Before he became the face of shutdown corners, Deion Sanders had a different vantage point on the field, behind center. He’s openly mentioned that he played quarterback in high school, calling his own plays. That early command of the offense wasn’t just about skill—it helped shape his understanding of the game as a whole. It gave him insight into how defenses think, long before he became the one dismantling the offenses.

What’s often overlooked is how much that quarterback experience shaped Sanders’ coaching approach. Understanding both sides of the ball isn’t common, but Deion’s early role forced him to learn how to manage tempo, make adjustments, and read the field like a chessboard. No wonder that before serving as a head coach to his sons, he served as an offensive coordinator during Shilo and Shedeur’s high school days at Trinity Christian High School.

And safe to say that Deion laid the foundation for the Sanders brothers to start their quarterback journey. Yep, you read that right. Long before Shilo was a safety, he played quarterback. But not for too long. While Shedeur thrived as a signal caller at Jackson State and later Colorado, Deion took a different approach with Shilo, guiding him away from offense and molding him into a defensive anchor at safety. Why?

Because Shilo got on his nerves. Recently, Deion broke down his quarterback journey and made it clear that both of his sons actually played quarterback, until Shilo started getting on his nerves. “You know, I was a quarterback my whole life. Both of them (Shilo and Shedeur) actually played quarterback until Shilo started getting on my nerves,” Deion said.

According to Coach Prime, Shilo was never easy to coach as a quarterback. Coach Prime would send in plays from the sideline, but Shilo, playing QB back then, would ignore them and call his own plays. That didn’t sit well with Deion, and he got frustrated. The result? “I said it’s over, son,” Deion added, “you calling your own plays, and I can’t do that. I’m signalling in the plays, you call it what you want to do.”

Fast forward, and Shilo Sanders is now a safety for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and getting hyped up to kick-start his rookie season. “He (Shilo) is so happy in Tampa, man. I am so happy for him,” Deion said, happy as ever for his son. And Shilo? Well, he’s away from home at this point, with the Bucs for his rookie season. But he still made his presence felt on Father’s Day.

Shilo Sanders’ special message for dad, Deion

Shilo Sanders and Shedeur Sanders will take some time to make their names in the pros as they’re grinding to kick-start their rookie season. But that doesn’t mean the brothers wouldn’t take some time out for Deion Sanders’ special day. And on Father’s Day, Shilo decided to share a message for his Coach Prime, a throwback from a couple of years back.

A few days ago, Shilo took to his official Instagram handle, shared a clip, and wrote a funny caption. “A few years ago when I gave @deionsanders the best Fathers Day gift ever!” The gift? Well, the clip features Shilo from a couple of years ago when he took two footballs to his dad and got his autograph on them. First, the 25-year-old safety hugged his dad, kissed him on the cheek, and got his autograph.

“Has anyone ever told you you are just a great dad? You’re a great guy. Best coach ever. Best coach dad ever. You know what? You’re getting something from Father’s Day,” Shilo said and then gave Deion the football with his own autograph on it. “Here, a Deion Sanders signed football,” Shilo said as Coach Prime started laughing!

Safe to say that this Father’s Day was one of a kind for Deion Sanders. After all, both of his sons are now playing in the NFL. While Shedeur is expected to become the starting quarterback in Cleveland, Shilo Sanders is out there making his way through Todd Bowles‘ secondary.