Colorado fans will know that the success of their program in the Deion Sanders era was not just because of the head coach. His son, and the Buffs’ former starting quarterback, Shedeur Sanders, also played his part in building the program from the ground up. Even though the QB is now busy competing for the QB1 spot in the Cleveland Browns, he came back to Colorado and asked his dad for what he thought was his due.

“You see how you live and why you living? Look at this guy,” Shedeur told Deion Sanders, as captured in a Well Off Media video. “I know I got about 25% in. I know I contribute about 25%.”

This simply reflected the playful, sweet bond between a father and son. But his claim also carries some truth. Coach Prime’s successful seasons as a head coach came when Shedeur Sanders played under him, both at Jackson State and Colorado. In 2024, the QB set multiple single-season school records with 4,134 passing yards and 37 TDs (1st in Colorado history). The Buffaloes also had a Heisman contender in the now-Browns QB, who finished 8th in the race. Shedeur is very much entitled to rewards from Deion Sanders because of the gains he brought as a player. However, the elder Sanders always took into account the strengths he had as a coach with Shedeur playing for him.

“He’s very mature for his age,” Coach Prime said in 2023. “He’s the most psyched quarterback in college football, and you can tell with the way he carry himself… He’s just a kid that we all know… if we would have got that ball last, we were gonna go down and score. I‘m proud to be his father and his coach.”

Shedeur’s impact was further highlighted in Colorado’s disastrous 2025 season. He was not without flaws when he played in Boulder, but he was still desperately missed by fans. The offense crumbled with no solid quarterback play all season long, forcing Deion Sanders to roll out different quarterbacks. Even though Sheduer is in the NFL and he can’t exactly be a part of the college football landscape, he would come down to help if his father asked him to. After all, the QB relied a lot on Deion Sanders when he transitioned to the pro level.

Not everyone sees Shedeur Sanders through the same lens

For starters, Shedeur Sanders shockingly slid to the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. That complicated his chances of cementing a starting spot for himself in the league. And this was proven right in the 2025 season, as Sanders was given the baton only after Dillon Gabriel failed as QB1. But throughout this entire time, Deion Sanders stood by him like a rock. Before the QB played his first game as a starter, Coach Prime had a heartfelt message for him.

“Son, I love you,” he said in a video. “We’ve been on a journey, boy. Look at all these people out here. They think they know but they don’t… He presented this opportunity to you, and no one else. So I want you to go out there and make them remember your last name.”

Sanders finished with a 3–4 record as a starter, showing flashes of high-level talent mixed with typical rookie struggles. But as he enters the 2026 season with a fresh slate, those words from Deion Sanders will still count. When he does create a mark for himself, he will automatically get the rewards of being a Sanders.