BOULDER, Colo. — Deion Sanders wasn’t so much Coach Prime as he reflected on the upcoming NFL draft and the immense attention flowing with one particular prospect.
He was Daddy Prime.
And boy, daddy certainly has a vast collection of fresh receipts.
Shedeur Sanders, Deion’s youngest son, is undoubtedly the most polarizing player in the draft. The Colorado quarterback was once considered as a possibility to be chosen No. 1 overall when the draft kicks off on Thursday night at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. Now, if so many of the draft pundits are to be believed, Shedeur’s standing in recent weeks has supposedly tumbled like Tesla stock.
At least that’s the narrative fueling draft hype. Shedeur’s talent, mechanics, arm strength and character have all been criticized during the ramp-up to the draft, often but not always by nameless, faceless sources.
Sure, Shedeur tended to hold onto the ball too long behind shaky protection. Yet his production, toughness and resilience can’t be knocked.
In some extreme cases, though, the shots have been brutal. Of course, even the connection to his college coach – and Hall of Fame father – has been cast in some cases as a detriment.
“It’s silly to us,” Deion told USA TODAY Sports during an expansive interview. “Most of it is laughable. What I told him, too, is, ‘Son, what I’ve learned in my life is when it don’t make sense, it’s God. Because some of this stuff is so stupid it don’t make sense. That means God is closing doors and opening doors to make sure you get to where you’re supposed to go.”
Sure, every draft comes with negativity and smear campaigns for some prospects. No, that doesn’t make it right. And Deion doesn’t buy it.
Some suggest the 23-year-old Shedeur – who passed for 4,134 yards with 37 TDs and led the nation with a 74% completion rate last season – won’t even be a first-round pick.
Now that’s laughable.
“This is venomous,” Deion contended. “It’s to the point where it ain’t even cute no more. It’s so predictable. I’m flipping the channel today, listening. ‘Jaxson Dart is special; Shedeur Sanders ain’t…’ Y’all c’mon. Stop.”
Daddy Prime is hardly the first father to fiercely defend his sons, which includes Shilo, the Colorado safety who is projected to go undrafted. He’s the rare father, though, with an overpowering presence built on his NFL excellence and an electric persona that remains decades since his heyday – a flair that, then and now, has drawn its share of detractors.
Deion thinks that’s a factor about now.
“It’s like just because they come from me, people take unsolicited shots at them. That’s not fair,” said Deion, who coached Shedeur and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter at Jackson State for two seasons before they bolted to Colorado.
“Just say you don’t like me. Just say you’re tired of me winning, you’re tired of me being the light, tired of me being up, just consistently provoking change wherever I go. Just say that. But don’t attack my kids because of that.”
One case that ruffled Daddy Prime’s feathers come out of the NFL scouting combine in late February and early March: Veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson reported that the quarterbacks coach from one team, with one of the top seven picks in the draft, maintained that Shedeur came off as “brash” and “arrogant” during his interview with the team.
“The brother who lied and said that, I know what team he’s from,” Sanders reflected. “So, I called the head coach. I said, ‘Dog, c’mon, man. This is what we’re doing?”
The coach told Deion that the characterization was off base.
“He said, ‘That never happened. I was in the meeting. I ran the interview. Shedeur never came off like that. That’s not true,” Deion said.
Deion said that in assuring the coach he wouldn’t blow the story up, he added, “But check your staff, man.”
It should also be noted that during his media session at the combine, Shedeur was quite the contrast to the brash and arrogant description. While he expressed confidence that he can be a difference-maker for a team on the NFL level, he was cordial, respectful, witty and classy, thoughtful as he responded to a barrage of questions for 15 minutes.
The scrutiny on Shedeur reminds his father of the debate – and knocks – surrounding another quarterback: Lamar Jackson.
“We see some bull junk every year, but Lamar was probably the most recent,” Deion said.
Jackson, ultimately chosen in 2018 as the final pick of the first round – and fifth quarterback selected – was cast by some as a player who needed to switch to receiver.
“That was ridiculous,” Deion recalled. “Just insulting. But God was in that to get him where he needed to go, the city of Baltimore. Ozzie (Newsome, Ravens then-GM) took a shot at him. And two MVPs later, damn near the highest-paid quarterback later, who won? He won. He got to a better team, to a better situation, by it being later on.”
