The Sanders brothers may be chasing NFL dreams in different cities, but it’s clear their personal journeys are taking very different emotional paths. Shilo Sanders, currently working to earn his place with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has embraced a brutally honest approach-both on the field and in his personal life.
Far from the spotlight of his famous father, Coach Prime, Shilo has been vocal about who truly matters to him during his rookie grind: his mother, Pilar Sanders.
Unlike most rookies easing into offseason routines, Shilo has been spotted pushing through solo workouts in Florida parks, motivated more by grit than glamour.
While he admits he misses his family, it’s his mom who stays top of mind. “It’s pretty different not having her close by because, in Colorado, she lived right across the street to come to help me if I needed some good cooking,” Shilo shared. “If I needed help with anything. You know she’s right across the street, but now that everybody’s moved, I don’t know. I don’t have my mom across the street anymore.”
Pilar reposted the clip with visible emotion, celebrating her son’s heartfelt words online. Her response was overflowing with motherly pride, affirming a bond that has remained strong even through a contentious custody battle in the past.
A proud son, a quiet statement: Shilo defends his mom’s place
Despite being raised alongside his siblings by their father Deion Sanders after a bitter separation, Shilo has never hidden his affection for his mother.
From quiet moments to public gestures-like dedicating a dish named “Shilo Bol” to her during a family meal at ‘Whole Sol’-his loyalty has been consistent. But even then, public perception and branding sometimes reduced his identity to “Coach Prime’s son.” Shilo pushed back. “I don’t get any credit for making you,” his mother joked, prompting him to correct the oversight. “I stand up for my mother,” he said, asking the restaurant to include Pilar‘s name in the recognition.
This public stance is more than sentiment-it’s a quiet resistance to being boxed in by a one-sided family narrative. While he respects his father, Shilo makes it clear that Pilar deserves just as much credit for shaping who he is.
Meanwhile, Shedeur Sanders, now in Cleveland with the Browns, has taken a contrasting path. In a recent conversation with Darius Sanders, he admitted to barely speaking with his dad since arriving in Ohio, focused solely on proving himself as a legitimate NFL starter.
Asked about how he finds joy or support in his busy schedule, Shedeur was blunt. He’d rather be “a view than a person” in his family right now-keeping personal relationships at a distance to avoid distractions.
Though his response may come off as cold, Shedeur emphasized that his feelings are private and not for public display. “What he has for his family in his heart is private and sacred,” the article notes.
As both brothers push toward NFL success, their choices-and their words-reveal deeper stories about identity, family loyalty, and how fame interacts with personal truth. For Shilo, that truth begins and ends with mom. And whether or not Coach Prime sees it coming, the message is clear.
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