Shilo Sanders Receives Heartfelt 4-Word Message From Alvin Kamara After Buccaneers GM Admitted Not Wanting Coach Prime’s Son

Shilo Sanders—a name that has been synonymous with fame (thanks to that surname), and a LOT of controversies. Ever since the safety burst into the scene back in 2019 with South Carolina, he soon found his way under his father’s tutelage, as expected. Yet, performance-related success has largely escaped the player. Sometimes, it was his own father pointing out the mishaps, and sometimes it was painstakingly the NFL that largely shied away from paying the youngster any heed.

Who doesn’t remember Coach Prime’s scathing monologue after his team’s 31-28 loss to Kansas State in October last year? “I thought he played horrible. I thought he was rusty.” Unfortunately, that was just the start of an unfortunate (and whirlwind) path to the big league. Then, at the East West Shrine Bowl practices, the 25-year-old made even matters worse with a shaky practice session that did not “raise his stocks” as per NFL Rookie Watch. We all saw it again when the star, not really seen as an elite prospect, was outright ignored during the NFL Combine. What did he do? He invited the Combine to him, which further deepened the furrowed eyebrows.

Between that self-organized Combine, and the Colorado Pro Day, multiple 40-yard dash time discrepancies made way: Some say he ran 4.52 on one attempt, and 4.59 on another. Some others claimed it was actually 4.47. Even Shannon Sharpe couldn’t help but raise doubts: “What type of grade is Shilo going to have? Does he have a third round, fourth round, fifth round, sixth round, seventh round grade, free agent? That’s the question.” In retrospect, a “third round, fourth round, fifth round, sixth round, seventh round grade” selection would’ve been way better if we knew Shilo’s actual future. But like they say, all’s well that ends well. As the player finds himself signed to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent, some might opine it’s worth it, and ESPECIALLY New Orleans’ star running back Alvin Kamara.

As per a wholesome video posted by NFL’s official Instagram page on May 1, the 2017 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year is ready to accept his new opponent with open arms—it was a feel-good moment that lit up the internet. Shilo greeted Kamara with a hug, and the latter—always one to joke—grinned and said, “You ain’t on my team; you got to play against me.” To that, Sanders laughed and responded, “I’m going to have to do it to you, but you’re such a great guy that I don’t wanna do it to you.” That’s when Kamara hit him with four simple, heartfelt words: “Welcome to the league.” No red carpet, no cameras flashing—just respect between two athletes who know the grind. Interestingly, the RB is not just an NFL vet, but a familiar face with deep ties to Sanders’ world…

His appearance isn’t random. Just ahead of the draft, he was in Boulder hanging out with Coach Prime and the Colorado Buffaloes. He had made the trip specifically to work with the Buffs’ new strength and conditioning coach, Andreu Swasey—whom Kamara has worked with since 2015, and calls “the greatest strength coach of all time.” So, it’s no surprise that Kamara would cross paths with Shilo. Their connection is legit, and now, it seems like that bond is growing stronger in the NFL. Meanwhile, Shilo Sanders’ resume? It’s legit too.

Forget the draft snub for a second—Shilo’s got game. Imagine this: CBS Sports had listed Shilo Sanders as the 29th-best safety in the class. Yet, no team called dibs, until a late twist by the Bucs, thanks to his new agent Drew Rosenhaus. “Dad was our agent, but that hasn’t been working out too good. So today I had to sign with an agent,” Sanders noted about his new hire. Taking it up a notch, he even made a hilarious song that he presented to his father on his face: “I’m done. It’s your fault. If you wasn’t that n—-, we would get some figures.” But, while his induction doesn’t make him part of the final roster, at least it’s a door he can perhaps crack open someday to prove everyone wrong.

We’ve already seen it happen once: Shilo Sanders returned a pick-six for a touchdown during his Colorado run, hitting a top speed of 21.5 miles per hour. That’s fast. And let’s not ignore the rest of his six-year college journey. From his days at Jackson State to Colorado, Shilo racked up 229 tackles, six interceptions, 13 pass breakups, and seven forced fumbles. In 2023 alone, he started 10 games and totaled 67 tackles. Injuries? Yep. He’s dealt with a torn ACL and hurt his arm last year against Nebraska. But the resilience is real. Despite the blows, Deion Sanders is staying rock solid for his sons.

But the harsh truth still is, despite a custom-made watch party room, a throng of cameras following the brothers, loud blaring music marking the special occasion, and not to mention, the specially curated iced out outfits, the Sanders’ clans unprecedented fall was more than what anyone expected. 2025 was supposed to be all about Deion Sanders’ sons dominating headlines, and it actually was the case. But, just not in the way the family had envisioned or even wanted. Are they losing hope yet? No.

Top Comment by arelliad

Its just sad that the NFL is looking at the Last Name of these young men instead of the intelligence...more

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“Both of you all, you’re resilient,” Coach Prime said. To that, Shilo responded, “They tested us this draft.” And Deion’s comeback? “They tested the whole family.” Now, it’s all about proving the doubters wrong—and making sure no one forgets the name Sanders. But for his Tamps Bay Buccaneers player son, there’s a harsh truth awaiting…

Shilo Sanders wasn’t Tampa’s first choice

Here comes the twist nobody saw coming. According to Tampa Tones on social media, Shilo wasn’t the Bucs’ initial undrafted target. It took some major pushing from his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, to convince GM Jason Licht and HC Todd Bowles to give him a shot.

Even Licht confirmed, “After the draft his agent reached out if we would be interested–Todd [Bowles] & I looked at each other nodded & said, ‘Yeah, let’s do it’. Todd said Coach Prime called him & thanked him for bringing Shilo in and giving him a fair shot.” Without his agent’s call, Shilo likely wouldn’t have ended up with the Bucs.

Still, even Bowles sees something in Shilo. “We think he has a shot to help us from a safety standpoint and from a special teams standpoint.” So it wasn’t just Rosenhaus working magic—Shilo’s tape and athleticism did enough talking, too.

Coach Bowles isn’t just bringing Shilo in for camp bodies. He’s got real interest. “I’m excited to get him in here and see how he moves. I saw him tackle all year. I saw him make plays. He’s a very smart player, and he understands the game very well. So we thought it was worth a shot to see what he can do, and I think he’ll show himself well.” Well, there’s a genuine opportunity here. Special teams today, maybe defensive snaps tomorrow.

But there’s a catch. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio dropped a warning: signing Shilo also means signing up for Coach Prime’s shadow. “Any team that gives Shilo a shot needs to be ready for it to be a fair shot, because Deion has the public profile to call out anyone who doesn’t, in Deion’s view, give either Shilo or Shedeur a fair shot,” Florio noted.

That’s not shade—it’s reality. Deion isn’t just a dad. He’s a Hall of Famer with a national platform. If his sons aren’t treated fairly, you’ll hear about it.

Now that the smoke has cleared from draft weekend, Shilo’s future is up to him. The odds? Stacked. The expectations? Sky high. But with the Buccaneers offering a foot in the door and Kamara dropping encouragement along the way, Shilo’s underdog script is just getting started. Will the NFL regret sleeping on Shilo Sanders?