For the first time in his college coaching career, Deion Sanders is walking into a season without his sons by his side. No, Shedeur Sanders launching bombs on Saturdays. No, Shilo strolled in late to team meetings with that grin that drove his dad wild. And no family safety net in Boulder’s locker room. Just Coach Prime, stripped down to the whistle, the playbook, and a roster of young men who now get his full focus. But here’s the kicker: Prime’s cool with it. In fact, he’s glad with it.
At a press conference last Friday, Sanders didn’t sugarcoat the shift. “I love these young men wholeheartedly and they know that… It’s not easy. But I only now have to be a coach. I don’t have to be a coach and a father. And I like that part of it.” Then he cracked the type of dad-joke only Coach Prime could pull off. “Especially not having Shilo. He got on my last nerve. Like every morning, I walk in the meeting room, I look in the back to see if he’s there, because I know usually I got the calls — ‘Give five more minutes and he’ll be here.’ So I don’t have to deal with that right now.”
It was classic Deion—half-joking, half-dead serious. Shedeur’s old seat? Already filled by JuJu Lewis. The once “family meeting room” now looks more like any other college football squad’s setup. And that, in Sanders’ words, is the part he’s learning to embrace. The days of babysitting his kids while coaching? Done. Now, he’s locked in on shepherding the next generation of Buffs. And he’s leaning all the way into it.
Of course, the Sanders saga is never just about football. The past year has been a Netflix script. Shedeur slipped from draft-day hype to the Browns’ fifth-round steal. In his preseason debut against the Panthers, he sliced defenses with 14-of-23 completions, 138 yards, and two touchdowns like it was backyard ball. Add 19 rushing yards, and Coach Kevin Stefanski left grinning: “Pleased with Shedeur.” Meanwhile, Shilo snagged preseason reps with Tampa Bay and even logged a tackle against the Titans. And while the Sandersons ball out in the league, Prime is turning the page in Boulder.
But this is no sob story about “losing” his sons. If anything, Sanders looks lighter. Without the dad duty, he’s doubling down on mentoring every Buff as if they share his last name. “Some of these young men, I love them like they’re my own. And I challenge them like they’re my own. And I chastise them like they’re my own. So they get it. They know what I want.” Prime’s making it plain: family vibes didn’t leave the program just because Shedeur and Shilo did.
That’s the fascinating part of Deion’s evolution. His journey into coaching was never just a job—it was born out of being a dad. From co-founding Prime Prep Academy in 2012 to guiding Trinity Christian in Texas to three state titles with his sons, his fingerprints were all over their development. Then came Jackson State, where Shedeur flourished, Travis Hunter shocked the nation by committing, and Prime turned an HBCU into a national headline. Fast forward to Boulder: year one was a Hollywood opening, year two a legit 9-4 turnaround. Now year three? It’s Prime’s first without his bloodline, but maybe his truest test yet.
On August 30, when Colorado lines up against Georgia Tech, Sanders will step onto the field as just a coach, not a dad in cleats. The cameras will still follow him like he’s the show, but behind the shades, this era hits different. For Prime, it’s both freedom and pressure. And if you know Deion Sanders, you know he wouldn’t have it any other way.
Deion Sanders on a cancer-free life
The family story wasn’t the only headline. Behind closed doors, Sanders was fighting a battle far scarier than blitz packages—bladder cancer. It forced him to step away for over two months, holed up in his Texas mansion, missing practices while his assistants carried the load. That’s the type of fight where you start writing wills, not playbooks.
But when he reemerged at Big 12 Media Day last month? Prime had that glow back. “I’m healthy, I’m vibrant. I’m my old self.” It wasn’t just words—he walks a mile after practice these days, savoring something as simple as breath in his lungs. For a man who’s lived in spotlights, this time the light felt earned.
The surgery was brutal—doctors removed his bladder and rebuilt it using part of his intestine, a procedure called neo-bladder reconstruction. Yet his oncologist declared him “cancer-free,” a phrase she admitted she rarely uses. For a family that’s been through draft drama and team chaos, those words were the real win. Sanders himself summed it up: “I’m gonna try my best to live it to the fullest, considering what transpired.”
What makes it even wilder? Colorado never collapsed while Prime was sidelined. His staff held it down, his strength coaches kept players locked in, and Sanders trusted them completely. “They’ve given me tremendous comfort… I never had to call 100 times and check on the house.” That’s leadership—hire right, then step back knowing the ship won’t sink.
Now, the Buffs are in transition again. With Shedeur gone, the QB1 battle is wide open. Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter, five-star freshman JuJu Lewis, and steady backup Ryan Staub are all in the mix. Prime might not have his son under center anymore, but he’s got options. So here we are: Deion Sanders, cancer-free, sons in the NFL, and Colorado’s biggest season yet looming. He’s no longer the father-coach juggling act. He’s just Coach Prime. And if history tells us anything, that might be his most dangerous version yet.
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