Shilo Sanders makes first public appearance following surgery with bankruptcy surfacing

Buffs defensive back started recovery at the start of the month

Sep 16, 2023; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes safety Shilo Sanders (21) runs for a touchdown after making an interception against the Colorado State Rams during the first half at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports / Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports

Shilo Sanders made his first public appearance following extensive shoulder surgery that took place days after CU's Spring Game. The Colorado Buffaloes safety joined his teammates and coaches at a team function for the Memorial Day weekend on Monday. He appeared in good spirits via Well Off Media and Reach The People Media while dealing with the injury, along with news of his bankruptcy filing being reported last week.

Sanders suffered the injury outside of CU's spring practice session and is expected to be back after the start of the 2024 season. He was on hand for the first day with the Buffs in the meeting room via Well Off Media, but was missing from drills on the field and physical activities. However, he made a cameo out on the practice field for a few seconds.

Coach Prime son was making serious strides with offseason conditioning drills. He also seemed more experienced on the slopes by spending weekends snowboarding up in the mountains. This was on top of Sanders playing the role of his father on a retro episode of Starz hit show BFM.

As for the bankruptcy case, Sanders is working to absolve an $11.8 million judgement stemming from a 2015 assault of a security guard at his high school. He ended up being a no-show for court and had the sum placed against him. In May of 2022, a Dallas County judge said, “The Court finds that Shilo Sanders’ actions were the proximate cause of John Darjean’s injuries/damages. The Court further finds that Shio Sanders actions were a substantial factor in bringing about the physical and mental injuries sustained by John Darjean, without which such injuries and damages would not have occurred.”

Darjean and his attorneys claim Sanders' failure to disclose all of his assets on the initial schedule on December 19, 2023 is alarming. The court documents show Sanders with a total of $477,881 in assets, including $300K in a Robinhood account and $8K in a Wells Fargo account. Nothing was declared from any of Sanders' NIL projects, including major appearances in national commercials and at walking the runway at a widely-respected fashion show in Paris. There were at least 32 times Sanders failed to report assets to the Trustee, according to court documents.

With Sanders out, the Buffs secondary looks for replacements to fill the void. Transfers Savion Riley and Herman Smith will likely help strengthen those efforts, along with Travis Jay entering his final collegiate season. Colorado opens the 2024 schedule with FCS powerhouse North Dakota State on Thursday, Aug. 29 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.