Deion Sanders has built a reputation for being as proud of his children as he is of his Hall of Fame career, and that hasn’t changed in the wake of Shilo Sanders’ release from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Colorado Buffaloes head coach told reporters that he has already spoken with his son, who was among the Bucs’ recent roster cuts following his ejection from a preseason game for throwing a punch. Despite the setback, Deion made it clear that he’s standing firmly behind him.
“Oh, most definitely [I’ve talked to him],” Sanders said. “He’s my son, I’m proud of my kids, all of them. And I prepared my kids for any and everything that could possibly happen in life and in sports. That’s part of fathering, that’s part of parenting, that’s part of having a relationship. So he is mentally where he needs to be, physically where he needs to be. We’re praying that he gets another opportunity to go with a team, but if he doesn’t, the plans have already been put forward to what he’s going to do next.”
Shilo signed with Tampa Bay as an undrafted free agent after stints at South Carolina, Jackson State, and Colorado. He quickly earned the admiration of Bucs fans but ultimately couldn’t climb past Kaevon Merriweather and Rashad Wisdom on the depth chart. Both safeties had returning experience with the team, leaving Sanders as the odd man out.
The tipping point came during the Bucs’ third preseason game against the Buffalo Bills. Shilo was ejected after throwing a punch during a clash with tight end Zach Davidson. Head coach Todd Bowles didn’t mince words afterward, saying, “You can’t throw punches in this league — that’s inexcusable. They’re going to get you every time. You’ve got to grow from that.”
For Deion, however, football is only one chapter in Shilo’s story. He reminded reporters that his son has a strong presence off the field, with a large social media following and other ventures that could carry him forward.
“Shilo’s a man of many talents,” Sanders said. “I don’t know if you guys know — he’s a man of many talents and he’s going to be straight. All the Sanders are going to be straight with or without football. You better believe that. You better believe that I take care of mine and I always have, and y’all know what I mean.”
Though Deion didn’t detail what Shilo’s next move might be, speculation naturally follows. A reunion in Boulder isn’t off the table — Deion Sanders Jr. already manages the Buffaloes’ social media, and Shedeur Sanders was recently drafted by the Cleveland Browns. Shilo, for his part, told ESPN that he and his siblings want to carve their own paths.
“We have to grow up and do things on our own,” Shilo said last week. “So that’s why I want my dad to come out here, but at the same time, it’s time to grow and to figure things out and go through the grind.”
Source: ESPN
