As a head football coach and dad, Deion Sanders — AKA “Coach Prime” — knows a thing or two about leadership.
The head football coach at the University of Colorado took the football scene by storm this year, having served up an undefeated NCAA season so far for the university’s Buffaloes.
Much of the football world has attributed the team’s success to the fact that the Pro Football Hall of Famer has his very own right in the trenches with him. Like their father, Sanders’ sons Shilo and Sheuder have gained praise for their performance on the field.
This week, the three family members have continued to receive buzz about their NFL prospects. On Sept. 21, The Athletic shared a poll that found seven out of 10 high-ranking team decision-makers anticipated that Sanders would receive requests for the offseason head-coaching hiring cycle.
Days earlier, on Sept. 19, the Well Off Media YouTube page — operated by Sanders’ eldest son, Deion Sanders Jr. — showed Shilo and Shedeur talking about potentially heading to the league next year.
“Shilo said, ‘Oh, wow, Shedeur, look. You gonna be in the NFL next year,’” Sanders said in the post on YouTube. “I said,’ No, he ain’t.’…You all ain’t going nowhere.”
It’s not just Shedeur and Shilo that the coach is trying to keep in line. Deion Sanders is a father to three other children.
Sanders shares two children with his first wife, Carolyn Chambers: a daughter, Deiondra, 31, and a son, Deion Jr., 29. In addition to sharing Shilo, 23, and Shedeur, 21, with his second ex-wife, Pilar Biggers-Sanders, the couple also share a daughter, Shelomi, 19.
Deion Sanders has also previously made headlines for maintaining a family ranking system of his kids so they know where they stand with him.
“It’s tough. My kids’ rankings are tough,” he said after listing good things four of his five kids have recently done in an interview earlier this month.
“I’m the only one that’s honest about ranking my kids,” he continued. “You guys act like you all love them the same and you don’t.”
Here’s everything we know about Coach Sanders' kids.
Deiondra Sanders, 31
Deiondra Sanders is Deion Sanders’ oldest. In an open letter penned to her father on Father’s Day and published in Sports Illustrated’s Fan Nation, she praised the former footballer for being an “electrifying playmaker, media personality,” as well as a friend, mentor and coach.
Deiondra has an active presence on Instagram and often uses her platform to cheer on her father and brothers. She’s also appeared in KFC ads alongside her father and siblings.
Deion Sanders Jr., 29
Like his older sister, Deion Sanders Jr. often uses his social media to support and celebrate his family’s wins. He created and operates the “Well Off Forever” brand on Instagram and YouTube, which often highlights and promotes the Colorado Buffaloes.
Shilo Sanders, 23
Shilo is Deion Sanders’s oldest son with ex-wife Pilar Sanders. He played college football at Jackson State before transferring to the University of Colorado Boulder, according to his Colorado Buffalos sports biography. He plays as a safety.
Shedeur Sanders, 21
Born in 2002, Shedeur plays for the Colorado Buffaloes as a quarterback.
In January 2023, he appeared alongside girlfriend and “Euphoria” star Storm Reid on the red carpet for the premiere of her movie “Missing.”
According to his college football profile on the Colorado Buffaloes website, he is currently in Sociology and in his junior year.
Shelomi Sanders, 19
Sanders’s daughter Shelomi Sanders might not be a football player, but like her older brothers and dad, she’s a member of the Buffaloes nation.
According to her Colorado Buffalos sports profile, Shelomi is a redshirt freshman studying integrative physiology at Colorado, and she currently plays as a guard for the university’s women’s basketball team.
“That’s my baby girl and my heart,” Sanders said during his weekly press conference on Sept. 26 when asked about Shelomi starting basketball practice. “I love all my kids, but I love them, differently as I tell you all the time.”
Sanders added that Shelomi's older brothers have kept a close eye on her at school.
"She has a witness protection program with her brothers, she’s never dated and probably won’t get married until she’s 40," he joked.
