Deion Sanders cares about the financial future of his players.
Sanders, the head coach of the University of Colorado’s Colorado Buffaloes Football, brought forward eight players who are parents during a meeting held Aug. 25, 2024, per The New York Times.
“Want y’all to know, ain’t like you’re in trouble,” Sanders said, according to Sports Illustrated. “You ain’t done nothing wrong. Matter of fact, you did something right. And a child is not a mistake. A child is an opportunity to mature you, grow you, advance you, and give you some skills. Y’all know how I am about fathering.”
He added, “You know I would not hire a coach unless he’s a great father. I don’t hire a coach that’s a deadbeat, I don’t hire a coach that’s not taking care of his responsibilities. I would never hire a man that he says he’s going to look after y’all but he won’t look after his. That don’t make sense to me.”
After affirming the players, he shared, alongside the school’s name, image, and likeness (NIL) collective 5430 Alliance, that they had been working on something special. Just days prior he took to X inquiring about partnering with a bank.
“I’m looking for a Bank in Boulder or Denver that’s wants to have a business relationship with a few members of our team. It’s gonna bless whichever Bank that partners with us. Let’s Go. #CoachPrime,” he wrote on August 22.
Deion Sanders is partnering with Elevations Credit Union to help CU football players open bank accounts for their kids—starting out with $2,121 in each one.pic.twitter.com/0CtA1UPWuK
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) August 26, 2024
Thanks to the tweet, the eight players will now receive bank accounts for their children, each preloaded with $2,121 in partnership with the Elevations Credit Union.
“By the time the baby is 18, the baby will be straight and have a head start on life,” Sanders explained, according to The New York Times. “That’s what we need. Imagine if you had 100 grand dumped on you when you were 18… Let’s pave the way, let’s lay it out so the child has an advantage in life.”
Reggie Calhoun Jr., the director of operations and business development at 5430 Alliance commented:
“It made my whole day. I was like, ‘This is amazing. This is crazy. To have a coach talking about building men and see him put the work in and put actions forth, it changes the way you view coaching in the college sports world.”
