Deion Sanders Shares Heartfelt Message From Father Of Jimmy Horn Jr. Before NFL Draft

The father of Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. thanked coach Deion Sanders for supporting his son when he could not due to his incarceration. Sanders has been a father figure of Horn over the past two seasons.

Feb 28, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Colorado wideout Jimmy Horn (WO20) speaks during a press conference during the 2025 NFL Combine at Indiana Convention Center. / Stephanie Amador Blondet-Imagn Images

For Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr., football has been a vessel.

His father, Jimmy Horn Sr., was incarcerated in 2021 on drug-related charges. At the time, Horn Jr. was beginning a collegiate career with the USF Bulls. After two seasons, he entered the transfer portal and caught the attention of coach Deion Sanders, newly hired by Colorado and taking the college football world by storm.

Even amid the whirlwind, Sanders quickly took Horn under his wing.

Today, his college career reaches its twilight with NFL dreams on the horizon. Following two years of guidance when Horn Sr. could not provide it in person, the father penned Sanders from prison to give thanks.

Apr 4, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders talks to his son, Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2), at the University of Colorado NFL Showcase at the CU Indoor Practice Facility. / Michael Ciaglo-Imagn Images

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Sanders and Horn's relationship entered the limelight in 2023 after a Week 3 win over the Colorado State Rams. Horn scored a miraculous 45-yard touchdown in the final seconds of regulation to send the game to overtime. Just before the play, Sanders hugged Horn and delivered a powerful message.

"I said 'Jimmy, you're a dawg. You're from Florida, man,'" Sanders said of the moment to Bleacher Report. "'And guess what, pop is at the crib, and he's incarcerated watching you right now. And he wants to clap in front of all his different inmates because he believes in his son. We're gonna make pop proud tonight.'"

"Coach Prime" empathized with the receiver and fellow Floridan, acting as a father figure throughout Horn's two seasons in Boulder. When Horn put up seven catches and a career-high 198 yards in Week 1 of last season against the North Dakota State Bison, Sanders shared an anecdote.

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“Jimmy just came back from court seeing his father’s sentence, man,” Sanders said. “And he’s gonna turn around and flip it and come out there and give you that?”

Horn framed the performance around his mentality, acknowledging that circumstances beyond the gridiron bring his numbers to life.

“I just play with a chip on my shoulder, that’s really what drives me,” Horn said. “I know what I’m doing this game for, and I love this game. I do it for me, and I do it for the ones I love.”

During Colorado's senior day ceremonies before its regular season finale against the Oklahoma State Cowboys last November, most players were honored alongside parents. Instead, "Coach Prime" walked with Horn.

CU football head coach Deion Sanders, or Coach Prime, gives instruction to wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. (5) against CSU in the Rocky Mountain Showdown at Canvas Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Fort Collins, Colo. / Cris Tiller / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As he put a bow on his time with the Buffaloes with an impressive day at Colorado's "We Ain't Hard 2 Find" NFL Showcase, Horn harkened back to Sanders as a mentor.

"He teaches life lessons," Horn said Friday. "I tell all the [NFL] interviewers, 'Smart, tough, fast, disciplined and with character.' You know, those five characteristics in life can take you a long way, and just the lessons he teaches [are] valuable, and it's an asset to your life."

Sanders shed additional light on this familial bond, admiring Horn's resilience amid unique adversity.

"What this man is going through is tremendous," Sanders said. "It can be life-changing for many, but he's used it to catapult himself to the next level. Any team that drafts Jimmy Horn is going to get a blessing."

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