Shedeur Sanders and Deion Sanders on NFL Draft Day. Photo:
deionsanders/Instagram;uSTADIUM/X
Deion Sanders shook his head in disappointment when his son Shedeur went unselected in the first round of the NFL Draft.
Shedeur, 23, threw a lavish viewing party with friends and family as the 2025 draft began on Thursday, April 24, where his father was seen visibly upset when the New Orleans Saints — a top predicted landing spot for the quarterback ahead of the draft — picked Kelvin Banks Jr. instead.
After the Saints’ pick was announced, Deion, 57, shook his head. The Colorado Buffaloes head coach raised his hand and motioned in the air before taking a sip of his water bottle in the clip, shared by uStadium on X.
After Shedeur’s draft party, Deion posted a video of his son addressing guests with a humble message. “We all didn’t expect this, of course,” a disappointed Shedeur said. “But, I feel like with God, anything’s possible, everything’s possible. I don’t feel like this happened, you know, for no reason.”
The quarterback said going unselected in the first round simply gives him more motivation to become better. “All this is of course fuel to the fire and under no circumstance we all know this shouldn’t have happened, but we understand we on to bigger and better things.”
Deion and Shedeur Sanders on September 23, 2023. Andy Cross/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post/Getty
“Tomorrow’s the day, we going to be happy regardless. Legendary,” Shedeur concluded as guests applauded. He’ll hope to get picked up early when the NFL Draft resumes with the second round on Friday, April 25.
Praise began pouring in for Shedeur after his father shared the video, with former NBA star Dwyane Wade saying, “That’s how you handle things,” on the post and retired NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III writing, “This message from Shedeur Sanders after going undrafted in the 1st round is exactly why he has the resolve, poise and maturity to lead an NFL Franchise,” in a post on X.
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“He didn’t hide. He stood tall in the face of adversity and disappointment. This adds to his testimony.”
Deion shares two children with his first wife, Carolyn Chambers: a daughter, Deiondra, 33, and a son, Deion Jr., 31. He also had three children with his second wife, Pilar Biggers-Sanders: sons Shilo, 25, and Shedeur, and daughter Shelomi, 21.
