Deion Sanders talks family and football with Jason and Travis Kelce

Brian Schaible

Deion Sanders talks family and football with Jason and Travis Kelce image

Deion Sanders did not just show up on the New Heights podcast. He stole the show, weaving swagger, honesty, and raw emotion into stories that spanned his Hall of Fame career and his current life as Coach Prime.

Sanders set the tone by recalling his first NFL game when he returned a punt for a touchdown against the Rams. “I dropped it, picked it up, and housed it,” he said. “I bought 11 Gucci watches for the whole punt return team. I wrote on the card, every fourth down, I just wanted y’all to know what time it was.”

Even with his flamboyant reputation, Sanders revealed a quieter truth. “I don’t smoke. I don’t drink. Never tasted alcohol. Never been high a day in my life. I’m in bed by seven,” he admitted. “I don’t like crowds. I don’t like to be in crowds. I’m a home guy.”

Family remains central to his story. With his sons no longer at Colorado, Sanders confessed, “I definitely miss them because all my life they’ve been there. We didn’t know another way. That’s the only way we knew.” He joked about his infamous rankings of his children. “I know which one is going to take care of me when I’m older. I know which one’s going to ask me for money. I know which one keeps me on my knees in front of God.”

The conversation turned emotional when Sanders spoke about his advice to son Shedeur with the Cleveland Browns. “Be patient and be ready. That’s all you can do. Don’t let them call your name and you ain’t ready. We don’t have to get ready. We always ready.”

He also reflected on his famous interception return in Atlanta, a moment scripted by relentless film study. “On the plane I told Carmen Policy and the late Dwight Clark, I’m going to pick one off, I’mma high step him, and I’mma look at their bench. And it happened exactly like that. That’s preparation.”

Above all, Sanders reminded the audience why Prime Time remains timeless. “I know when I got to put on, I got to show out. I got to show up and show out. You can’t want the good pretty shiny stuff if you’re not ready to do the good pretty shiny things.”

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Brian Schaible

Brian Schaible is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is an award-winning journalist with over 25 years of experience covering college and professional sports. Brian holds a master’s degree in journalism/public relations from Kent State University.