Deion insists that although he’s met with team owners, GMs and coaches, he’s never tried to influence where Shedeur lands – even if trying to be on the right side of the 50-50 success-to-bust rate for first-round quarterbacks. No, this would not be an Eli Manning-type of power play.
To amplify that message, Deion appeared on ‘The Skip Bayless Show’ podcast earlier this month and declared that Shedeur would embrace being drafted by any NFL team.
Was it important to make that definitive statement?
“No. I didn’t care,” Deion said. “There are some teams that may be right. Some teams I didn’t believe in. Some of them have been drafting early on for the last decade. It don’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that they don’t know what they’re doing.
“So, you’ve got to meet with people and say, ‘This is my son.’ With a quarterback, it’s all about where he goes, with the offensive coordinator, quarterback coach, line, system, all of that. I think there are some really good quarterbacks that got lost in the shuffle because of where they went. I really do. So, I don’t want him to be another statistic, because I know how smart he is. You can’t just tell him anything. He’s going to ask questions about it and you’ve got to be able to answer because he’s been fathered by somebody that knows the game.”
Shedeur won’t be in Green Bay to bear hug NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after the pick comes in. Daddy Prime, Shedeur’s ultimate hype man, is throwing an invitation-only bash at his home on the outskirts of Dallas with “a beautiful tent and stage,” he said.
“It’s going to be a tremendous moment,” he added of Shedeur’s selection.
When that exact moment hits, though, is one of the most intriguing storylines of the draft. The New York Giants, picking third overall, conducted a private workout with Shedeur on Colorado’s campus last week to add to the plot. The New Orleans Saints, picking ninth, might be a possibility. The Pittsburgh Steelers, who hosted Shedeur for a visit, have the 21st pick and a crying need for a long-term quarterback – even if they strike a deal with Aaron Rodgers. And who knows? Quarterbacks tend to spark the trade market.
All said, big mystery.
“This is the first time when we haven’t been in control,” Deion said. “Like ever since youth football – we chose the youth team, chose the high school, chose the college. We can’t choose this. So, now you’ve got to relinquish all your power and full autonomy. You’ve got to sit back and really trust God.
Then Deion pivoted to another point, mocking questions about arm strength.
“First, he couldn’t throw, but then Pro Day comes and I didn’t hear that no more,” Deion said. “It was like, ‘So, your arm started getting weaker when? You threw across your body 60 yards in the air for a touchdown to take us to overtime with a Hail Mary. So, when did your arm get weak?’
“That kind of stupid stuff. So, he gets it. He’s always been prepared for it because he’s always dealt with it. We even dealt with it in Jackson. He gets it…We get a tremendous amount of light and a tremendous amount of ignorance as well.”
What a different type of draft experience for Daddy Prime. It was 36 years ago when Deion, sporting a Jheri curl, was drafted fifth overall by the Atlanta Falcons. And yes, with a budding Major League Baseball career in the mix, he influenced that selection in a banner draft crop that also included Hall of Famers Troy Aikman, Barry Sanders and Derrick Thomas among the top five picks.
Now the suspense is wrapped with so much speculation.
“He’s not falling,” Deion declared. “We’ve already won. We came from an HBCU, man. Who else will be drafted from an HBCU this year? Or was drafted last year? Or the year before that? The year before that? Since Steve McNair (third overall, 1995)? We won, already. And when they talk about him, they’ve got to mention HBCU and Colorado.”
Over the years, Deion has occasionally playfully “ranked” his five children, which include his youngest daughter, Shelomi, a college basketball player who last year transferred from Colorado to Alabama A&M.
Often, his oldest son, Deion. Jr., 31, has “ranked” No. 1. Deion, Jr.’s “Well-Off Media” company has ignited much online traffic (and recruiting hooks) with his behind-the-scenes content for his father’s program.
Yet, as the draft approaches, there’s no disputing who’s No.1. Still.
“My oldest daughter is No. 1 because she gave me my first grandchild,” he said of Deiondra, who became a mother in 2024. “Then Junior.’
“The boys are last,” he added of Shedeur and Shilo. “I mean, all of this draft drama we’ve got to go through.”
Thus, a draft board from Granddaddy Prime that won’t change on Thursday night.
Follow Jarrett Bell on social media: @JarrettBell
