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Deion Sanders Pays Emotional Tribute to His Mom in Latest Nike Collaboration

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Kevin Borba | Last updated Jul 4, 2025 3:49 PM ET

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders is known for being one of the most outspoken and biggest risk-takers in all of college football.

While fans around the country know him as "Prime Time" or "Coach Prime," at his core, he is a father, a grandfather and most of all, a son.

On Friday, Sanders took to Instagram to share a 3.5-minute testimony powered by Nike, that he wrote to his mother, Connie Knight. He thanked her for always believing in him, holding him to a high standard during his adolescence and sacrificing everything so he could chase his dreams.

While life has taken him in many different directions, Sanders made it clear at the end that the most important thing for her to know is how much he loves her.

"Ain't nothing changed but our addresses," Sanders said. "You are a role model of consistency. Thank you mom, for just being you. Ain't no mama like you. I love you, mom."

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Sanders grew up in Fort Myers, Florida, where his parents divorced when he was just 2 years old. As he expressed in the tribute, both of his father figures battled addiction, while his mother worked nights at a hospital as a custodian.

With the support of his mom, Sanders went on to become one of the best athletes we have ever seen. Selected as the No. 5 pick in the 1989 NFL Draft, Sanders was also a part-time professional baseball player, being selected in two different MLB drafts.

When his respective careers were all said and done, he walked away from the NFL with two Super Bowl rings, eight All-Pro selections and a NFL Defensive Player of the Year award. Baseball-wise, Sanders posted a career batting average of .263 with 39 home runs and 186 stolen bases.

He is also the only athlete to have played in both a Super Bowl and a World Series, a feat that is unlikely to be repeated.

As for what he is up to now aside from pulling on all of our heartstrings, he is fresh off of leading Colorado to a 9-4 season that saw the Buffaloes post the program's first nine-win season since 2016 and appear in its first bowl game since 2020, Sanders is looking to build on his success.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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