Deion Sanders has spent most of his life being told he is too flashy. The sunglasses, jewelry, clothes, and larger-than-life personality were already part of his image when he entered the NFL in 1989. Even back then, media focused on his gold chains and dark glasses. So when Tim Ross asked Sanders why he still dresses that way now that he is a head coach, the question hit something deeper than fashion for Coach Prime.

“When I came into the league, didn’t I have [gold] chain?” Deion Sanders said on Tim Ross’ podcast on August 27. “And that was 1989. Was I wearing shades when I came in ’89? So, you want me to change because of the position or location? Tell me which one, ’cause that’s all we’re searching for in life, aren’t we?

“We searching for position and location. I ain’t never searched for that. They didn’t have to give me or induct me and give me no gold jacket to make me feel like I was a Hall of Famer.”

When Sanders entered the NFL as Atlanta’s fifth overall pick in 1989, he already had an aura about himself of someone who knew exactly what he wanted. That jewelry, sunglasses, and extravagant style quickly became part of his public identity. All of that started at Florida State, where Coach Prime first showed the ‘Prime Time’ aspects of his game.

He could get away with being flamboyant because it never affected his game. Deio. Sanders made the Pro Bowl three times with Atlanta and became one of the most recognizable players in football. He later won Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys before finishing his NFL career with Baltimore.

When he eventually reached Canton, the gold jacket did not create the reputation. It simply made official what Sanders had believed for years. In reality, Sanders’ goal was something else entirely.

“My goal was to retire my mama for the rest of her life,” Deion Sanders said. “I’m thankful for the Super Bowls. God knows it because you know it gives you more credibility for sure. But those weren’t my goals.”

His mother, Connie Knight, toiled extremely hard to keep Deion Sanders and his sister taken care of while he was growing up in Fort Myers, Florida. She worked at Lee Memorial Hospital and took on additional jobs to make ends meet. At times, she worked while Deion was still a young child, leaving his clothes ready for school and making sure a neighbor could check on him. Deion remembered all of that.

In his 2011 Pro Football Hall of Fame speech, he explained that watching his mother come home exhausted pushed him to make a promise. He told her that he would become successful enough that she would never have to work again. He did not wait until the end of his playing career to keep that promise.

Once he signed his first professional contract, he began using his new money to change his mother’s life. As per reports, one of the first things he did after signing was begin building a house for her in Fort Myers. By 1995, that promise had become real.

Connie was living in a seven-bedroom, seven-bathroom home Sanders had built for her in Fort Myers. The house even had “PRIME TIME” spelled out in the swimming pool. So, in truth, those chains, swagger, and everything were how Coach Prime carried himself throughout his life. And now, even as CU’s head coach, he isn’t changing it.

Colorado is heading into its fourth season under Sanders. The Buffaloes finished 3-9 last year, and the 2026 season begins September 3 against Georgia Tech. However, even in Boulder, Coach Prime has proved that can deliver. His team finished 9-3 in 2024, with Travis Hunter winning the Heisman.