Deion Sanders is known for inspiring players on and off the field. Whether it is supporting wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. during his tough time with his father’s imprisonment, or bringing Travis Hunter to Jackson State and Colorado over powerhouses like Georgia, Sanders has always affected his players. But this time, he is making sure young players know what actual success means.

Coach Prime was at an event organized by UCHealth this June and spoke with some young athletes. One of them asked Sanders what advice he had for a young black man about playing football. In his response, Sanders made it clear that race doesn’t identify who you are and that success comes with hard work.

“I don’t care if you’re black, white, Hispanic, or Asian; that doesn’t matter to me,” he said. “I just want you to be the best you can absolutely be.

“I don’t play about academics, I don’t play about education. We are crazy to just teach our kids that they can make it through a ball or bat. Success ain’t just about winning on the field, man.”

Despite being raised by a single mother and growing up in a bad neighborhood in Fort Myers, Sanders persevered. In 1985, the Kansas City Royals selected him in the MLB draft, giving him an early opportunity to go pro. But Sanders chose to attend FSU, and after years of hard work, he was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in 1989 with the fifth overall pick. From then on, Deion Sanders gave nothing but his best, which is why he is the icon he is today.

The former cornerback has long bid his illustrious career goodbye. It’s got loads of achievements to inspire people : two Super Bowls, eight Pro Bowl nods, and a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. However, having spent all those years in the league, Sanders knows that true success is seen in other precious moments.

“See, it ain’t about the people, places, things, or the finances of the world,” he added. “It ain’t about all that. It’s about the smile that you may provoke grandma to have. It may be that you’re just being on time every day if you’re the bus driver.”

Today, Deion Sanders is a full-time coach for the Colorado Buffaloes. Even though the program is going through a tough time, having to bounce back from a 3-9 finish last year, he is rallying behind his young team to keep them motivated. Football can wear down players when they are faced with such a circumstance, but Sanders’ words have resonated with the players.

“It means everything to have your head coach believe in you like that, to me that was a huge confidence booster,” tight end Zach Atkins said last year.

“As a Black man in sports, he stands for something we typically don’t see,” Christopher K. Bass, a forensic psychologist at Clark Atlanta University, told NBC. “He gives it to his players hard but he gives it with love. Depictions of the Black male’s affection are absent; you typically don’t see that. Black men are supposed to be non-feeling, all business. So, when he goes up and he hugs his players, when he loves on his players, it represents what we all know as a community.”

The same can also be applied to how son Shedeur Sanders is faring for himself, now that he’s on his own in the league. The Cleveland Browns are all set to begin their season, and Shedeur Sanders has lost the QB1 battle to Deshaun Watson. However, there is still hope for him getting some significant time on the field this season, as reports from training camp and preseason performance paint a good picture. It’s not ideal, but Shedeur is making sure he doesn’t miss out on the chance that is well within his range.

We’ll have to wait and watch where both father and son end up in their respective arenas, as they navigate their respective adversities.