Deion Sanders Jr. also played football when he was younger, but the NFL was not in his cards. That was probably a blessing in disguise, considering what Shedeur Sanders went through in just two years of going pro. After the troubling fall in his draft, the Cleveland Browns QB had to realize some very harsh truths.

“Even people that didn’t like him … that was very critical of his film, that judged it super hard, who might not even judge other people’s film that hard … said he could go [in] the third round” Sanders Jr. said on One of Them Ones with Mr. Organik on May 24. “But even those people eventually was like, ‘Okay, what’s going on? Like, this is kind of crazy. I gave him a third-round grade. Y’all tripping.’

The farther Shedeur slipped in the draft, the more trolls came his way. That’s when Deion Sanders Jr. said, that Sheduer was going to have to understand a very important message.

“It might look crazy to us, but it’s like, no, this is supposed to happen. This is now you … you’re not rich kid Shedeur no more. Now you a black man that’s fighting the system. Now you a black man that deals with every person. … You gotta overcome. You gotta do this.”

Shedeur Sanders is not just Shedeur Sanders. He’s also Deion Sanders’ son, who was much more affluent than others in his draft class. That tag accompanied him throughout his college career, and still does in his pro days. That is one very big reason why he sees so much hate coming his way even now. The draft was a humbling experience because no team considered his weighted last name until the Cleveland Browns did in the fifth round.

Deion Jr. also addressed the prank call incident that unfolded during draft weekend. But Sanders had already built some thick skin by then.

“He held his head high,” Deion Jr. said. “He didn’t show it phased him at all. And took the mentality like, ‘Cool. I’mma show y’all.’” And by the mentality is going to serve him well in the NFL. Shedeur has found himself in a reality where he’s had to earn everything from scratch.

That reality became obvious when Sanders arrived at a crowded Browns quarterback room. Veteran Joe Flacco was clearly penciled in as the starter. Not many had hopes that Sanders would even get to start the season, because he had to compete with third-round draftee Dillon Gabriel. At that time, he was a much better player than Sanders, having been a Heisman finalist.

Shedeur Sanders was just another rookie in the NFL at that time.

But things began to change. With Deshaun Watson unavailable and Joe Flacco traded midseason, the battle came down to the rookies. Gabriel started briefly before being benched for Sanders.

He could only start eight games that season, but it helped turn the narrative about him. After the Week 14game against the Tennessee Titans, some of those trollers might have begun seeing him in a better light. Sanders also messed up during the season, but was the one the Browns stuck with till the end.

He was far from the hero his father was, but he did earn some more fans. But Sanders still has a long way to go to become that example for African-American representation in the league.

Year two would have been an easier experience for him had Deshaun Watson not returned healthy. Once again, Sanders is left to fend for himself, but the staff has had a better idea of what he can do. With the veteran in play, he might not get the QB1 crown this year. But in new head coach Todd Monken’s system, who knows, maybe both of them can see some time as starters.

Monken has been noting some positive changes in Sanders, claiming that he’s “come a long way” from his rookie season struggles. But with Sanders finding himself at square one for the second time in his career, it’s got a lot of people talking once again.

Shedeur Continues to Battle Polarizing Perception

This month, the Sanders family has rallied behind Shedeur, like they did last year during the draft slide. Deion Sanders appeared in a now-viral podcast to talk about his son, where he said that he’d “been through hell.” Brother Shilo Sanders called out Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot for deeming Deshaun Watson the starter, claiming that it’d demotivate Shedeur.

Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio pointed out an interesting reason why the family is coming out to support him again.

“Following, the slide in the draft, I think it made them even more rabid to support him that way,” he said on May 18. “I think it’s more anti toward there’s more attention given to the guy than there should be,” he said on May 18. “I think that rubs people the wrong way more than not, right? There’s times where I’m like, ‘Are they really just going to talk about Shedeur Sanders all the time in Cleveland?’ Yeah, it gets a little tiring. It’s not always a good thing.”

Even if Sanders tries to keep a low profile, the spotlight is inevitably going to be drawn towards him. The latest drama to surround the QB was his not getting his degree despite being seen in graduation robes. But the University of Colorado confirmed that it is a routine process for students who are in line to graduate. According to the statement, Sanders already has the required number of credits to participate in the ceremony.

When it comes to Sanders, headlines alone are enough to paint a narrative. What’s left to be seen is whether he is able to beat them down this season.