Two of Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders‘s sons began their NFL training camps this week. Shedeur Sanders was drafted by the Browns, and Shilo Sanders signed an UDFA deal with the Buccaneers. But the sick father battling through his own health recovery stood tall on the sidelines. Things started to go awry for the Buffaloes during the cutthroat recruitment season. Without him, the team – as if – lost its appeal. But now, Coach Prime has bounced back from the bed, and he’s not on fixing the CU roster but also going to NFL fields to support his son.

This week, Deion Sanders made headlines again—this time not for a flashy quote or an audacious recruiting pitch—but by simply showing up. Prime flew down to Tampa Bay to support his son, Shilo Sanders, during his first day at Buccs training camp. No over-the-top cameras, no attention-grabbing entrances. Just a father backing his son as he fights to earn a coveted 53-man roster spot in the NFL. The video posted by Tampa Bay’s social team caught Deion chatting with Bucs head coach Todd Bowles. And from 2,000 miles away in Boulder, the Colorado social media team spotted their boss in that clip and dropped a subtle three-word salute in the comments: “Looking sharp coach.”

Unfortunately, the audio didn’t pick up what the two coaches were talking about. Turns out, that was more than just a nod to his wardrobe. It was a statement. Deion Sanders is still standing, still showing up. Still being him. The brief clip didn’t offer much in terms of audio, but the body language between Sanders and Bowles said it all: respect, recognition, and shared understanding.

The Bucs coach, known for his low-key presence, didn’t treat Sanders like a celebrity. He saw a dad doing what any dad would do. “Normal day for me, as far as I’m concerned. It’s a father coming to see his son, like all of us would be doing,” Bowles told reporters. But for Sanders, this was more than just a dad drop-in. His appearance at Shilo’s first training camp was symbolic. Symbolic of a man refusing to let health or headlines dim his presence.

That same day, Deion Jr. posted a video of his father reflecting on the uphill climb he’s been quietly facing. Sanders opened up about the undisclosed health issue that’s kept him away from Boulder for most of the offseason. “I ain’t all the way recovered,” Sanders admitted. That confession was raw. Honest. Devoid of the Coach Prime bravado we’ve come to expect. And yet—there he was in Tampa, walking and smiling and laughing with Bowles, his own son hustling on the adjacent field in a Buccaneers helmet.

For Shilo, this was a moment. A proving ground. Unlike Shedeur, who got picked in the fifth round by the Browns and enters the league with performance potential, Shilo is in grinder mode. It’s a different kind of journey, but one Coach Prime understands intimately—after all, he built his playing career off defying expectations. And there’s another wrinkle. With Shedeur now in Cleveland, don’t be surprised if Deion makes another cameo in Ohio soon. Regardless of the coach’s health.

‘Snack guy’ isn’t just Deion Sanders favorite, but the entire Buccs roster

Shilo Sanders might be Prime’s son, but he’s making his own name in Tampa Bay—one bag of snacks and handshake at a time. The undrafted rookie safety is grinding to earn a roster spot with the Buccaneers and also winning over the locker room with a mix of humility, hustle, and good ol’ Southern manners.

“Shilo Sanders says his goal is to be the ‘snack guy’ for the safety room,” Pewter Report noted. “He’s going to get with the veterans to see what snacks they want in meetings and provide them. Considering all they’ll help him adjust to the NFL, he says it’s the least he could do.” It’s a small gesture, but in the dog-eat-dog world of NFL training camp, it speaks volumes. The rookie knows where he stands in the pecking order, and instead of pretending to be someone he’s not, he’s leaning into it with gratitude and professionalism.

But it’s not just his teammates Shilo is trying to connect with—he’s showing the same energy with the media. According to ESPN’s Jenna Laine, “New Bucs safety Shilo Sanders wanted to shake every media members’ hand before starting his first availability with us. Only player who has done that this week.” Sanders grinned and said, “My new media team’s here,” before personally introducing himself. Legacy may have opened the door, but Shilo earned his spot the right way.