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.
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I always understood his potential. In 2020, after years of coaching at the youth level, Deion came to me with the idea of helping recruitment efforts at his alma mater, Florida State. “Why help someone else recruit?” I asked him. “You should be a head coach on your own.” I know it’s not the norm to go straight from coaching high schoolers to running the show in Division I. But he isn’t the norm. He is such a singular presence that I was confident he’d thrive.
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When Deion started at Jackson State, he went into the community and met with everyone: local preachers, business owners and leaders from all sides of the street. Deion was so intentional about building the program up as a collective effort. He knew that meant forging personal relationships in the community, and he put in the time, the effort and the heart to make that work.
Whether they love him or hate him, people respect and connect with his authenticity. Deion is Deion, 100% of the time. You can see that in the business opportunities he seeks: He’s always staying true to himself and his values and is so deliberate about the partnerships he chooses. Yes, he’s savvy, and he does his research, and he knows how to assemble a great team around him. But I think the core of his business success is just how much that authenticity and confidence resonates with people. That is such an important lesson that he shares with his players as they have opportunities to build their own brands and plan for the next phase of their lives. He’s bringing structure and discipline to the program at Colorado, which is crucial, but he’s doing it with love and support. That combination is so rare nowadays.
People recognize that: I’ll never forget checking my phone after Colorado’s double-overtime win over Colorado State in September. I had so many messages from people on the East Coast who had stayed up past midnight to watch the end of the game. They felt like it was a movement and they wanted to be part of it. But that’s Deion. He knows how to bring people together. No matter what the record, he’s already won.
