Deion Sanders has made plenty of money – from his NFL career, his salary coaching the Colorado Buffaloes, and a string of endorsement deals. But don’t expect him to be passing it around freely to his sons.
Deion Sanders Jr. recently opened up about what it’s actually like being raised by one of football’s most recognizable names. His father, he says, doesn’t do handouts.
“My dad, my dad is a real live man; he’s a legit man. So he raises kids to be men, which is actually rare these days. If you don’t have any money? Go. Do something about it. Why are you even telling me? You’re a man.”
Sanders Jr. didn’t just offer a general observation – he made it personal. At one point, he says he had just $11 in his account, with another account sitting in the negative. His father still didn’t step in.
That’s not neglect. That’s the point.
The eldest of Sanders’ three sons – Deion Jr., Shedeur, and Shilo – says he’s actually glad his father holds him accountable. It’s a philosophy that carries real weight given what’s happening elsewhere in the family. Shilo Sanders is currently navigating a bankruptcy case tied to unpaid legal fees stemming from an assault on a school security guard during his high school years.
The accountability mindset doesn’t stop at home either. Sanders applies the same standard to his players at Colorado. Miss class, and it comes out of your check.
“I don’t get involved in what you make, or whatever. But when you stop going to class, now you’re affecting me. So we’re going to affect your check. When you stop going to class, and I see a multitude of Fs and Ds, we’re going to affect your check. Do we understand that?”
It’s a hard line – but it’s a consistent one. Whether it’s his sons or his roster, Sanders isn’t interested in covering for people who won’t hold up their end.