Deion Sanders has had to wear different hats when it came to his sons, Shedeur and Shilo. When they both were on the field, Sanders had to manage both his roles of father and coach. During their time at Jackson State, there was a time when Coach Prime was really worried.
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“He was trying to kill you, and he almost missed the tackle, and he had my pinky like that,” Deion Sanders recalled a play in a vlog Shilo was recording, describing a play where fear briefly took over the confidence he’s known for.
Shilo filled in the rest. The situation was about as bad as it gets for a defensive back.
“They threw a slant with this little dude. He was like 5’2. They threw a slant, and I was playing like six yards off. So, he caught it. I’m like, ‘Oh my goodness, I have to make a tackle. It’s cover zero. I have no safety help, no linebacker, nothing.'”
He did not have any support or safety net. Just Shilo and one player with everything on the line depending on how that tackle goes in the championship game. That moment says a lot about what those Jackson State teams went through together.
Even though Shilo couldn’t make it in the NFL, he made some good plays in college. There were moments like these two, where Sanders braved the odds. In 2022, when the Sanders were at Jackson State, Shilo tore his ACL but played through it until he absolutely couldn’t. It was troubling enough to limit him to just seven games that year. The recovery was going to be tough as well.
Deion Sanders, ever the doting father, came to the hospital after Shilo Sanders had gone through a procedure on his arm. Here, he was dad first. He sat patiently by Shilo’s bed while the doctor examined him, encouraging his son that they’d get to the 2023 season in time. Deion even wheeled Shilo around in the hospital.
In fact, when Coach Prime was diagnosed with bladder cancer last year, he immediately drafted a will for his children. They remain his pride and joy, and played an important part in his success as coach.
Deion took a struggling Jackson State program and turned it into a winner fast. Back-to-back SWAC titles in 2021 and 2022 with a 27-6 record overall. Twice, his Tigers made it all the way to the Celebration Bowl, the biggest game HBCU football has to offer.
Shilo was out there on that defense, but getting there wasn’t easy for him either. He started his career at South Carolina, where he racked up 32 tackles over two seasons before deciding he needed a fresh start. That’s when he transferred to Jackson State.
It didn’t take him long to make an impact. By 2021, he was Second Team All-SWAC, with four interceptions and nearly 40 tackles to his name.
When his dad left Jackson State for Colorado, Shilo went with him. His last college season kicked off strong, recording nine tackles in his first game against North Dakota, and he graded out as the best defensive back on the entire roster.
But injuries just wouldn’t let up. A torn ACL back at Jackson State. Then a broken forearm in 2024. Those setbacks added up, and they’re a reason why NFL teams passed on him during the draft.
After a failed attempt at making the roster, Shilo Sanders now has to get past his bankruptcy trial. Though Deion has not attended court, he is “praying for [his] baby.” That urge to worry about his kids is never going to go away.