Deion Sanders sums up emotions of final game with sons: 'That's tough'

Reality hit Deion Sanders pretty hard when his final game coaching his sons ended Saturday night.

Colorado fell 36-14 to BYU in the Alamo Bowl, but it was the final game for Shedeur and Shilo Sanders under their father, Deion. Coach Prime was visibly emotional pregame following his traditional walk with Shedeur on the sideline.

It wasn’t the way they wanted to end it, but Deion Sanders tried to put it into words.

“When we walked. When we did our walk and Shilo was there and looking across the field and I’m seeing Cam and I’m seeing Herm and so many of the other guys that have been on this journey with us, man, that’s tough,” Sanders said postgame. “I’ve been knowing this young man for a long time, and he’s been balling out for a long time. Just the consistency that he has.

“And then my sons, man, that’s tough. That’s tough, to know that that’s it, that that walk won’t happen again. That’s tough. We’ve been doing this for a long time. You recollect just the times in youth league and seeing them lay out uniforms in my closet, getting ready for the next game, and he used to have 100 wristbands on his wrist trying to stunt. All of those things I recall.”

Even Shedeur Sanders struggled to sum it up when the game was over.

“Yeah, the reality and all that hasn’t kicked in yet,” he said. “We’re just focused on what happened out there and how to fix it going into the off-season and knowing how to prepare and get back healthy.”

Shedeur Sanders finished 16-of-23 passing for 208 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions as the offense really didn’t get clicking until late in the second half.

Travis Hunter, this year’s Heisman winner, had four catches for 106 yards and a score. He also had four tackles in the game.

Now, it’ll be onto the 2025 season for Deion Sanders with a new QB, five-star freshman Julian Lewis or veteran transfer Kaidon Salter. Shedeur, Shilo and Hunter, among others, will head to the next level, with Shedeur and Hunter expected to go within the top five of the draft.

Deion Sanders and Colorado had quite the journey over the last two seasons, but now, it’s time to turn the page.