Coach Prime and Shilo Sanders address bankruptcy before Dallas case sealed

Both took reporters questions at the Big 12 Conference football media days at Allegiant Stadium

Deion Sanders talks about Shilo Sanders bankruptcy /

Deion Sanders and his son Shilo Sanders publicly addressed the bankruptcy case filed by the Colorado Buffaloes safety for the first time since its filing in October, promising that the truth would eventually surface.

Shilo, who has about $12 million in debt against him tied to an assault, is working to discharge the matter. Both of them responded to separate questions about the case from reporters at the Big 12 Conference football media days at Allegiant Stadium, with each of them downplaying the issue and expressing confidence in their position.

“Honestly, that kind of stuff, like, you can’t, you’re not gonna win a court case on social media,” Shilo Sanders told reporters. “At the end of the day everybody is gonna know the truth about everything, you know? So, there’s no point in just going out of my way to do that. So, everything’s good."

Sanders, the leading tackler for Colorado last year, explained his perspective to the media. But his father took it a step further and asked a reporter if he knew Shilo won before shutting down any follow-up. 

“What distraction?” Coach Prime said in response to the bankruptcy weighing on his son. “Shilo’s good. You know what I want you to do? I want you to do this for me... I want you to do your homework and do a whole investigation on that and then write that. I mean the whole complete investigation on what truly happened. Did you know Shilo won?" The reporter said, "Pardon me?" Sanders turned away and took another question.    

The backstory of Shilo's finances dates back to an incident in 2015 involving a security guard at his former school in Dallas. The guard, John Darjean, alleged that Shilo, then 15 years old, assaulted him with a roundhouse elbow, resulting in severe spinal injuries and permanent damage. Darjean filed a lawsuit against Shilo, Deion, and Pilar Sanders in 2016, seeking compensation for his injuries. When the case went to trial in 2022, Shilo was a no-show, which led to a default judgment in favor of Darjean who was awarded $11.8 million in damages.

Three takeaways from Shilo Sanders' bankruptcy case

Sanders' attorneys were able to seal documents in the 2015 civil case. Court records show they're mostly related to depositions initially taken and have less to do with the actual case itself. Nonetheless, it's an extreme move to hide details from the assault when they've been public record for the past eight years. Judge Aiesha Redmond sided with the defense on Thursday, arguing Shilo was a minor at the time of the alleged assault and should have the documents sealed, according to court filings.

The Sanders family has consistently disputed Darjean's version of events, maintaining that the security guard was the aggressor. However, court documents, along with eyewitness accounts, and Deion Sanders admitting to the assault in a deposition while taking Shilo to a Juvenile detention center in Dallas all tell a different story. With Shilo absent from the trial, Darjean's evidence went unchallenged and resulted in the substantial judgment against him. Now, Shilo seeks to have this debt discharged in bankruptcy court in Colorado, aiming for a fresh start free from what his attorneys describe as an oppressive financial burden.

Darjean, on the other hand, opposes the discharge of the debt, continuing his efforts to collect the awarded sum. He claims that multiple authorities, including the police, workers' compensation authorities, and the civil court in Dallas, have found in his favor, reinforcing his position. Darjean insists that the judgment should not be discharged, as he seeks to hold Shilo accountable for the alleged assault and its consequences.

As the case unfolds in bankruptcy court, the public will be watching closely to see how it develops. Both Shilo and Deion Sanders remain resolute in their stance, confident that a full investigation will reveal the truth. For now, they focus on moving forward with their lives and careers, undeterred by the legal challenges ahead.