Deion Sanders attended Shedeur's first start with the Cleveland Browns.
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Deion Sanders attended Shedeur's first start with the Cleveland Browns.
Deion Sanders dropped a heartfelt message for the Las Vegas Raiders after his son Shedeur secured a win against the AFC West squad in his starting debut for the Cleveland Browns.
Sunday’s game was a milestone for Deion. It marked the first time he had ever watched Shedeur play strictly as a fan, after coaching him throughout his entire football journey — from high school to Jackson State and Colorado.
And he got the full VIP treatment despite it being an away game for Shedeur and the Browns. Coach Prime watched the game from Raiders owner Mark Davis’ luxury box at Allegiant Stadium, taking in his son’s debut from one of the best seats in the building.
“Thank u so much Mr. Mark Davis. Your heart & hospitality was & is INCREDIBLE! You allowed the QB of the opposing teams’ Father to enjoy the game in your Luxury Box. That BLESSED me truly. That was the 1st time I had ever seen my son play and I wasn’t his coach so thank u again for making that experience comfortable & memorable,” Deion Sanders said. “God bless u all. I Love y’all 2 Life!!!!”
Browns QB Shedeur Sanders Thankful to Have Dad in Attendance
It was a successful debut for Shedeur Sanders, who passed for 209 yards with a touchdown and an interception in the 24-10 victory. Deion Sanders was initially unsure if he would attend the game.
“You don’t want to be his distraction, but not that I would ever would be,” Deion Sanders said. “But then you think, ‘You know, he came all the way up here to see you?’ So that’s even (a) shorter trip to see him. You start thinking that as a dad, you know. Because you know what it means to him if he just catch a glimpse of him before he walks out.”
Shedeur was happy to have his dad and many other family members in attendance.
“Being able to see my family, that was important,” Shedeur Sanders said after the game. “I’m happy they was here to be able to witness it. … That’s what life is about − just family.”
Of course, Deion couldn’t help slipping into coach mode after the game. The Hall of Famer pulled Shedeur aside in the tunnel and delivered a quick dose of football wisdom.
“You played good,” Deion told Shedeur in the tunnel. “You’ve got to just look at the film and evaluate yourself on the wrong, but you played good. But you looked like you [were in command] out there. You threw some iffy balls out there — you’ve got to make sure they ain’t iffy. But you did good; I’m proud of you.”
Shedeur Sanders Set for First Home Start With Browns
Sanders’ performance has earned him a longer look from the Browns. Former starter Dillon Gabriel has been cleared from concussion protocol, but Cleveland will continue to roll with Sanders as their starter this week against the San Francisco 49ers.
“Obviously, the number one job of quarterback is to win. So excited to get that first win under his belt and then next thing is improvement,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said. “And that’s what young players do. Certainly, young quarterbacks do. You get one game better and that’s just from working at it. So that’ll be our focus.”
It’s been a challenging year for Sanders. He entered the draft cycle as a projected early first-round pick but slid all the way to the fifth, landing in Cleveland with plenty to prove. He has a prime opportunity to show he can be more than a stopgap and make his case as a legitimate long-term answer for the Browns.