Deion Sanders was an offensive coordinator at Trinity Christian in Cedar Hill, Texas. He was then the head coach at FCS Jackson State, an HBCU in Jackson, Mississippi, before taking on the same role at Colorado.
He was Shedeur Sanders’ coach during all three of those stops.
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Sunday in Las Vegas, Deion, also a Pro Football Hall of Famer, was finally able to just be dad.
“That’s the first time I’ve ever watched him play without me on the sideline,” Deion told reporters at his Colorado news conference Tuesday, two days removed from his son Shedeur leading the Cleveland Browns to a 24-10 win over the Raiders.
“I’ve never seen him play without me coaching him, so that was strange. But it was good, and it was healthy. Cause I was just in straight dad mode. I wasn’t in coach mode and I loved that, that I was able to see him gain the first victory.”
His first victory was a historic one.
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Shedeur, whom the Browns famously selected in the fifth round of this year’s NFL Draft, ended a 17-game losing streak held by quarterbacks making their first-career start for Cleveland.
With fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel sidelined by a concussion, Shedeur completed 11-of-20 passes for 209 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. While Myles Garrett and the Cleveland defense terrorized a struggling Raiders offensive line, Shedeur ended a 15-game drought without a 50-yard completion from a Browns quarterback. He did so while escaping a blitz and hurling a 52-yard pass to wideout Isaiah Bond that set up the second of running back Quinshon Judkins’ two first-quarter rushing touchdowns.
Shedeur also dumped off a pass to running back Dylan Sampson, who raced 66 yards to the end zone in the fourth quarter to make it a 24-3 game.
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Deion was watching it all go down from the box of Raiders owner Mark Davis, whom Deion thanked in an Instagram post Tuesday and then again hours later in his news conference.
“I’m thankful for … the owner of the opposing team to allow the dad of the quarterback of the opposing team to sit in his box. How many times did that happen?” Deion said. “That is unbelievable, man. So I’m so thankful and appreciative for that opportunity and that moment.”
A reporter asked Deion Tuesday if he was a nervous wreck while watching Sunday’s game in Vegas.
“No, no, no,” Deion said before pausing.
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He added while looking up: “Thank you, Lord,” Deion said, drawing laughter from reporters and then quietly chuckling himself. “You know where I was going with that. Thank you, Lord.”
That’s a message Deion has repeated on social media the past couple days.
Shedeur is set to start the Browns’ Week 13 game against the San Francisco 49ers, a team Deion won NFL Defensive Player of the Year and a Super Bowl with during the 1994 season.
Shedeur has been on a mission to create his own NFL legacy, though. He took his first step over the weekend with his dad watching.
