Former Colorado Buffaloes Star Wanted to Start NIL Collective with NFL Money

One of the biggest days of a college football player’s life is being selected in the NFL draft. Only close to 300 are selected each year.

For those selected with one of the high draft picks, the money is great. For instance, two-way superstar Travis Hunter from Colorado was the No. 2 overall pick. Per the NFL’s rookie contract system, he is set to sign a deal that will make him $46.5 million in his first four seasons, which will include a $30.5 million signing bonus, per Yahoo Sports.

It’s life-changing money. One of his Buffaloes teammates, quarterback Shedeur Sanders, though he was going to go in the first round. But Sanders fell — and fell hard.

Per USA Today, which published the salary slots for every selection, that fall cost the young star a lot of money. Sanders was selected No. 144 overall and is expected to get a four-year deal worth $4.6 million.

Shedeur’s brother, Shilo, was not drafted. But he did sign an undrafted free agent contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His road to an NFL job will be much harder.

During the NFL draft, the Sanders family was at one of their father’s homes in Canton, Texas. Deion Sanders is the head coach at Colorado, a Pro Football Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame selection. They watched the draft unfold together.

The Sanders family tends to put much of their life on camera. The draft experience was no different.

They were filmed all weekend and during a behind-the-scenes moment, Shilo told cameramen what his brother had intended to do with at least part of his rookie contract had he been selected where some thought he would be.

"If he would have went first round, he would have actually took that," Shilo said at 29:40 mark of the video, as transcribed by Bleacher Report. "He had some plans for the whole team. He was going to have his whole NIL collective. He's so generous."

A Sanders NIL collective certainly would have been a boost to the Buffs’ efforts in the name, image and likeness space. As it stands, Colorado will be able to share $20.5 million in revenue with its student-athletes starting on July 1 — assuming the House vs. NCAA settlement is finally approved.

As for now, Shedeur Sanders is working toward making the Cleveland Browns’ roster. A fifth-round pick only guarantees you a chance. Perhaps later in his career he can pay it forward to the Buffs.