Like his father, Deion Sanders, there’s no doubt Shedeur Sanders is a star athlete. He has the charm, the looks, and the talent. During a recent postgame interview, delivered with the same charisma his father uses to captivate the press, that star baller revealed a key difference in how he plans to parent compared to his dad: He’ll be setting up a trust fund for his kids — something he doesn’t have.
Shedeur led the Colorado Buffaloes to victory over the Baylor Bears on Saturday, Sept. 21, bringing the team to a 3-1 record. When discussing his source of resilience, he emphasized that it’s driven by not having a “Plan B” —and, surprisingly, no trust fund.
“You don’t have an option,” Shedeur said, interrupting a reporter at the press conference. “That comes from your parents, how you was raised.”
He further explained, “Like, you don’t have an option to fail. Like, that’s non-negotiable. So, it’s like … when people say, ‘What’s your Plan B?’ You know it’s only football. That’s the only plan there is.”
Then, in a moment that caught the room by surprise, Shedeur said, “I don’t have a trust fund. Dad ain’t set me up good like that. But I’ll make sure I set up my kids.”
The athlete smiled, knowing his saying would make people wonder why and possibly think his dad was cheap.
Shedeur Sanders on what motivates him:
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 22, 2024
"I don't have a trust fund – dad ain't set me up good like that." 😂
How can people hate this kid??
pic.twitter.com/2nt4Xptt83
Deion, a Hall of Famer with an estimated net worth of $45 million, has been a key influence in his children’s collegiate athletic careers.
The former All-Pro cornerback has two children with his first wife, Carolyn Chambers: a daughter, Deiondra, 32, and a son, Deion Jr., 30. With his second wife, Pilar Biggers-Sanders, he has three more children: sons Shilo, 24, and Shedeur, 22, and daughter Shelomi, 20.
Both of his daughters were athletic, with one currently playing college ball.
Deiondra, now a new parent with R&B singer Jacquees, once excelled in basketball, while Shelomi, who initially played at Jackson State University, transferred to Alabama A&M University after a year at Colorado, against her father’s wishes.
His namesake played for Southern Methodist University from 2013 to 2016.
His younger sons, Shilo and Shedeur, played football at Jackson State and now at Colorado, where Shedeur has emerged as a breakout star.
Though Deion has provided for his children, he has instilled in them the drive to earn success without relying on a safety net like a trust fund.
For Shedeur, while he humorously mentioned the lack of a trust fund being set up from his pops, he’s doing just fine.
According to CBS News, he recently signed a NIL (name, image, likeness) deal with Nike —30 years after his father signed his own Nike deal. His deal includes both apparel and footwear. The brand even joked, “Now it’s a family business.”
Shedeur’s On3 NIL Valuation is now at $4.7 million, making him the top-ranked college football player by NIL value, according to the tracking site.
He’s also No. 1 in the On3 NIL 100, which ranks the top 100 high school and college athletes by NIL valuation. The valuation considers both roster vtalue (the athlete’s value as a member of their team) and personal NIL.
Like his father, Shedeur has even dabbled in rap music, receiving similar negative reviews to those his pops faced when he released “Must Be the Money” in 1994 at the age of 27.
Shedeur believes an athlete’s upbringing is key to their success. And with Deion’s guidance, Shedeur seems destined to win. As he builds his own financial portfolio, he’s well on his way to ensuring his children have that trust fund he never had.