Who would have thought that a simple conversation about nationality would make Shilo Sanders really think about his lineage? Pilar Sanders and Shilo Sanders had an exchange on race, nationality, and ancestry, with Pilar challenging how Shilo views his identity.

“Do you know everybody outside of America knows who Black people really are in America, except Black people in America?,” Shilo Sanders’ mother, Pilar Sanders, asked on Shilo Sanders’ podcast. “They’re Americans. You’re the natural person of the land, which they entitled Indians at one point, but you’re from the land. So I’m Not Black. Not Black as in the color Black. There’s no nationality like that.”

Pilar Sanders is telling Shilo that being Black is a racial identity, not a nationality. She explains that if someone is from America, they are American, regardless of their race. Her point is that people should separate their race, nationality, and ancestry when talking about who they are and where they come from. And so, Shilo is very much connected with his Black roots through Jackson State, an HBCU, which also left a lasting impact on him.

“Being at an HBCU is just so much fun,” Shilo Sanders said back in March when he was attending the P.R.O.M. promise event at the school. “Here, you have that space to just lock in and focus a little bit more. It’s Boulder, it’s not really much [to do]… It ain’t no clubs… Even in Denver it ain’t like that.”

Shilo Sanders is African American and the son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders and Pilar Sanders. He has two siblings, Shedeur and Shelomi, while Deion also has two older children, Deiondra and Deion Jr., from his first marriage.

Shilo always tried to give back to the community. He also played for the Colorado Buffs, but his NFL career didn’t turn out the way he expected. In 2025, the Bucs drafted him as an undrafted free agent. He then tried to make the team during training camp and the preseason.

But things changed on August 23, 2025. On August 23, 2025, during a preseason game against Buffalo, Shilo punched tight end Zach Davidson and was ejected. The next day, the Buccaneers waived him, ending his chance to make their roster.

Shilo has since pursued music, releasing a 15-song hip-hop album called Hate 2 Love on January 1, 2025. Apple Music lists the album under his name, with songs such as “GLE,” “Change,” “Games,” and “No Saving.” He also started his YouTube channel and put in all the effort to make a successful career outside of the NFL.