Deion Sanders Reveals His Favorite Athlete of All Time

Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders was recently in the Cleveland area touring his son, Shedeur Sanders' new house. During the tour, "Coach Prime" pointed out that Shedeur had a framed poster up of his favorite athlete, Muhammad Ali.

Nov 8, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders walks along the sidelines late in the fourth quarter against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders is one of the best and most famous athletes of all time from his playing days in both the NFL and MLB. “Coach Prime’s” son, Shedeur Sanders is now trying to make a name for himself at the next level with the Cleveland Browns. 

The fifth round rookie out of Colorado gave Deion the tour of his new house in Cleveland. 

Deion Sanders' Favorite Athlete of All Time

Feb 24, 1971; Miami Beach, FL, USA: FILE PHOTO; Muhammad Ali trains on the heavy bag at the 5th Street Gym in Miami Beach during his training for his world heavyweight title bout with Joe Frazier (not pictured). Mandatory Credit: Larry Spitzer/The Courier-Journal-Imagn Images | The Courier-Journal-Imagn Images

Deion Sanders Jr. posted on his YouTube channel “Well Off Media” a video of Deion Sanders getting the tour of Shedeur's house. There was one decoration up in particular that caught Deion’s eye; a framed picture of boxing legend Muhammad Ali. 

“My favorite athlete of all time,” Deion said while pointing at the Ali photo on the wall. 

Muhammad Ali is an all-time great in the sport of boxing, but his impact went even deeper than that. Ali finished his boxing career with a record of 56-5. He was part of some of the most iconic moments of all time, including what might be the most famous sports photos of all time, standing over Sonny Liston after knocking him down. 

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Deion Sanders' Career

NFL legend Deion Sanders Sr., facing, hugs his son Shedeur Sanders before an NFL football game at Huntington Bank Field, Dec. 7, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio. | Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Deion Sanders played in the NFL from 1989 through 2005, most notably as a defensive back. He made eight All-Pro teams, eight Pro Bowls, won the 1994 NFL Defensive Player of the Year award, and was a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, and Dallas Cowboys.

Deion also played in the MLB from 1989 through 2001.

After his playing days came to a close, Deion spent time in the media as a football analyst. After years of being on TV, he got into coaching. Deion worked his way up the high schools ranks coaching his sons and eventually landed the coaching job at Jackson State. After a successful run at Jackson State from 2020-2022, the Colorado Buffaloes came calling.

"Coach Prime" was hired by the Buffs prior to the 2023 season. Coming off a 1-11 season in 2022, Deion had his hands full. He immediately brought national attention to Boulder even with them going just 4-8 in his first season. 2024 was a different story.

Jackson State University head coach Deion Sanders walks along the sideline during the Orange Blossom Classic between Florida A&M University and Jackson State University at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Sunday, Sept. 5, 2021. | Tori Lynn Schneider/Tallahassee Democrat / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The 2024 Buffs shocked the college football world and went 9-3 in the regular season, earning a spot in the Alamo Bowl. This was a massive step forward for the program. They boasted the Heisman trophy winner in cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter and Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year in quarterback Shedeur Sanders.

Both Hunter and Sanders were selected in the 2025 NFL Draft and their absence was noticeable for the 2025 Buffs. Colorado was unable to recover from the loss of their two best players and went 3-9. "Coach Prime" and company will look to bounce back next season.