Shilo Sanders is now alone in fighting his ongoing legal battle against John Darjean, the former security guard at Shilo’s school, whom the safety reportedly owes more than $11 million after Deion Sanders and Pilar Sanders were dismissed from the lawsuit Darjean filed. With the case heading toward trial in late August, Darjean is no longer holding back when discussing Coach Prime’s role in the controversy and the alleged damage done to his reputation.

“I would have taken something. I was thinking Deion was man enough to say, ‘Hey, here’s $200,000. I know my son messed your neck up,” Darjean told USA TODAY Sports in a recent interview. “…You’re damaged…’ Later on down the line, after he defamed my name, I wanted $100 million because I was that pissed off.”

Darjean was referencing the fallout that began after he accused Shilo Sanders of punching and elbowing him during an altercation back in 2015, allegedly causing permanent injuries. Following the incident, however, TMZ released footage in which Deion publicly defended his son, denied the accusations, and labeled Darjean a “real-life grifter.”

“Please check out this video which shows he was the aggressor, not my son, and there was NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH HIM AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE MATTER. This grown man was on top of My son Shilo the entire time during the interaction,” Deion Sanders claimed. “…I DON’T KNOW HOW HE’S ABLE TO LOOK HIS KIDS IN THE EYE AFTER THIS LIE, BUT I FORGIVE HIM because the pressures of life will cause some folks to do things they never fathomed doing. GOD BLESS.”

But tensions escalated even further following Deion’s public comments. Just days after TMZ released the footage, Darjean filed a lawsuit against Shilo, Deion, and Pilar Sanders. Eventually, however, both Deion and Pilar were dismissed from the case, leaving Shilo alone to handle the legal battle moving forward.

The incident itself dates back to 2015, when Shilo was still attending high school at Triple A Academy, where Deion served as head coach. According to court filings, Shilo violated the school’s no-phone policy and contacted his mother, Pilar. Once Deion learned about the situation, he allegedly instructed Darjean to confiscate the phone from his son.

“You’re my brother in Christ, I need you to go get the phone…as soon as you get the phone from him, give me a call back,” Deion said, per the lawsuit filing

From there, the confrontation allegedly turned physical. Darjean claimed that while attempting to take the phone away, Shilo elbowed him in the chest and knocked him to the ground, later alleging that he “sustained severe and permanent injuries including a broken neck, damage to his cervical spine, permanent neurological injuries and irreversible incontinence.”

The lawsuit reached trial in 2022. However, Shilo reportedly failed to appear for the hearing, leading the court to rule against him on assault and battery charges. The court subsequently ordered the young safety to pay Darjean $11.89 million in damages.

In 2023, however, Shilo attempted to address the judgment by filing for bankruptcy while disclosing roughly $320,000 in total assets. But the football player faced criticism over his spending habits, particularly because he was earning significant NIL money during his college career. Darjean’s attorneys later used those purchases to challenge Shilo’s financial claims.

“Contrary to the schedules, Shilo has admitted acquiring vast amounts of high-end and expensive clothing,” said a court filing, per Darjean’s attorneys. “For example, on his YouTube Channel posted on May 4, 2023, he states, ‘Alright we at the Louis (Vuitton) Store I am trying to spend at least $50,000 today.”

Fast forward to now, and the case still remains active. According to reports, the safety is now heading toward its first bankruptcy trial on August 31 while hoping to eventually clear those debts. But at the same time, one major question remains hanging over the entire situation: Whether he will actually be able to do so.

Can Shilo Sanders clear his debts?

Per USA Today, John Darjean admitted that the ongoing lawsuit against Shilo Sanders could have been settled a decade ago. But come this August 31, both sides will face major risks during Shilo’s first bankruptcy trial. For a broader context, while Darjean accused the 26-year-old of punching and elbowing him, Shilo has continued claiming that he acted in self-defense.

That makes the upcoming trial even more complicated. The court will need to determine whether the injuries Darjean allegedly suffered qualify as a “willful and malicious injury.” In a what-if scenario, if Darjean wins, Shilo would still be responsible for paying the debt. On the other hand, if Shilo wins the case, he could potentially be cleared of those financial obligations.

Still, it’s evident that bankruptcy can erase many forms of debt. But U.S. bankruptcy laws generally treat cases involving willful and malicious injuries differently. Debts tied to those kinds of allegations are often not dischargeable through bankruptcy proceedings. That is exactly why, at least until the scheduled trial, Shilo Sanders will continue remaining on the hook financially.