At Carolina’s Fan Fest on August 6, one of Deion Sanders’ former Buffs stole the show with two touchdowns that had 40,000 Panthers fans chanting his name. “Jimmy don’t play,” Coach Prime said on the Say ‘What Needs to Be Said’ podcast. “Jimmy has got his pops in his mind. You know, Pops is incarcerated. So Jimmy has got a purpose.” And fast-forward to his official NFL debut, that purpose is seen in the 27–24 win over the Miami Dolphins. But it was the WR’s postgame words that stuck.

“Happy Jimmy Horn Jr. NFL debut day to those who celebrate,” an X post posted on October 5, adding Jimmy Horn Jr.’s media interview. “I feel like coach so that way every player on the team like his belief in the roof,” he said. “And if you ain’t got that belief in your players, you shouldn’t be coaching. That’s what I like about coach. He come here every day with a positive attitude. He only showed that belief to me, but he showed that to every player here.”

Asked if Coach Prime was like that at Colorado, he said, “yeah,” and added, “Coach Prime was the truth.” You could hear the gratitude. You could feel the story behind it. Because this young player’s journey isn’t one of privilege, it’s one of pain turned into purpose.

Jimmy Horn Jr.’s father, once his biggest supporter, was arrested on drug charges during his college career, leaving a gap few 20-year-olds could handle. When Deion Sanders realized his young receiver was spiraling, he didn’t just throw a motivational quote at him and move on.

He called. He checked in. He showed up. When Jimmy had to walk alone on Senior Day, Coach Prime walked beside him. And when he needed a father figure most, Coach Prime filled that space not with sympathy, but with belief.

That same belief showed up again on Sunday. “Someone who’s been in the background working, just ready to go,” Bryce Young said before the game. “And just his patience, his willingness to do whatever it is for the team, scout team, he’s been going 100 percent, giving us all a great attitude.”

Fourth down. Pressure on. The Panthers’ QB dropped back and fired a 17-yard dart to Jimmy Horn Jr., a gutsy throw that helped seal the Panthers’ first win of the season.

HC Dave Canales echoed the sentiment, saying “he continues to find space and play fast.” The stat sheet said 2 catches, 21 yards, but the emotional box score is off the charts. But in Boulder, things are looking uncertain. 

Deion Sanders faces a health scare

As Jimmy Horn Jr.’s dream took flight, his mentor was waging his own fight. Deion Sanders, the Hall of Famer who gave him his shot at Colorado, revealed he’s dealing with renewed leg pain and possible blood clots following Colorado’s 35–21 loss to TCU. “Cat’s out of the bag. I think I’ve got more blood clots,” he said. “I’m hurting like crazy. I’m not getting blood to my leg. That’s why my leg is throbbing.”

The Buffs sit at 2–4, without Shedeur and Shilo, yet Deion Sanders still preaches belief, the same kind he poured into Jimmy Horn. After a summer surgery to remove his bladder and beat cancer, Coach Prime refuses to back down. “When we hear that word, it’s usually a life sentence attached to it,” he said. “But not this time. Not this time because God got me.” 

And maybe that’s why the debut moment hit so hard. It wasn’t just a young man thanking his college coach. It reflected everything Deion Sanders stands for – faith, resilience, and the power of belief when the world counts you out. Because on Sunday night, in Carolina, Jimmy Horn Jr. didn’t just make his NFL debut. He made sure Coach Prime knew every word, every ounce of belief, every act of faith mattered.