Deion Sanders Fights Through Tears Ahead of Final Game Coaching Sons Shedeur, Shilo

"I've gotta get it together, I've got to coach."

Colorado's Deion Sanders gives an emotional interview to ESPN's Taylor McGregor ahead of the Alamo Bowl / via ESPN

Saturday's Alamo Bowl is. a big game for Colorado football, and a momentous day for the Sanders family. Coach Deion Sanders gave a brief interview to ESPN's Taylor McGregor ahead of the game, and was visibly emotional about coaching his sons, quarterback Shedeur Sanders and defensive back Shilo Sanders, for the final time.

"The journey. The journey. It's been a tremendous, tumultuous journey," Sanders said, after being asked about walking out with his sons for the final time.

When asked what he'd been reflecting on in the final moments before kickoff, Sanders said he's been looking back to when his sons first started playing the game.

"I'm seeing when they first put on uniforms, when they first started. When I first started coaching them. The good, the bad, the indifference. The ups and downs. Just the journey, it's been a heck of a journey. And I'm thankful, I'm appreciative. I really am. I thank God for it.

"I gotta get it together, I've got to coach. I gotta keep it together," Sanders said, fighting back tears.

Deion Sanders was full of emotion after taking the final walk with his sons, Shedeur and Shilo ❤️ pic.twitter.com/PJchjwDKyh

— ESPN (@espn) December 29, 2024

Shilo Sanders began his college career at South Carolina before joining his father and brother Shedeur at Jackson State when Deion landed his first college coaching job with the HBCU, FCS-level program in 2021.

The Sanders family, along with two-way star Travis Hunter, made the move to Colorado ahead of the 2023 season. After a promising start turned into a disappointing 4–8 campaign in '23, the Buffaloes broke out as one of the Big 12's best teams and were in the College Football Playoff hunt until the end of the season.

Now, they have a chance to win a 10th game and put a bow on one of the better college football stories in recent memory, with the Sanders brothers and Hunter all set to declare for the NFL draft.

The Alamo Bowl between Colorado and BYU is being broadcast on ABC.

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