Deion Sanders’ Words Come Back to Haunt Him After Shedeur Suffers Draft Night Humiliation

One of the most polarizing figures in recent football history has endured what some would regard as a well-earned comeuppance.

Of course, time will tell whether or not that characterization qualifies as fair.

Either way, during the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday evening in Green Bay, Wisconsin, University of Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, regarded for months as a potential first- or second-overall selection, went undrafted, leaving Sanders’ famous father, NFL Hall of Famer and Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, to eat his words on the social media platform X.

On May 1, 2024, an X user taunted the elder Sanders over his son’s attitude and the team’s record.

“Tell yo son stop act like he the coldest out here then put up a 4-8 season,” the user wrote.

Although that X user, as of Friday, had only 314 followers, for some reason the elder Sanders decided to engage.

“He will be a top 5 pick. Where yo son going ? Lololol I got time today. Lololol,” Coach Sanders wrote.

On Thursday, X users added a mocking Community Note indicating that the coach’s prediction, in fact, did not come true: “Shedeur Sanders was not a top 5 draft pick.”

He will be a top 5 pick. Where yo son going ? Lololol I got time today. Lololol https://t.co/tGS6dfm7iy

— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) May 1, 2024

In the 1990s, the elder Sanders established himself as a two-sport superstar in football and baseball. To this day, he remains widely regarded as perhaps the greatest cornerback in NFL history.

Along the way, the Hall of Famer’s flashy style earned him nicknames like “Neon Deion” and “Prime Time.” As his X handle indicates, he still refers to himself as “Coach Prime.”

Thus, the NFL legend and current college coach has struck many observers as an insufferable braggart. And that helps explain why some X users enjoyed the Sanders family’s first-round humiliation on Thursday.

You meant top five rounds, right?

— Dustin Grage (@GrageDustin) April 25, 2025

So arrogant for what

— Time Capsule Tales (@timecaptales) April 25, 2025

YOUR SON IS CHEEKS DEION GET UR PASSPORT READY FOR CANADIAN FOOTBALL PAL

— DEMON MOORE 2025 SZN LOADING (@OspTheOG) April 25, 2025

On the other hand, the elder Sanders has also established himself as an outspoken Christian. While “Coach Prime” might not appear to have learned the lesson of outward humility, there are reasons to suspect that his bravado does obscure a generous side.

And that certainly complicates things when talking about comeuppances.

The same holds true for the younger Sanders, whose stock plummeted in the weeks leading up to the draft.

“He hasn’t helped himself in some of the interviews,” one NFL general manager said recently.

Indeed, one longtime assistant coach described the quarterback’s combine interview as “the worst formal interview I’ve ever been in in my life.”

That same coach castigated the younger Sanders as “so entitled,” a player with “horrible body language,” who “blames teammates.”

Yikes.

Thus, perhaps the fact that all 32 teams passed on the controversial quarterback should come as only a mild surprise.

Still, the younger Sanders’ precipitous fall qualified as the story of Round 1.

That fall began when the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns, a pair of QB-needy teams picking in the top 5, passed on the younger Sanders. It continued when the QB-needy New Orleans Saints did likewise at #9 overall.

Perhaps the most dramatic and telling moment, however, occurred when the QB-needy Pittsburgh Steelers, currently in hopeful-yet-uncertain talks with future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers, also passed on the younger Sanders at #21 overall, opting instead for University of Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon.

NFL.com analyst Chad Reuter gave the Steelers an “A” grade for the Harmon selection. Indeed, the young defensive tackle fills a major need for Pittsburgh’s defense. One wishes him a successful career.

Nonetheless, fate has a way of multiplying coincidences.

Steelers fans have never forgotten that in the QB-rich 1983 NFL Draft their team passed on future Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino, a local product out of the University of Pittsburgh. Marino fell to the Miami Dolphins at #27 overall as teams laughably cited “character” concerns. Pittsburgh, ironically selecting #21 overall that year, chose Texas Tech defensive tackle Gabe Rivera. While driving home after practice during his rookie season, Rivera, legally intoxicated at the time, suffered an accident that left him paralyzed and ended his career after six games.

Twenty years ago, in the 2005 NFL Draft, another brash young quarterback widely regarded as a potential top five pick fell to #24 overall, selected by the Green Bay Packers, who hosted Thursday night’s draft. His name was Aaron Rodgers.

In other words, the younger Sanders has yet to write his story. Nor has his behavior, while hardly humble on the outside, always justified a “villain” label.

“We all didn’t expect this, of course,” the younger Sanders said after Thursday’s first round, per ESPN. “But I feel like with God, anything’s possible — everything’s possible.”

“I don’t feel like this happened for no reason. All this is of course fuel to the fire. Under no circumstance — we all know this shouldn’t have happened. But we understand, we’re on to bigger and better things. Tomorrow’s the day. We’re going to be happy regardless,” he added.

Who could quarrel with that perspective?

Furthermore, who could quarrel with the younger Sanders’ 3.9 GPA at the University of Colorado, per Athlon Sports?

In short, if you want to kick the Sanders family while they are down, be my guest. They can take it. But be careful betting against this father and son.

Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.