Deion Sanders Had Classy Gesture for Bucs Coach After Son Shilo’s Signing

Kristen Wong | Apr 29, 2025

Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders speaks to the media at the University of Colorado NFL Showcase at the CU Indoor Practice Facility. / Michael Ciaglo-Imagn Images

The family of the hour came prepared to the 2025 NFL draft as patriarch Deion Sanders eagerly waited to see his sons Shedeur and Shilo find new homes in the pros.

Shedeur found his home first—after much controversy over his stunning draft slide—and landed on the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round. Shilo, who's two years older than Shedeur, had to wait a little bit longer after going undrafted and received a little help from his NFL agent.

Following the conclusion of the draft on Saturday, Shilo's agent reportedly called the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to ask them to sign the Colorado defensive back. Bucs GM Jason Licht and head coach Todd Bowles made the instant decision to do so.

Moments later, Licht and Bowles received a very nice phone call from none other than Deion, who wanted to properly thank them for taking a chance on his son.

"Coach Prime called [Bowles] Saturday night and thanked him for giving [Shilo] a fair shot," Licht said Monday on 95.3 WDAE, Tampa Bay's sports radio station.

Licht added that he and the Bucs had talked about Shilo "quite a bit" during the pre-draft process, which likely made their decision to sign him as an undrafted free agent that much easier. The 25-year-old safety recorded 137 combined tackles and one interception across two seasons with the Buffaloes.

It's safe to say that Saturday was a good day for the Sanders family. Both Shedeur and Shilo will be looking to escape their father's looming public shadow and make a name for themselves on their respective NFL teams this fall.

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