Coach By Day, Father Always: Deion Sanders Is Rewriting The Playbook On Legacy – Essence

“Do what you did.”

This is Deion Sanders’ answer when asked what advice he’d give his younger self on draft day. Simple. Direct. Unapologetic. Much like the man himself.

Days before Colorado’s spring game and with the NFL Draft approaching for his sons Shilo and Shedeur, Coach Prime joins me for a Zoom conversation that quickly made me realize how he earned the nickname “Primetime,” which has now become his legacy.

“I really don’t know the definition of legacy or what it looks like for me,” Sanders reflects. “But when you search it and you Google it years from now, I don’t want it to say anything about achievements earned athletically. I want to be known as one of the greatest fathers that ever fought.”

This sentiment sits at the heart of everything Sanders does. The Hall of Famer who revolutionized the cornerback position, the two-time Super Bowl champion, the man who famously played in both a championship baseball game and ran track in the same day, doesn’t measure his success not in trophies or records, but in the impact he’s had as a father.

Sanders has transformed Colorado’s football program since taking over in December 2022. His arrival sent shockwaves through collegiate sports, bringing unprecedented attention to a program that had struggled for relevance. The Coach Prime effect was immediate: the Buffaloes sold out every home game last season. But beyond wins and losses, he’s changing how college football approaches talent development, especially when it comes to HBCUs.

In 2025, HBCU football finds itself in a renaissance period. Michael Vick at Norfolk State University. DeSean Jackson at Delaware State University. These football titans following Sanders’ blueprint. Having previously coached at Jackson State before his Colorado move, Sanders remains vocally committed to uplifting HBCU programs.

“When you have power fives, pull someone out of the portal from a HBCU, I feel like that HBCU should be compensated by that school that pulled that kid out,” Sanders argues passionately. “They can’t compete already with the finances garnished from the bigger schools. It’s not right.”

With the NFL Draft approaching, Sanders finds himself in a unique position – both as Colorado’s head coach and as father to two draft prospects. When asked how he balances being “Coach Prime” and dad, Sanders doesn’t hesitate.

“When we’re not competing, I’m dad. Now when there’s competition and we have an opponent, coach and misconstrued that,” he explains. He recalls one game going into overtime when Shilo approached him asking whether to send offense or defense out first. “I said, ‘Your brother is going to get that ball and go down there and score. All right? But I’m Coach Prime, I’m not dad.’”

His guidance to his sons about their NFL future is deeply rooted in faith. “The first thing that we talk about is you’re going to go where God wants you to go because he’s already seen the path,” Sanders says. “Where we want to go may not be the right place, he wants us to go is certainly the right place.”

Beyond football, Sanders is equally passionate about advancing women’s sports. As women’s basketball enjoys unprecedented popularity with stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese drawing record viewership, Sanders believes much more can be done.

“We can’t dismiss women and place them beneath men,” he insists. “If a basketball player in college could play one and done, why can’t the woman do the same? It’s not right.”

His solution? Partnerships between leagues like the NBA and WNBA. “Why don’t you let the ladies play before the NBA game? The stadium is going to be packed. They’re going to have a broader audience.”

Sanders’ vision extends beyond the playing field. As California Almonds’ ambassador, he frequently emphasizes the importance of health and nutrition for peak performance. He also ensures his players understand the importance of financial literacy.

“We bring financial literacy in players that play formerly with me and against me,” Sanders explains. “We bring them in because they’re doing some wonderful things in finances and teaching them how to understand things about LLCs and teach them how to write things off.”

Despite his larger-than-life public persona, Sanders reveals a surprising truth about himself. “I don’t like crowds. I don’t like going anywhere. I’m a homebody, probably totally opposite than the persona,” he admits. “I’m probably in bed by 7:00 or 8:00. I’m probably asleep by 9:00 or 8:30.”

This duality – the showman and the homebody, the tough coach and the nurturing father, speaks to the complexity of the man behind the “Prime Time” nickname. When asked about the essence of who he truly is, Sanders responds with characteristic directness.

“I’m that truth that sometimes you don’t want to hear. I’m that real that sometimes you don’t want to see. I’m that consistency that oftentimes we don’t want to know,” he said. “I’m the guy that’s going to keep it above whether you like it or not, but my job is and my responsibility from the Lord is to tell you the truth.”

As the conversation draws to a close, Sanders offers warm words about ESSENCE’s legacy. “You guys have been doing it for a long time and you’ve been a pillar of consistency and you’ve been a placeholder on our stands where if you got any blood or any sister or brother in you, you reach for that because you want to see what’s inside. As it created a wonderful brand.”

As his sons prepare for their draft day and Colorado gears up for a new season, Sanders is as focused as ever, but who would expect anything less?