Deion Sanders could also be labeled quite a bit, but neglectful father or fatherless father shouldn’t be on that list. The retired Dallas Cowboys star prides himself on being cut from a distinct cloth, which is one of the old values ​​that black fathers were reinforced by.

According to Coach Prime, the barometer of father is, on the very least, being energetic in his child’s life. “We just need you to be there. You don’t have to be perfect,” Deion said during an appearance on the “Outta Pocket with RGIII” podcast, which first aired this week. He also said that some black men, specifically, often don’t have a powerful male figure to model their approach to fatherhood after.

Deion relied on the limited representation he could find on television, namely that depicted on shows like “Sanford and Son” and “The Jeffersons.”

“I used to watch them and see the bond they had with their sons, and it was just so fucking phenomenal, man. I would emulate that. We don’t have that on TV anymore. We can’t even think about a relationship with a black man and his son on TV, so now we’re turning to sports and going back to the game,” he said, pointing to LaVar Ball and LeBron James.

The American Football Hall of Fame inductee first made headlines when he was named the pinnacle football coach at Jackson State University in 2020, where he coached his sons, Shedeur and Shilo Sanders.

The young men, in addition to their sister Shelomi Sanders, who plays college basketball, followed Deion when he accepted the pinnacle coaching job on the University of Colorado in 2023. He shares the student-athletes together with his ex-wife, Pilar Sanders, whom he divorced in 2013.

The split was acrimonious and sparked a custody battle that Deion won. In an interview with Robert Griffin III, he said the top of the connection didn’t affect his responsibilities as a father.

“I’m a divorced father, but I didn’t stop being a father. I won custody of my children, who I never stopped being a father to. … I was there the whole time. … I built my life around my children. The moves that I made were based on my children, not me. My children. They were based on what was right for them, so I’m proud of that. I’m not a father to any children. I am a father,” Deion said.

But Pilar sees it in a different way. In April, her ex-husband publicly shared his criticism of Shelomi’s decision to maneuver from Boulder. Specifically, he called his child’s decision to go browsing “stupid” and said that “I dictated where my kids went. They didn’t dictate where I went.”

When it was announced that the faculty sophomore had been chosen by the Alabama A&M Bulldogs, the retired athlete remained silent. Pilar, nonetheless, didn’t. She accused her ex of sabotaging her daughter’s college basketball profession by influencing recruiters to imagine that Shelomi was committed to JSU when she herself had not declared her commitment.

The “Mod Squad” actress further fueled Deion’s firestorm when she criticized his narrative of being an energetic and supportive parent. “You’re always talking about the present person; no. Stop talking about the present parent. Don’t make me say more than I have to say. Stop talking about being the present parent,” she said.

Still, fans listening to his discussions about fatherhood praised his efforts. “I love this guy,” one person said. Another person chimed in: “This message resonates as we see so many young men missing their fathers. Hopefully this message reaches many.”

Coincidentally, while social media users were praising Deion, others wondered how much praise he deserved, since he hadn’t shared a single post together with his youngest daughter since her transfer sparked rumors of a conflict. When he celebrated his niece Nevaeh’s decision to enroll at Boulder, he wrote a heartfelt message of support and posted photos of them together on campus.

In the comments section, one response read, “No pictures of your daughter?” And one other, “Man, where’s Bossy Prime? I miss when she used to get on your nerves.” His latest fasting In March, a father-daughter account of Shelomi was shared.

Deion can be the daddy of a son, Deion Sanders Jr., and a daughter, Deiondra Sanders, together with his first wife, Carolyne Chambers. When the previous couple separated in 1998, she was awarded custody of each children.

Deion Jr. recently revealed that despite his father’s wealth, he and his mother still struggled financially. He claimed on the “Reach The People Media” podcast that Chambers has been living in financial trouble since their divorce, despite reports that she received a multi-million dollar settlement. According to the budding entrepreneur, the NFL analyst has a raw love mentality and doesn’t give anything away for free.

“But his kids… (he was like) ‘No, man, you’re going to go for… I gave you a name. Do something about it,’” he said. During his time at JSU and early in Deion’s tenure in Boulder, Colorado, Deion Jr. was often seen alongside his father and younger brothers, who would do content for Coach Prime’s social media feed.

Deiondra has also hinted at having a sometimes-tense relationship along with her father in previous social media posts. When she announced that she and her boyfriend, singer Jacquees, were expecting their first child in March, there was widespread speculation that Deion disapproved of the circumstances. She gave birth to a baby boy on August 9, her father’s birthday.