Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders spent nearly an hour discussing leadership during a virtual pep rally Wednesday. BLK and Bold Co-Founders Pernell Cezar and Rod Johnson hosted the event.
Coach Prime focused heavily on leadership qualities he’s seen in his three sons.
Sanders praised the leadership abilities of Shedeur, Shilo, and Deion Jr. Each son shows different leadership styles, according to their father.
“I saw leadership ability in my kids. Let’s start with (Deion Jr.). First, wasn’t the biggest, one of all other things, Junior’s 5-foot-8, five-foot-9, five-foot-seven, something like that. But he’s always been a guy with the ability to lead, to influence, to encourage, to elevate people to the next level, because he had tremendous vision. He has tremendous vision, and he could see,” Deion said of his oldest son.
The Colorado coach explained how each son developed unique leadership traits.
Shilo leads through physicality and toughness. Sanders described his approach as direct and honest.
“And Shilo, Shedeur, has done the same thing. I mean, Shilo has always been like a physical leader. Through his physicality, through his toughness, through his mannerisms, through his candor. He’s always been able to lead.”
Shedeur earned the nickname “Grown” when he was four or five years old.
“That means he’s always had the presence of a grown man. So he’s always, I don’t even remember a time he wasn’t a leader.”
Colorado’s Leadership Structure
Sanders revealed his unique approach to team leadership at Colorado. The Buffaloes don’t use traditional captains.
Instead, Sanders identifies “leaders” and “dawgs” within his locker room.
“See, what we have, we don’t have captains. I don’t believe in that. I believe captains to be militaristic, or policemen, or something that we really, they really are captain … I believe captains are that. I have leaders and I have dogs,” Sanders said.
The distinction between leaders and dogs matters to Sanders. Not every player fits both categories.
“Okay. Every dog ain’t a leader and every leader ain’t a dog. So leaders are that. I don’t think you could pull, you could teach some attributes of that, but you got to be that.. Either you lead or you ain’t, you know, you ain’t. It ain’t no, let me teach you how to be a leader. No, dog, that’s in you.”
Sanders believes leadership comes naturally. Players either possess those instincts or they don’t.
He described true leaders as players who step up during difficult moments. They know how to handle pressure situations without being taught.
“That’s something innately inside of you that provokes you to just when all hell breaks loose, you know what to do. You know that person is going to take over, and they’re gonna make sure we straight. That’s the leader.”
Sanders Sons Making Impact
Shilo Sanders has established himself in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ secondary. He’s applying those physical leadership traits at the NFL level.
Shedeur Sanders is competing for the starting quarterback position with the Cleveland Browns. His “grown man” presence continues showing up in professional football.
Deion Jr. runs social media operations for his father’s program in Boulder. His vision and influence extend beyond the field.
All three sons demonstrate the leadership qualities Sanders values most.
Sanders finished the 2024 season with a 9-3 record at Colorado. His previous success at Jackson State included multiple double-digit win seasons.
Those results support Sanders’ expertise on developing leadership within football programs.
