Draft night wasn’t all happy and dreamy for the Sanders family—it was more heartbreak than highlight reel. First, Shedeur Sanders went from top-10 hype to hearing his name way down in the fifth round (144th pick), taken by the Cleveland Browns. But if that wasn’t tough enough, his older brother Shilo Sanders didn’t even hear his name called. Not once.
Imagine this: CBS Sports had him listed as the 29th-best safety in the class, and still, no team called dibs. No hat. No podium moment. Nothing. Talk about a gut punch. But then came a late twist—Tampa Bay swooped in, not with a draft pick, but with a shot. Shilo signed as an undrafted free agent with the Buccaneers. That doesn’t make him part of the final roster, but hey, at least it’s a door. And now, that door’s cracked open just enough for him to squeeze through, hustle, and prove everybody wrong.
What followed wasn’t just another camp day—it was a feel-good moment that lit up the internet. While training with the Buccaneers, Shilo ran into someone who’s not just an NFL vet, but a familiar face with deep ties to his world—New Orleans Saints star RB Alvin Kamara. Shilo greeted Kamara with a hug, and Kamara—always one to joke—grinned and said, “You ain’t on my team; you got to play against me.”
To that, Shilo laughed and responded, “I’m going to have to do it to you, but you’re such a great guy that I don’t wanna do it to you.” That’s when Kamara hit him with four simple, heartfelt words: “Welcome to the league.” No red carpet, no cameras flashing—just respect between two athletes who know the grind. And Alvin’s Colorado connection runs deep….
Now, Kamara’s appearance isn’t random. Just ahead of the draft, he was in Boulder hanging out with Coach Prime and the Colorado Buffaloes. He had made the trip specifically to work with the Buffs’ new strength and conditioning coach, Andreu Swasey—whom Kamara calls “the greatest strength coach of all time.”
Kamara and Swasey go way back to 2015, and during that Boulder visit, they even trained together. So, it’s no surprise that Kamara would cross paths with Shilo. Their connection is legit, and now, it seems like that bond is growing stronger in the NFL. Meanwhile, Shilo Sanders’ resume? It’s legit too.
Forget the draft snub for a second—Shilo’s got game. He returned a pick-six for a touchdown during his Colorado run, hitting a top speed of 21.5 miles per hour. That’s freaky fast. And let’s not ignore the rest of his six-year college journey. From his days at Jackson State to Colorado, Shilo racked up 229 tackles, six interceptions, 13 pass breakups, and seven forced fumbles. In 2023 alone, he started 10 games and totaled 67 tackles.
Oh, and his 40-yard dash? He clocked in at 4.52 and 4.59 seconds in two attempts. That’s plenty of speed for a safety. Still, somehow, every single NFL team passed on him.
Injuries? Yep. He’s dealt with a torn ACL and hurt his arm last year against Nebraska. But the resilience is real. Despite the blows, Deion Sanders is staying rock solid for his sons.
“Both of you all, you’re resilient,” Coach Prime said. To that, Shilo responded, “They tested us this draft.” And Deion’s comeback? “They tested the whole family.” Now, it’s all about proving the doubters wrong—and making sure no one forgets the name Sanders.
The harsh truth: Shilo Sanders wasn’t Tampa’s first choice
Here comes the twist nobody saw coming. According to Tampa Tones on social media, Shilo wasn’t even the Bucs’ initial undrafted target. It took some major pushing from his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, to convince GM Jason Licht and HC Todd Bowles to give him a shot.
Even Licht confirmed, “After the draft his agent reached out if we would be interested–Todd [Bowles] & I looked at each other nodded & said ya let’s do it. Todd said Coach Prime called him & thanked him for bringing Shilo in and giving him a fair shot.” Without his agent’s call, Shilo likely wouldn’t have ended up with the Bucs.
Still, even Bowles sees something in Shilo. “We think he has a shot to help us from a safety standpoint and from a special teams standpoint.” So it wasn’t just Rosenhaus working magic—Shilo’s tape and athleticism did enough talking, too.
Coach Bowles isn’t just bringing Shilo in for camp bodies. He’s got real interest. “I’m excited to get him in here and see how he moves. I saw him tackle all year. I saw him make plays. He’s a very smart player, and he understands the game very well. So we thought it was worth a shot to see what he can do, and I think he’ll show himself well.” Well, there’s a genuine opportunity here. Special teams today, maybe defensive snaps tomorrow.
But there’s a catch. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio dropped a warning: signing Shilo also means signing up for Coach Prime’s shadow. “Any team that gives Shilo a shot needs to be ready for it to be a fair shot, because Deion has the public profile to call out anyone who doesn’t, in Deion’s view, give either Shilo or Shedeur a fair shot,” Florio noted.
That’s not shade—it’s reality. Deion isn’t just a dad. He’s a Hall of Famer with a national platform. If his sons aren’t treated fairly, you’ll hear about it.
Now that the smoke has cleared from draft weekend, Shilo’s future is up to him. The odds? Stacked. The expectations? Sky high. But with the Buccaneers offering a foot in the door and Kamara dropping encouragement along the way, Shilo’s underdog script is just getting started. Will the NFL regret sleeping on Shilo Sanders?
The post Shilo Sanders Receives Heartfelt 4-Word Message From Alvin Kamara After Buccaneers GM Admitted Not Wanting Coach Prime’s Son appeared first on EssentiallySports.
