Deion Sanders, sons Shedeur and Shilo star in Oikos Super Bowl ad
Colorado football head coach Deion Sanders and his family starred in a commercial for the yogurt brand Oikos that aired in some markets during the Super Bowl on Sunday. Sanders tweeted a clip from it before the game, too. His sons Shedeur and Shilo appeared in the commercial using their name, image and likeness rights.
Shedeur and Shilo, who played quarterback and safety, respectively, when their father coached at Jackson State, each entered the transfer portal in December and committed to Colorado.
It was a rare NIL opportunity that involves a commercial on linear TV.
Previously, former Alabama quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young appeared in commercials for Nissan and Dr. Pepper. Oregon State quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei also appeared in a commercial for the latter when he played at Clemson.
“I’m telling y’all, I’m the strongest Sanders in the family. The whole family,” Deion Sanders says at the beginning of the commercial.
“Nah, this is strong,” says Shedeur Sanders, who as he holds a football in his hands. He squeezes it with his hands, deflating the football.
Deion Sanders’ daughter Shelomi Sanders, who’s a freshman basketball player at Colorado, tackles her brother. “How’s that for strong?” she asks, standing over him.
“This that auntie strong,” says Deion Sanders’ sister Tracie, who goes by “Aunt Tracie” in the commercial, before she hits a football-shaped pinata into the sky with a baseball bat.
“Can y’all do this?” asks Shilo Sanders, as he pulls a chain attached to a large smoker.
“Boy, you want to see strong?” asks “Old Time Prime Time,” as he hits a table full of food so hard it collapses.
The camera cuts to Deion Sanders’ mother, “Mama Connie,” looking on at the destruction.
The closing screen displays the text, “Stronger makes everything better,” along with three flavors of Oikos yogurt.
The Sanders family has been active in the NIL era
Deion Sanders has used his own publicity rights to promote brands and businesses, most notably his commercials for Aflac where he stars alongside Alabama coach Nick Saban. His sons have signed several notable NIL deals in the first two academic years of the NCAA’s NIL era.
Shedeur Sanders has partnered with companies such as Beats by Dre, Gatorade and Mercedes-Benz. Shilo Sanders has entered into an agreement with Porsche of Jackson.
Both brothers have partnered with Actively Black, whose website describes the company’s mission as selling “Black owned athleisure wear.”
During Deion Sanders’ first team meeting with his players at Colorado, which his son “Bucky” Sanders filmed and posted on YouTube, the elder Sanders told the team, “I’m going to make y’all the most famous people walking this planet. But you gotta win.”
A handful of Colorado’s new players, who committed to Sanders and the Buffaloes as high school recruits or transfers, attended the first event for the Buffs4Life NIL Collective in January. Nine football players attended the Italian restaurant Carelli’s of Boulder prior to a home men’s basketball game.