Shedeur Sander signs NIL deal with Nike
Shedeur Sanders, standout Colorado Buffaloes quarterback and son of NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, signs an NIL deal with Nike, continuing his father's legacy with officially licensed apparel and footwear. We discuss it here!
Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders #2 is tackled by UCLA defensive line Laiatu Latu #15 during an NCAA college football game between the UCLA and the Colorado, Oct. 28, 2023, in Pasadena, Calif.
Credit: Ringo Chiu
By: Joshua Martin
Standout Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders is following his father’s footsteps by signing an NIL deal with the uber popular athletic brand Nike. The son of NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, Shedeur has rapidly emerged as one of college football’s brightest stars. As Deion’s relationship continues with upcoming releases of the renowned Nike Air Diamond Turf Max ‘96, his son will carry the legacy on the field with a deal that includes officially licensed apparel and footwear.
BREAKING: Nike has signed Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders to a NIL footwear & apparel deal. 📄✍️ pic.twitter.com/4M8oWVzijO
— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) August 28, 2024
When asked about his father’s iconic line, The 22-year-old shared his thoughts on his future in footwear and the importance of the Nike Deion line.
“I would want to build on it. I want to build on it. Have like a different version. But I think concept, because I feel like it’s more… like now, like just looking at life and looking at everything, it’s more about generational. It’s more about what could be passed down year after year after year after year rather than everybody starting to think they’re whole new wave and whole new because there’s no real substance behind it. ”
Known for his poise in the pocket, strong arm, and ability to lead under pressure, Shedeur has proven he can perform on the biggest stages. In his collegiate debut, he broke Colorado’s single-game passing record with 510 yards, showcasing his pinpoint accuracy and elite playmaking ability.
Colorado opens their season Thursday (Aug. 29) against FCS powerhouse North Dakota State and expectations are at fever pitch after falling short of a bowl game last season. Sanders is currently ranked as one the best quarterbacks in the upcoming NFL Draft and a projected Heisman Award winner.
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Ed Reed is Headed to the SWAC as Head Coach of Bethune-Cookman University
The SWAC just got more exciting as NFL Hall of Famer and Super Bowl champion, Ed Reed, has agreed in principle to become the next head football coach at Bethune-Cookman University.
Ed Reed Being Inducted Into the NFL Hall of Fame
By: Omar Cook
Black college has been on the rise with national publicity and some of the nation’s top ranked players committing to some of HBCUs premiere programs. Former NFL legends and coaches such as Deion Sanders, Eddie George, and Hugh Jackson have taken on head coaching jobs at HBCUs bringing a major spotlight to Black colleges. Could this be a new trend?
It looks that way as NFL Hall of Famer and Super Bowl champion, Ed Reed, has agreed in principle to become the next head football coach at Bethune-Cookman University. Bethune-Cookman has historically been a powerhouse HBCU program winning six MEAC championships since 2000, but the program has struggled to find its footing since doing the SWAC in 2021.
Bethune-Cookman University Athletics has entered an agreement in principle with Pro Football Hall of Famer Ed Reed to be its 16th head football coach.
— Bethune-Cookman Athletics (@BCUAthletics) December 27, 2022
More information will be forthcoming.#𝙇𝙚𝙩𝙨𝙂𝙤 | #𝙃𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙒𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙨 | #𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙮𝙏𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧
Reed will have his hands full in revamping a program that went 2-9 in both of its previous seasons. An advantage that Reed will have is his connections to recruiting in Florida as he has spent the last three seasons at his alma mater, Miami, as a senior football advisor. At 44 years old, Reed will become the school’s 16th Head Coach.
"We are excited to hear that Ed has been named the head football coach at Bethune-Cookman," Miami athletic director Dan Radakovich said. "Ed is one of the best to ever wear a Miami Hurricanes uniform and he has served as a great mentor to our student-athletes the past three years. He will do a tremendous job leading the Wildcats program and the entire Miami family wishes him all the best."
Reed’s football resume includes Big East Defensive Player of the Year in 2001, as well as National Defensive Player of the Year by Football News. He was also a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award. Reed was a member of the Hurricane's 2001 National Championship team and went on to be 9x pro-bowler.
This is ,major for Black college football as many fans are wondering how the SWAC will continue to remain in the spotlight after Deion Sanders left Jackson State to take the job at Colorado. With Reed’s resume, expect the Wildcats to field a competitive team in the next few years but they will have their hands full in a tough Eastern Division with Florida A&M and a new look Jackson State team.
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Barstool, Jackson State to Launch “Coach Prime” Docuseries Covering Deion Sanders' Inaugural Season
Barstool Sports and the ever evolving Jackson State University Football Program have merged to launch a longform documentary series titled “Coach Prime”, covering Deion Sanders’ inaugural season as Head Coach.
Deion Sanders Accepts Head Coaching Position at Jackson State
By: Baigen Seawell
After talks of having a series geared towards HBCU Athletic Programs, it seems as if the Fairy Godmother of HBCU Athletics has answered our call. Barstool Sports and the ever evolving Jackson State University Football Program have merged to launch a longform documentary series titled “Coach Prime”.
