Coach Prime isn’t like most parents, he has no problem ranking his kids in order of favorites, even if that’s not exactly the norm. And for Shilo, it’s been hard climbing Coach Prime’s personal rankings. “Bucky is number one. After last night, Shedeur Sanders is number two. I would say Deiondra is three because Snow’s birthday is the same birthday that I have. Bossi is upset, but she is four due to numbering. And Shilo is yet to play, so he is five,” said Coach Prime on his birthday. Moreover, the rankings do show their effect in real life, too, as Shilo detailed.
According to Shilo, his father wants him to perform in the games and notch up some crucial interceptions. And to do that? The Buffs’ head coach even rejected Shilo’s first game jersey as a gift when he turned 58 today. But Shilo knows the reasoning behind Coach Prime’s tough stance. “Because you know he’s a Hall of Famer, he expects like 30 times more. I’d want to say, let me give it to my mom, though,” said Shilo, describing what Caoch Prime wanted from him.
“No way, not even as a birthday gift,” asked the interviewer in disbelief. Shilo’s response? Nothing less than 3 picks would satisfy Coach Prime. “No, you don’t want to. I gotta get like three picks or something for him,” concluded Shilo. That undoubtedly looks like some tough love for sure, but that’s the standard Coach Prime has kept with both Shilo and Shedeur. As for his performance recently, he had a decent outing against the Titans, but notched just one tackle.
Shilo Sanders wanted to give his first game jersey to his dad for his birthday. Deion Sanders turned 58 today. But dad wants some INTs pic.twitter.com/ESXe94SX5G
— Rob Maaddi (@RobMaaddi) August 10, 2025
Take, for instance, the incident at Jackson State in 2021 when Coach Prime benched Shilo for the SWAC championship game after he arrived late for a team meeting. It was a demonstration of being strict and unbiased with his sons, even if it meant making some headlines. But that doesn’t mean Coach Prime doesn’t appreciate his sons. Because in 2023, when Shilo forced two turnovers against Colorado State, Coach Prime was elated and hinted at Shilo moving up in his kids’ rankings.
Coach Prime has always made it clear that, no matter the headlines or the noise, he’ll stand by his children when they need him the most. Back in 2015, when Shilo Sanders was still in high school, a controversial story broke involving allegations against Shilo of assault by a security guard, John Darjean. It was ugly and resulted in an $11.89 million lawsuit by the security guard against Shilo, making times tough for Shilo. In that time, Deion Sanders, his father, emerged as his constant supporter and even called the controversy a “bull junk.” It was truly a time when Shilo needed Coach Prime the most, and he had his father by his side.
As for Coach Prime, he’s getting wishes from every direction on his birthday.
Coach Prime receives a heartfelt gesture on his birthday
Turning 58, Coach Prime is coming after a long road of struggle and seeing various lows in his life this year. From seeing Shedeur’s draft snub to getting the concerning news of bladder cancer. 2025 has surely been harsh on Coach Prime. But that’s where it ends as Deion Sanders has now fully recovered from cancer, and Shedeur lit up that Carolina Panthers game yesterday, passing for 138 yards and leading the team to a 30-10 preseason win. So, it seems like Coach Prime’s birthday is undoubtedly cheerful after all. And to make it even more cheerful, the Buffs have sent a message to Coach Prime.
Yesterday, Coach Prime got a surprise from the Colorado Staff, as he was sneakily surprised by a red velvet cake, when he thought it was going to be another fall camp practice. “Coach Prime, happy birthday! Thank you for all you do for us as a staff! We are grateful for your unwavering leadership. There’s no place we’d rather be. Enjoy your favorite red velvet cake.” Prime read it, grinning: “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Coach Prime’s comeback at Colorado has brought back that old vigor, and the team is giving it all now in their practices. For them, Coach Prime won’t be just their head coach, but a walking inspiration who overcame cancer and various setbacks to come back for them. It won’t also be a stretch to say that we can see the team rally behind Coach Prime and give it all for him on the field.
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