Changemaker: Deion Sanders Champions Progress, Not Perfection

Interview with Colorado Buffaloes football coach Deion Sanders about his role as a changemaker.

Oct 19, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Colorado Buffalos head coach Deion Sanders against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

For more than three decades, Deion Sanders has disrupted the status quo. From his days as a two-sport legend to serving as a coach, Sanders has continuously been an agent of change.

The college football landscape is unrecognizable compared to when Sanders became known as "Prime Time" with the Florida State Seminoles. However, no one is better suited to help young men navigate the world on NIL, social media, and spotlight than the Colorado Buffaloes head coach.

For Financial Progress Month, Sanders is tweaking his nickname from "Coach Prime" to "Coach Chime." In partnership with Chime, Sanders is promoting the powerful message to hype up America: When you're intentional about making progress, you're making it.

In addition to starring in a new TV spot, Sanders will mentor the 2025 cohort of Chime Community Changemakers, a program dedicated to supporting grassroots organizations that break down financial barriers across America.

The campaign encourages people to speak candidly about finances and embrace the small wins. Sanders is celebrating progress, not perfection, and empowering people to talk openly about their financial journey.

Sanders is a testament to the power of perseverance, mentorship, and leadership. As part of the exciting campaign, Sports Illustrated's Kicks On SI spoke with Sanders about financial literacy, change-making, and, of course, his iconic Nike sneaker line.

What made you want to partner with Chime during Financial Progress Month?

Well, not just Financial Progress Month. It's financial literacy in its wholeness. I'm a coach, and I love what I do, and I do what I love. I have a locker room full of young men that are now getting NILs and now getting finances galore.

If they're are anything like me at this age, they know nothing what to do with it. Thankfully, we have a partner now that enhances that, entices that, educates that, informs that, and they're not gouging them with banking fees and that stupid process that we knew nothing about as well.

We let somebody hold our money, then they charged us for the money that we allowed them to hold, which is crazy to me. But it's a blessing, man, that I'm able to partner with a company of this magnitude and multitude to really direct the paths of these young future millionaires, and I love it.

We have a couple of kids that are slated to go in the first round, and that's what we've been doing. Just honing in on their financial literacy because they've been making millions of dollars at the collegiate level.

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Has there been anything you learned while working with Chime?

I've been reading a lot, and I understand they build tremendous products that eliminate fees and give people access to their money faster. You got to like that. It relies on action and support you like that. It is a lot like the game of football, but this is not a game; this is reality because this is life.

Most of America is in debt right now. How can we eliminate that? By information by being informed by being prepared by being ready. And this is one of the companies that is stepping out in the forefront and saying, 'We're gonna help you do what's right.'

You are also a mentor in the Chime Community Changemakers program; how rewarding has that been so far?

Anytime you can promote change, man. I'm a change agent. That's what God has called me collect, and I accepted the charges. Everyone I've been sent is to promote change, and not just on the field. It's off the field with the families.

We have young men who are parents. We partner with an institution to get their kids started financially, so if they just gained a little bit each month, that kid, by the time that child is 18, they'll be set. So this has been going on for a multitude of years, and I'm just thankful I have a prepared partner that can meet me at the point of concern.

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Switching gears to sneakers, how cool has it been for a whole new generation of fans to get excited about your retro Nike shoes?

It's unbelievable! To think that we penetrated the market ferociously, figuratively, and abundantly. The shoes are selling out, they're changing the styles, and I think we have several more drops. My mother is getting ready to have a drop within a matter of time, and I know those are gonna sell up because that colorway is crazy.

It's fascinating to think after a few more drops, my kids, especially Shedeur, is gonna take on that leadership of the line, and it is gonna be legendary.

The Nike Air Diamond Turf and the DT Max '96 have dropped in some incredible colorways. Do you have a personal favorite?

Probably the first ones at the beginning. The red, black, and white ones. Those are the ones that when you drove through the inner cities and drove anywhere in Atlanta, you saw everyone and their mama rocking them, man, still to this day. So you're excited about that, and I'm extremely excited and appreciative about that.

Your shoes are always getting stolen out of your office from your sons and their friends. Who is the biggest offender?

It would have to be Travis [Hunter] and [Deion] Junior. Junior's foot is smaller than mine, and Travis's is about the same size. So, it would have to be one of those two that do the most damage. Junior even goes down to my pregame office downstairs; that is where all the new styles that have never come out.

He will go down there and send me a picture of several pairs that he knows I hadn't worn, and he asks if he can have at least two of them. He tries to go 50% on them. So he would be the culprit.

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Last question: What does your pre-game sneaker selection process look like? We have seen the iconic photos. How do you decide on a colorway?

Yeah, it's up to about 15 pairs of shoes laid out on the floor. I dress from the floor up, so however I feel. I go with the shoe, then I put on the sweatpants and I go warm up, then I always come back and change into the game shoes that I'm gonna wear.

And oftentimes, it mimics the team's uniforms and what we're gonna wear as coaches as well. But to have so many options, especially this year coming into with the new styles and the new options, and the kid's cleats options are unbelievable. I can't wait till you see those, which is gonna be really, really fire. They're going to be fire.

More Deion Sanders Sneakers News

The Nike Air Diamond Turf "Cowboys" colorway drops on Halloween 2025.

Deion Sanders unveils more Nike Air DT Max '96 colorways.

Dirty Bird: Deion Sanders' Nike sneakers honor the Atlanta Falcons.

Deion Sanders and the Ohio State Buckeyes inspired LeBron James' new Nike sneakers.

Shedeur Sanders explains how he wants to change Deion's Nike cleats.