Being a big-name football coach in America brings plenty of noise, but for Colorado’s Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders, some of that noise is straight-up dangerous. Before a recent home game, Coach Prime opened up about the scary reality behind his daily routine. He revealed how constant death threats have completely changed how he moves around in public.

The whole conversation started when a reporter casually asked Sanders how fans should approach him around Boulder to show love. Sanders didn’t sugarcoat it. “Not hug you,” he shot back, half-joking, before turning dead serious about the actual safety risks he faces every day.

“I’m just saying thank you, Lord, cuz, you know, some things… I, you know, we get death threats every week. We… you guys know we have… we had some guy claiming some crazy stuff, and I think they apprehended him. I think he’s incarcerated right now. But so, you got to be careful on that side.”

Although Sanders did not elaborate on the specific mechanics of the “Colorado incident,” the gravity of the arrest highlights a difficult situation that required immediate police intervention to neutralize the threat.

The danger isn’t just talk. According to reports from USA TODAY Sports, his head of security, Michael Rhodes, revealed to the team that Sanders gets around five death threats every single day. Things got so serious that Rhodes had to warn players during team meetings, telling them not to let strangers slide into elevators or hold open facility doors for anyone trying to reach Coach Prime.

This threat level isn’t new for Coach Prime; it followed him straight from Jackson State. His head of security, who’s also a former police officer, joined Sanders during his HBCU days and has been handling these security risks for years. From screening Sanders’ physical mail with protective gloves to handling credible threats like the high-alert security response during the Colorado State game, the threat level has remained high throughout his entire head coaching career.

Sanders himself has been open about why he faces such an intense level of hostility compared to other college coaches. In team meetings, he explicitly pointed to his position as a high-profile Black leader disrupting traditional college football dynamics. This relentless threat pattern has even impacted how he operates professionally, with security risks forcing his team to work directly with campus police and the FBI to monitor incoming threats continuously.

Because of these constant threats, Sanders has changed the way he goes about his life outside the football facility. He explained that he can no longer simply walk around by himself. Whenever he goes out, he makes sure to have family members or someone else with him so there are extra eyes watching his surroundings. It’s a difficult balance for Coach Prime, who still wants to be friendly with fans while keeping himself safe.

“I have a girl with me oftentimes, or someone in the family. You want to be careful, but you want to be kind. So I try my best to blend the two, you know, but not that accessible,” Sanders said.

Sanders also explained that fans need to learn how to “read the room” when they see him in public. He remembered an instance when fans approached him while he was eating at a restaurant and pointed out that timing matters. Instead of coming over to his table or getting too close, Sanders said a simple, respectful “head tilt” from across the room means tons to him.

Ultimately, the revelation is a clear reminder of the darker side of being a sports celebrity. While Coach Prime continues to lead the Colorado football program and remains one of the biggest names in sports, the security measures he has to take show that living in the spotlight also means having to protect yourself from the dangers that come with it.