Deion Sanders Reflects on Son Shilo’s High School Tryouts: “It’s Over… You’re Not a QB, Your Brother Has It”

Many young high school student-athletes want to try their hands on being the team’s quarterback. But not everyone has the innate knack of what it takes to be one, but it’s not a discouragement. Even the middle son of Deion Sanders received criticism from his own father when he tried to be a quarterback in high school. 

Shilo Sanders is most popularly known as the Colorado Buffaloes safety, but it’s interesting to see how far he had come from his high school playing as a cornerback and WR. Based on what you’re about to see, the recently-turned 24-year-old was already a beast on defense even when he was young. While he vied for the QB role, he couldn’t match up with his younger QB brother Shedeur Sanders who won the Jerry Rice Award and Deacon Jones Trophy while at Jackson State. 

Deion Sanders goes down memory lane to see Shilo Sanders’ high school throw 

A recent tweet by Rivals emerged on X which caught Deion Sanders watching the old cams on his son Shilo Sanders’ high school tryouts. He lauded his son’s skills in his defensive tackling but when it came to throwing, he recalled himself saying to Shilo Sanders, “Let’s go, it’s over. Your brother has it from now on. Leave it alone. You’re not a QB, your brother has it.”

Shilo Sanders attended Trinity Christian High School in Canton, Texas where he played HS football as a four-star recruit. He recorded 24 tackles, five interceptions, one pass deflection, and a fumble recovery. He also played on the offense, rushing for 45 yards and a touchdown. Young Shilo Sanders also completed 13 receptions for 199 yards and three TDs. But when he entered college, he focused his position on the defensive side, a bright choice considering the level of expertise he has as a safety today at Colorado. 

Shilo Sanders’ college football journey 

The Buffs are the third team that Shilo Sanders has joined in his college football career. In 2019, Sanders committed to South Carolina, where he played as a safety for two seasons, recording 12 tackles, a fumble recovery, and one pass deflection. After Deion Sanders was hired as Jackson State HC in 2020, he transferred there to join his father and brother who was the program’s QB. 

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At Jackson State, Shilo Sanders was named to the Second Team All-SWAC, recording 39 tackles, seven pass deflections, and four interceptions. In his second season with the Tigers in 2022, he suffered an ACL injury allowing him to play only seven games. In 2023, he followed his father and brother to Colorado where he recorded 67 total tackles (54 solo), four forced fumbles, one interception, and three pass deflections so far in the season. From being trolled by Coach Prime for playing the wrong position in HS, Shilo Sanders has come a long way as an integral player in Colorado’s defense.

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