“Sad That He Passed Away”: Deion Sanders Pays Emotional Tribute to ‘Childhood Hero’ Who Transformed His Life

Not everyone gets the privilege of meeting their childhood idols, and Coach Prime is one of them. Deion Sanders grew up watching Redd Foxx and holds a soft spot for him years after his departure at the age of 68. After three decades of his passing, Deion Sanders immortalizes Redd Foxx in his heartfelt tribute to the popular comedian and actor. 

When it comes to Redd Foxx, Deion Sanders is a young heart who looks up to him and his works. He is forever a fan of the Golden Globe Award winner who also ranked as one of the 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time. A year after his death, Redd Foxx was given a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame. 

Deion Sanders pens a heartfelt tribute to Redd Foxx

In a recent IG post, Coach Prime Deion Sanders voiced his tribute to Redd Foxx, his idol as a kid and adult. He posted a picture of Foxx with the following caption, “Redd Foxx, 1 of my Childhood and adult Heroes. I’m sad that he passed away and I never got an opportunity to tell him the impact he had on my life. He worked his butt off to achieve what he achieved and he was unapologetic HIM! 2 reasons I loved him.“

Comedian and actor John Elroy Sanford, famously known by his stage name Redd Foxx, was the star of The Redd Foxx Show with over 50 records in his lifetime. He has starred in popular films like Harlem Nights and Norman… Is That You? His death in October 1991 sent a wave of sadness throughout the nation as they lost the “King of the Party Records.”

Coach Prime is a child-like fan of Redd Foxx

Devoted fans like Coach Prime continue to celebrate the work he left behind that forever put a smile on their faces. This particular post in May by Deion Sanders shows how much Redd Foxx meant to him. He captioned the scene, “Y’all know I love Redd Foxx. This is one of the funniest scenes to this day.” 

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In another IG post, Coach Prime uploaded a video clip from Redd Foxx’s highly popular ‘70s show, Sanford and Son. He captioned the post, “The way I father my kids is a lot like Fred G. Sanford, George Jefferson & James Evans. I’m not happy that I never got to meet Redd Foxx before he passed away. He was one of my childhood heroes.” 

It’s saddening for the nation to lose a talented individual prematurely. But what’s more saddening for Coach Prime is that he’ll never get the chance to tell Redd Foxx how much of an impact he made on him growing up.

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