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\n In his heyday within the global spotlight, no one in the sporting world multitasked better than Deion Sanders<\/a>.\n <\/p>\n \n A unicorn within the white lines, \u201cPrime Time\u201d dominated opponents and singlehandedly got fans out of their seats with his unmatched athletic ability in both MLB<\/a> and NFL<\/a> stadiums.\n <\/p>\n \n So absurdly good was the two-sport athlete\u2019s talent to thrive at the highest level within the pair of professional leagues, he nearly played in two games, one for the Atlanta Falcons<\/a> and one for the Atlanta Braves<\/a>, in a single day. Some could argue Bo Jackson<\/a> did it better, but only one man has played in a World Series and a Super Bowl: Sanders.\n <\/p>\n \n Despite overcoming a challenging fight with bladder cancer<\/a>, Sanders is fully focused on preparing his Colorado Buffaloes for a new season full of lofty expectations after posting a 9-4 record in 2024. Yet, Coach Prime can also direct his attention to mentoring two of his NFL aspiring sons, his unwavering faith, and keep an eye on a sport near to his heart.\n <\/p>\n \n Sanders lit up when CNN Sports<\/a> asked him about the impending MLB playoff chase \u2013 with the master motivator waxing poetic about how a current but very different two-way player\u2019s success has created a new path for multi-talented ball players.\n <\/p>\n \n The University of Colorado\u2019s head football coach still gets jazzed when talking about America\u2019s pastime.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cI keep the game close to me. I don\u2019t follow it as much, but I like the playoffs because it\u2019s real,\u201d the former New York Yankees<\/a>, Braves, San Francisco Giants and Cincinnati Reds star told CNN while sitting in his office in Boulder, Colorado.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cEvery pitch matters. Like, you are really working the count. You are really moving the runners. You\u2019re really doing some things,\u201d he said while pointing out that he still keeps a bat and glove within arm\u2019s length of his desk chair.\n <\/p>\n \n But the athletic wonder of the 1990s noted that the game is different now than when he played decades ago, with many batters focused strictly on hitting the long ball.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cEverybody\u2019s trying to launch now. They are just swinging up, you know. I\u2019m not being too far-fetched,\u201d he said while swinging his arms low-to-high to mimic current home run swings.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cI do like that the game has been expedited \u2026 like it\u2019s a quicker, faster game. And I like that the guys are allowing their personalities to flow. I love that.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cSee, the Latin guys and the brothers have always done that, but now you\u2019ve got everybody, you know, they\u2019re doing their thing, man, and I love it. I love the personalities that are flowing in baseball.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n CNN noted that Sanders one of the biggest personalities to ever grace a baseball diamond: \u201cThey\u2019re just finally catching up to you, Coach.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Sanders was full of praise when asked about another dual-threat within the world of baseball: Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher-slugger-base-stealing phenom Shohei Ohtani<\/a>.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cHe is unbelievable,\u201d the nine-year MLB veteran said about the Japanese superstar. \u201cBut you know how many other kids would have loved that opportunity (to pitch and hit)?\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cBut, I love it because it opens doors for more of these young men that are capable, that have been told, \u2018No, you are going to do one (pitch) or the other (hit) for life.\u2019 So, I like that.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Sanders \u2013 who could consistently hit (.263 career batting average) and occasionally with power (39 home runs), along with his lightning-fast baserunning skills (186 stolen bases) \u2013 gave serious props to pitchers and dispelled generations of stereotypes thrown onto some members of the team that only saw action once every five games.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cOur pitchers used to hit before the game when I was with the Braves and shoot\u2026 (Steve) Avery, (John) Smoltz and (Tom) Glavine \u2013 those guys used to launch, man! They used to knock them out of the park, like, \u2018Wow!\u2019\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Then Sanders stoked the egos of all hurlers across the game.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cMost of the time, the pitcher was actually the best athlete on the team,\u201d he complimented.\n <\/p>\n \n CNN didn\u2019t allow the modesty to go too far unchecked: \u201cExcept for when you were on the team.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n One could forgive the two-time Super Bowl champion for a sense of anger or despair during his recent brutal battle with cancer.\n <\/p>\n \n But Sanders is never far from positivity and gives thanks to God for the opportunities he has had and the strength to battle back after having his bladder removed when doctors found an aggressive malignant tumor.\n <\/p>\n \n But weeks after he revealed that he didn\u2019t stare death down, instead that he \u201cstared life\u201d in the face while not being shy about his new awkward bathroom routine, Sanders reflected on how he handled his very public announcement and prospects.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cIt was a tremendous opportunity to get the word out,\u201d the 58-year-old said.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cThey said, \u2018Man, just hold on. You could make it. You could do this. You\u2019ve got this to encourage, to motivate, to alarm people that just because you get diagnosed with that C-word, that doesn\u2019t mean we can\u2019t win this battle.\u2019\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cI\u2019m thankful that God chose me to sound the alarms for everyone to know that we can win this fight,\u201d the Pro Football Hall of Famer added.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cI\u2019m a happy man that I was chosen to carry this burden for a moment of time so that I could tell the world about it. I think everyone has somebody that can relate to what I\u2019ve dealt with, what I\u2019ve gone through, and I\u2019m still here.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Sanders laughed about how his fame has changed since he held the press conference just shy of a month ago to disclose his health issues.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cSome people don\u2019t even know me for sports, you know. \u2018That\u2019s the guy that kicked cancer\u2019s butt,\u2019 and I\u2019m happy about that.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Sanders is entering his third season as the Buffaloes\u2019 head coach, but will do so without two of his sons, Shedeur<\/a> and Shilo, in Boulder.\n <\/p>\n \n Both talents thrived in their two seasons at Colorado with dad in charge of the program and are now aiming to make it in the NFL, with Shedeur being selected in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft, 144th overall, by the Cleveland Browns, while Shilo went undrafted. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed the free agent after the player draft.\n <\/p>\n \n Both sons are fighting for roster spots for their prospective teams, with dad Deion OK with how the pair are approaching their situations.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cI\u2019m happy that this is another opportunity for them to reach inside of them and bring something out that they\u2019ve never had to fight and bring out before. They would never forget these moments, and I\u2019m thankful that they\u2019re in it,\u201d Sanders told CNN Sports.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cBecause now we have more really good and interesting conversations, not just about football, but about faith, about the Lord, about timing and about work ethic. So, it\u2019s opened up a plethora of things for us to articulate to each other in life.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cIt makes me keep my daddy role,\u201d he said with a smile. \u201cYou know, my daddy role is on point.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Sanders\u2019 other son, Deion Jr., has remained in Boulder and runs Well Off Media \u2013 a production company that produces content for the football team and beyond.\n <\/p>\n \n Sanders said that he has been so engrossed with his coaching duties that he hasn\u2019t had time to keep up with the comings and goings of the NFL<\/a> outside of his sons\u2019 journeys.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cI am where my feet is. I am right here and I absolutely love it. I\u2019m sitting up here looking over the practices and grades that we have in practice and all of that,\u201d the Hall of Famer said while holding up a graph of player stats.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cI don\u2019t give a darn about those initials anymore.\u201d\n <\/p>\n![\"Colorado](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/gettyimages-2211430392.jpg\")
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