Growing up in the Sanders household didn’t mean cartoons and bedtime stories. For Shedeur Sanders, it meant defensive schemes on whiteboards in airport terminals.
Deion Sanders once explained, “Shedeur is a winner. He is very intelligent and very understanding… I was writing defenses up on the board and they were trying to figure out how to beat me – he and Shilo. So, we’ve always been a football-minded family.”
That mindset hasn’t shielded them from criticism. And at the 2024 ESPY Awards, the spotlight turned harsh. Comedian Shane Gillis joked, “Shedeur Sanders had his jersey number retired at Colorado this year, and people are saying it’s because of nepotism… He went 13-12 over his career and almost won the Alamo Bowl. Definitely not nepotism, right?”
The crowd reacted with awkward silence. Cameras showed Lamar Jackson quietly grinning, sensing the discomfort.
In response, Deion didn’t name names, but his Instagram message struck a tone of unmistakable clarity:?”Ain’t no reason to ever be jealous of another person because what GOD has for u is for u! Nobody can take your blessing, your anointing or your spot… Stop trying to delay or sabotage folks because that won’t elevate u.”
Despite criticism, Shedeur continues to prove himself
Shedeur‘s record – 13-12 – doesn’t tell the full story. He broke over 100 school records and lifted Colorado out of a 1-11 abyss.
His jersey retirement may have come early, but it was no charity gesture.
The ESPYs themselves also fell flat, drawing just 2.18 million viewers – one of the lowest figures in the show’s history.
Critics called the humor stale, and the roast-style jokes didn’t land.
For the Sanders family, though, public scrutiny is nothing new.
As Shedeur enters another high-pressure season, it’s clear Coach Prime isn’t just defending his son – he’s challenging anyone hoping to see him stumble.
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