Deion Sanders can take being called a multitude of names, but a neglectful father or baby daddy are not on the list. The retired Dllas Cowboys star takes pride in being cut from different cloth, one of the old school values where Black dads were amplified.
According to Coach Prime, the barometer for being a good father is, at minimum, being active in a child’s life. “We just need you to be present. You don’t have to be perfect,” said Deion when he appeared on the “Outta Pocket with RGIII” podcast that first aired this week. Furthermore, he stated that some Black men, in particular, often do not have a strong male figure to model their approach to fatherhood after.
For Deion, he leaned on the limited representation he could find on television, namely those depicted on “Sanford and Son” and “The Jeffersons.”
“I used to watch them and see that connectivity that they had with their sons, and it was just so darn phenomenal, man. I would mimic that. We don’t have that on television right now. We can’t even think about a relationship with a Black man and a son on television, so now we turn to sports and we making a comeback,” he said as he highlighted LaVar Ball and LeBron James.
The Pro Football Hall of Famer began making headlines new when he became the head football coach of Jackson State University in 2020, where he coached his sons Shedeur and Shilo Sanders.
The young men, as well as their sister Shelomi Sanders, who plays collegiate basketball, followed Deion when he accepted the head coaching gig at the University of Colorado in 2023. He shares the student-athletes with his ex-wife, Pilar Sanders, whom he divorced in 2013.
The split was volatile and incited a custody battle, which Deion won. In the interview with Robert Griffin III, he said that the end of the relationship did not impact his duty as father.
“I’m a divorced father, but I didn’t stop fathering. Won custody of my kids that I never stopped fathering. … I’ve been there the whole time. … I’ve built my life around my kids. The moves I made was based on my babies, not me. My babies. They was based on what was good for them, so I take pride in that. I ain’t no baby daddy. I’m a father,” said Deion.
However, Pilar views things differently. In April, her ex-husband publicly shared a critical take on Shelomi’s decision to transfer from Boulder. More specifically, he called his child’s decision to enter the portal “stupid” and said that “I’ve been dictating where my kids go. Not them dictating to me where I go.”
When it was announced that the college junior had been picked up by the Alabama A&M Bulldogs, the retired athlete remained mum. Pilar, on the other hand, did not. She accused her ex of sabotaging their daughter’s college hoops career by influencing recruiters to believe that Shelomi was committed to JSU when she had not declared her enrollment.
The “Mod Squad” actress further unleashed on Deion when she slammed his narrative about being an active and supportive parent. “You always talk about a present person; don’t. Stop talking about a present parent. Don’t make me say more than I have to say. Stop talking about being a present parent,” she said.
Still, fans listening to his fatherhood discussion praised his efforts. “I love this guy,” said one person. Another person chimed in with, “This message resonates as we see many young men missing their dad. Let’s hope this message reaches many.”
Coincidentally, as social media users were championing Deion, others wondered how much praise he deserves as he has not shared a post with his youngest daughter since her transfer spurred a rumored rift. When he celebrated his niece Nevaeh’s decision to enroll at Boulder, he penned a heartfelt message of support and uploaded photos of them on campus together.
In the comment section, one reaction read, “No pictures of your daughter?” And a second stated, “Mannn where is Bossy Prime? I miss her getting on your nerves.” His last post sharing a father-daughter moment with Shelomi was shared in March.
Deion is also a father to son Deion Sanders Jr. and daughter Deiondra Sanders, both of whom he shares with his first wife, Carolyne Chambers. When the exes split in 1998, she was granted custody of both children.
Deion Jr. recently disclosed that despite his father’s wealth, he and his mother still endured financial hardships. While on the “Reach The People Media” podcast, he claimed that Chambers has lived in financial turmoil since the divorce despite reports she received a multimillion-dollar settlement. According to the budding entrepreneur, the NFL analyst has a tough-love mentality and does not give out freebies.
“But his kids… (he was like) ‘Nah, bro, you gonna go get that s-t… I gave you a name. Do something with it,” he said. While at JSU and the start of Deion’s tenure at Boulder, Colorado, Deion Jr. was often spotted alongside his father and younger brothers capturing content for Coach Prime’s social media content.
Deiondra has also alluded to sometimes having a strained relationship with their father in past social media posts. When she announced that she and her boyfriend, singer Jacquees, were expecting their first child in March, it was widely speculated that Deion disapproved of the circumstances. She gave birth to a baby boy on Aug. 9, her father’s birthday.
