stuck out for Deion was that she never took an off. In fact, even when he was giving stellar performances in high school, he remembered how his mother could not watch him play. She would drive for six-hours to catch his home games in Florida on Saturdays and then do his laundry on the weekends. “Although she never watched me at high school because she worked Monday to Friday” And this led to him becoming the legend we see today as he promised his mother that she will never have to work again.

To date, you can see Connie love her 57-year-old son just the way she loved him when he was a baby. But it was not always motivational talks and loving care. Sometimes it was also some pep talk. Like when the Colorado State head coach Jay Norvell criticized Deion’s hat and sunglasses, Connie was quick to respond as she warned the world, “I raised him right! I also told him to always be yourself, and if you have to kick a–, kick a–!” All these years later, those talks are certainly coming handy for the NFL legend as he fights a recent minor health scare.

On February 19, Deion Sanders shared an emotional message on Instagram where he revealed how the cold weather following the Super Bowl in New Orleans took a toll on his health. “Super Bowl in New Orleans, the weather was wonderful till the last day, it didn’t start raining. We left that evening and drove back to Texas. We got out of our truck at like 3 am and it was freezing. And I think that’s when it happened. I tried to keep up my routine exercise. We were walking and the weather wasn’t conducive, I believe. And some time later I caught a bug,” he admitted. But he flipped the script as he said, “But usually when I catch a bug, I’m happy. Y’all start tripping. It gets me the rest I need, leans me out like I am, and I’m ready,” as he prepared himself to get a shot of IV. “Now I just gotta get back on. Now just gonna get some IV ’cause it’s about my veins, they never co-operate.

“Let me tell you something. A lot of my staff says I’m stubborn because I love to work, I love the young men, I love the kids. I don’t call it work. I call it a ‘calling.’ They say ‘stay home when you going through something like this,’ I can’t. I can’t. I’m called to this. I’m called for this.” But even when he’s down, one face remains a constant inspiration—his mother, Connie.

Deion Sanders has nothing but love, respect, and admiration for Connie Knight, who single-handedly raised him through the thick and thin of poverty and single parenting. “I’ve never in my life, when I was coming up, seen my momma take a day off. I can’t recall a time my momma said I’m not going to work cause I don’t feel good.” That vision of unwavering dedication fuels him even when he’s under the weather.

And Connie wasn’t just about showing up—she would ask him to save laundry to wash during home games. That kind of love and sacrifice isn’t forgotten. It’s a blueprint. So as he sat with an IV in his arm, he issued himself a challenge— “If I can’t recall my momma taking a day off, who am I? I gotta go get it. That may be the difference between you and I. I got it but I’m still tryna get it. Think about what I just said. I know what it feels like I’ve reach that place called ‘there’, I’ve reached there. I’m tryna contain it, I’m still tryna grasp it, I’m still trying to be it, still trying to do it. Still trying to dominate it.”

That’s the kind of leadership he brings to Colorado. No excuses. No days off. Just pure drive.  Although Deion today stands at $45M net worth, he truly understands what the value of that money is. And Deion Sanders already won in life as he was able to fulfill the promise he made to retire his mother from work.

Deion Sanders is a dutiful son to his mom, Connie

Seeing his mother Connie’s selfless sacrifices, Deion Sanders made a bold promise—she’d be rich and never work another day in her life. His agent’s revelation that defensive backs were among the lowest paid in the NFL only fueled his determination. Focused to stand out, he crafted a persona that kept him in the spotlight, the one we call, Prime Time. He would practice his post-game interviews to make them on-point and ensure his personality is something that everyone wants. That childhood vow became reality in 1989 when the Atlanta Falcons drafted him No. 5 overall.

“We weren’t going to be broke no more and my mother would not have to work another day of her life and life would never be the same, that’s what I remembered,” he recounted. The proud son was able to state, “My mother has not worked since 1989, when I signed the dotted line for the Atlanta Falcons. And she would never ever work another day.” And just like that, she never had to clock in again.

Deion Sanders isn’t just taking care of his mother—he’s making sure that she’s enjoying life too. This February, he took his mom on an adventure to his place at Lake Prime. It’s where he loves to fish, and this time, he wanted her to experience the natural beauty of the area. “Me & Ma just walked from the house to this point pictured by #LakePrime. I wanted her to see how beautiful this view is and how peaceful it is outside. She moaned & groaned, but we made it a half of Mike, which was tremendous for her. She’s fussing & cussing but this is a moment I will cherish and I’m getting the side by side to take her back because she ain’t having it. I still will take my mama vs yo mama in the 40 right now. 65 & over we got this. Ma deep in them 70’s but I Believe! #ProudSon #Ft.Myers.”

What better reward can a son get than being able to provide more than the basic necessities to a parent? Deion Sanders’ reverence for Connie will never end. His strong spirit was forged by the examples of his mother. And as he battles through this challenge, he’s proving once again that Sanders just don’t survive—they dominate.