Long before he became one of the greatest athletes in sports, Deion Sanders was a high school student at North Fort Myers, where he once had 30 points or more in a basketball game, highlighted by back-to-back dunks. On the bus ride home, his friend Richard Fain began calling him “Prime Time,” and the nickname quickly stuck. Over the years, however, “Prime Time” became far more than just a catchy moniker. It evolved into Sanders’ mindset, his public persona, and a symbol of unwavering confidence regardless of the circumstances.

But to truly understand the meaning behind “Prime Time,” Sanders recently shared a personal story that helped shape both his confidence and his connection to the nickname. Although he would go on to establish himself as one of the greatest athletes of his generation, Sanders admitted that one thing was missing throughout much of his high school career: the support of his family in the stands.

“Every time I talked about this, I almost broke down,” Sanders said. “No one ever came to see me play in high school. My mama was working. She was hustling. My father was doing his thing. He made some games. My stepfather never came because he was doing his thing. So that allows you to understand Prime. So I had to build up this dude inside of me that ain’t need nobody, so I ain’t need your hand claps. I ain’t need no ‘You-go-boys.’ I ain’t need nothing from you.

“Because I had to look in that mirror and reconcile with him. Ain’t nobody gonna be here. Ain’t nobody came to see me play basketball, All-State. Ain’t nobody seen me come play baseball. Ain’t no folks coming to watch you play baseball. And I’m getting drafted by the Kansas City Royals right out of high school, so ain’t nobody came to support that cause. So, I really don’t need that.”

Deion Sanders was born to Connie Knight and Mims Sanders. However, his parents got divorced when he was just a kid, as the NFL legend primarily grew up with his mom. Later, however, Sanders’ mom married Willie Knight, who became Deion’s stepfather. But his parents never attended his games in high school, largely because of financial struggles, as Sanders’ mom was doing multiple jobs.

Still, Sanders established himself as a leading athlete in multiple sports. After graduating from North Fort Myers, he went on to earn Florida All-State honors in football, basketball, and baseball. While the Kansas City Royals drafted him in the 1985 MLB draft, Sanders refused to sign with the team and instead got drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the 1989 NFL draft, while also joining the New York Yankees following the 1989 MLB draft.

From there, Sanders carried the “Prime Time” mentality into professional football and baseball, becoming a two-time Super Bowl champion and the only athlete to appear in both a Super Bowl and a World Series. At the same time, however, the mindset he developed from growing up with empty stands and little family support came with its own challenges. While it helped shape his fierce independence and unwavering confidence, Sanders admitted that it also made it difficult for him to lead people who needed encouragement.

“I’m running on a different type of fuel than you are,” Sanders added. “But my coaches may need it, my kids may need it, my administrators may need it, and I got to understand that they’re not me, and that’s been the hardest thing to reconcile: that we totally different, man. We move totally different, we think totally different, we are totally different.”

Fast forward to now, and while it was difficult for him to encourage others, Deion Sanders has managed to become a successful head coach in college football. After a stint at Jackson State, Sanders is now all set to start his fourth season at Colorado.