The series will highlight the inaugural season of former NFL Star, Deion Sanders. This will be a family affair, with sons Shedeur and Shilo Sanders joining their father to make the Tigers a top football program in the NCAA, not just amongst the SWAC.
The series also looks to cover the overlooking of HBCU programs as it relates to athletics, something that has been seen with major moves such as Makur Maker committing to Howard last summer. For Jackson State, Shedeur Sanders’ signing to the Tigers was the highest rated school signee in JSU history. This shows that the attention is pointed to HBCU athletics on a scale that has been unseen in mainstream media.
Barstool CEO Erika Nardini, elaborates on this, mentioning that covering HBCU Athletics wasn’t one of the categories they thought they’d fill on their bingo board. “A year ago, if you said, ‘Would Barstool Sports be doing a long-form series on HBCU football?’ the answer would have been ‘Absolutely not’”.
Barstool Sports may have been one of the last companies on the collective lists of many (mine included) to cover a topic as it relates to HBCU athletics, but they’re looking to change for the better. A few months ago, Barstool Founder, Dave Potnoy was outed for using racial slurs as it relates to Colin Kaepernick.
This situation sent social media into a frenzy, condemning the commentary from the famed sports media empire. However, as stated earlier, this partnership with Jackson State looks to be (hopefully) a step in the right direction… and Potnoy doesn’t seem to have any parts of this project at face value. Despite all of this, Coach Sanders himself has his own connections with Barstool, at one point serving as an analyst with them.
“I am so unbelievably excited to share our journey as we aspire to level the playing field and raise awareness for Jackson State University and all HBCUs […] I am equally proud to have Barstool Sports join me as the distribution partner to help carry out this vision and dream of mine. I BELIEVE” said Sanders in an article with HBCU GameDay.
Barstool has launched one-and-done documentaries in the past, but this will be the first of its kind to be a multi-episode series launching this spring. If the reception is well received in the first six episodes during the spring, they look to drop another six episodes this fall. Additional talks of potential sponsorships and premieres on streaming services such as Apple TV have also been reported for the up and coming docuseries.
To add, the series is in partnership with SMAC entertainment, which is run by Constance Schwartz-Morini and Michael Strahan. SMAC has worked on projects with HBO, DirectTV, Showtime, NFL Network and a plethora of other high-profile broadcast networks. The director and showrunner, Mark W. Wright is an HBCU Graduate, hailing from Howard University and writing for outlets like The Undefeated.
So far, everything checks out for it to be an exhilarating and purposeful series that will shed a light on the grit and passion that is instilled in HBCU athletic programs.
The excitement for the release of the series is already generating buzz. With news dropping Feb 3 and SWAC athletics in full swing, what better time to see how Coach Prime’s first season pans out for all of us HBCU Advocates, and the fans that may come along the way.
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A Family Affair: Deion Sanders And Two Sons Begin New Chapter At Jackson State
Deion Sanders looks to build a dynasty at Jackson State University with a stacked recruiting class headlined by his two sons.
By: Tialena Evans
Jackson State University’s football team recently gained a family trio with a familiar name. Retired NFL Hall of Famer, Deion Sanders, officially became the head coach of his two sons after his eldest, Shilo, announced his transfer from the University of South Carolina to JSU in December. Sanders’ youngest son, Shedeur, announced his commitment to the HBCU in November.
Sanders took to Instagram to express his excitement and gratitude for the opportunity to coach his two sons this upcoming spring season.
“Lord I thank u! I couldn’t have never imagined this but you’re able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we may ask or think,” Deion wrote. “Having my sons @shilosanders & @shedeursanders on our team helping me level this playing field in pursuit of equality @gojsutigersfb is a Fathers dream. I get to develop, coach, love, motivate, challenge & watch my sons grow & go become PROFESSIONALS. WOW ! Ain’t NOBODY can tell me NOTHING that GOD CANT DO! I got father of the year locked down again now let hit my dance with a smile.”
Sanders accepted the head-coaching position in September, but due to COVID-19 concerns, JSU’s football season was moved to the Spring. They are set to kickoff their first game on February, 21.
Other than notably being a highly skilled 14-season NFL veteran, Sanders brings zero college coaching experience to Jackson State. He’s mostly dedicated his post-career days coaching at the high school level and taking part in the media industry as an analyst for NFL Network and CBS Sports.
Although JSU’s acting president, Thomas Hudson, acknowledges the hire was partially made for media exposure, he says the attention it received exceeded even his highest expectations. “I had no idea it would be as big as it is”, he says.
It’s no secret that Sanders came to Jackson state for the reason of reviving not only the university’s football team, but HBCU football as a whole.
“With what we’re doing in the country—social injustices, so many things about trying to reach and strive for equality—this is the best possible scenario and situation I could ever find myself in,” Sanders tells Sports Illustrated. “It’s a task to me—level the playing field.”
With this unprecedented hire in college football history, hopefully Mr. Prime Time can achieve his goals with his two boys by his side.
Meet Joshua Martin, Senior Video Editor for 247 Live Culture!
Email: Joshua@247LCTV.com