For all of his celebrity, Deion Sanders prides himself on mentoring players in the most legitimate way possible.
Deion Sanders and Travis Hunter: A Mentorship and Fish Story
Travis Hunter is currently a millionaire, thanks to endorsements. Before he steps onto the stage in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Hunter already set himself up for a lifetime of comfort. Deion Sanders, Hunter’s college coach, never needed to recruit him.
Taking over traditional HBCU power Jackson State, Sanders wanted to bring a different environment to the college football landscape. You don’t really see NFL Hall of Famers, considered one of the best at his position, jump into college.
Originally committed to Florida State, Hunter flipped to an FCS school to the shock of thousands. The mentorship piece starts with a fish tale, like this one. When Sanders took the helm at Colorado, Hunter jumped at the chance to play for him in Boulder.
Back in 1989, Deion Sanders was Travis Hunter. The media fell in love with the flashy cornerback, who presented first-round talent with Hall of Fame confidence. Long before social media existed, the national media served as the FSU product’s conduit to the masses. Cameras would flash, and microphones would rise out of nowhere to capture Sanders’ thoughts.
36 years later, Travis Hunter, considered the top cornerback and wideout in the draft, earned national recognition. Who else can relate to an elite athlete better than another elite talent? Even after Hunter committed to Florida State, that school’s most famous alum had a plan.
Parents entrust their children’s academic and athletic futures to head coaches. In the days before NIL, coaches would sit in the living room, painting a fanciful picture of campus life and all of the promises that included their child’s college experience.
Sanders didn’t need to engage in a rosy picture. He didn’t need to promise playing time as Hunter’s abundant skill and talent easily dictated that he would start in an eyeblink. Instead, he sat down with Hunter’s mother to tell her that he would not only show her son the ropes of the football world but, more importantly, how to navigate the rigors of life.
Sanders wants to impart life knowledge. Hunter, perhaps the best student-athlete under his tutelage, uses the fish tale to illustrate the life lessons at hand. Look at the joy in his eyes as he relays the story and the wide grin.
Instead, the meaning of life supersedes anything accomplished between the lines. Mike Zimmer, who coached Sanders in Dallas, effusively praised Sanders and his approach.
“Deion is a terrific recruiter; he’s very disciplined. I think he’s going to make these players understand that there’s more to life than just football. I do know that he really cared about people and kids when he started that school over here. I had no doubt that he’s an unbelievable recruiter. He’ll go out and get good players, get good coaches and people to work for him.”
Long before Travis Hunter entered the world, America knew Deion Sanders. As a result, unlike some coaches, Sanders never needed to rid ethe coattails of any player. His approach may ruffle the feathers of some, but his players not only vouch but co-sign and completely appreciate how he goes about teaching his players.
As mentioned, Sanders will help his star pupil tackle the good and bad of life. For example, he can relay the dark time during his own career when life led him down a rugged path. During the course of his career, Sanders spoke openly about those times, in an effort to educate and help others. In a talk with host Ed Mylett, the Colorado head coach delved into the matter:
“Because most of us were models just playing a role. I’m just giving you the picture that you wanted to see because it’s really not me. I’m not Prime Time; I’m Deion. You don’t care about Deion because you care about Prime, so I gotta give you Prime.”
“And I got lost trying to satisfy you all with the persona, and I began to be suicidal. I mean, I’m on the top of the world, several different commercials, and how in the world can I be suicidal? How in the world can I not wanna be here? I could have a bad moment. I could have a bad minute. I could even have a bad hour but never a bad day.”
The incident Sanders refers to occurs during his second stint with the Cincinnati Reds. The level of honesty and vulnerability shows the honesty that he tries to impart to players like Hunter. Everything won’t always shine or look its best. Falling on dark days is a human occurrence, regardless of your path in life.
Travis Hunter looks up to Deion Sanders, on and off the field. Sanders made sure that Hunter attacked the books with the same ferocity as he did receivers. In less than two months, an NFL team will call his name early, and he could go on to play a lengthy, successful career. However, from the first OTA to his final game, Deion Sanders will only be a phone call or FaceTime away.
KEEP READING: Deion Sanders Proves Age Is Just a Number Putting On a Prime Show at the Gym
Publisher Malcolm Forbes’s most prolific quote from 1972 summed up the Hunter/Sanders mentorship without knowing either one.
“You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.”
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