Deion Sanders is a hero in his five kids’ eyes. But Coach Prime’s own fatherhood came with layers. Growing up, he had both a father and a stepfather. The chapter left him carrying a quiet regret to this day.

“Both my stepfather, my brother, my father, they both passed away without me ever saying I love you,” Deion was captured saying while facing the camera. “That haunts me to this day.”

The complicated relationship Sanders had with his father, Mims Sanders, was well documented. A documentary on Coach Prime revealed, his father battled addiction. While his stepfather, Willie J. Knight, offered him, his mother, and siblings stability and guidance, he, too, had a tough time with addiction. 

“I had two fathers, two wonderful fathers; one was a drug addict, one was somewhat of an alcoholic,” Deion said in an interview on the Reach The People Media back in 2024. 

Struggling with drug addiction, Deion’s biological father died on April 23, 1993, from a brain tumor. He was only 50 years old then, and Deion was 26, at the peak of his career, playing for the Atlanta Falcons. While growing up, he could not spend much time with his biological dad after his parents got divorced when he was just two years old.

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So, it was his stepfather who instilled solid values in him. Deion has said Willie’s advice stuck with him for life. He drilled into him two non-negotiable duties: protect his mother, Connie Knight, and stay sober. While Mims’ absence left scars, Willie acted as the guiding force. 

“My stepfather always said that no matter what. Take care of your mom,” shared Coach Prime in an interview. 

To this day, Deion remembers the advice. While the family spends quality time over dinners and taking family trips, Coach Prime took showing love for Connie a step further. Deion did not walk the conventional path of writing or reading long, heartfelt messages. Rather, he made his actions do the talking.

His sixth signature release, the Nike Air DT Max 96 “Love Letter to Connie,” arrived in a red colorway. The bold red palette symbolized Deion’s love and respect for his mother. 

Coach Prime still lives by his stepfather’s advice, but one ritual he inherited from him landed the Buffaloes’ head coach in trouble.

Deion Sanders’ interest piqued when his stepfather invited trouble

Well, we all know how passionate Deion is about his fishing. When not on the gridiron, he is often spotted spending ‘me-time’ with a fishing rod in his private lake, Lake Prime. However, many people might not realize that his interest actually started because of his stepfather.

“Lord, I thank you for my late stepfather, who introduced me to fishing,” Coach Prime shared in one of his Instagram stories. “We fished with cane poles, but nevertheless we fished.”

He got so passionate about fishing that, back in his Jackson State days, he found a lake near an airport and pulled his truck up to try his luck. Deion kept on fishing, and that’s when he came under the radar of a local patrolling officer. The officer arrested Coach Prime for trespassing. 

While that fishing lesson led to a minor brush with the law, the larger lessons from his stepfather about presence and guidance shaped the father he is today.