It’s been almost 30 years since I met “my Sanders,” but the memory still feels striking. It was Super Bowl XXVIII in Atlanta, I was working in special events at the NFL and he was in the middle of his playing career. Deion had been asked to make an appearance at the NFL Experience Kids Day.
This was Prime Time, a superstar, but he was so low-key and down to earth. He connected with everyone. That’s still who he is today. It’s what brought us together to begin our working relationship more than a decade after that brief meeting. Deion respects authenticity, honesty and loyalty, and he forges relationships with people who emulate similar qualities. That’s the only way I know how to work, and it’s the only way he does, too. It’s a huge part of what has made him such a successful coach for this era. Recruiting, building relationships, teaching life lessons and knowing how to tap into the heart of a particular moment: That’s Sanders.
