Deion Sanders joins Sports Illustrated from Radio Row ahead of Super Bowl 58. Primetime believes if Brock Purdy can lead the 49ers to a victory it will cement him as of the greatest stories in NFL history.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 Let's go back to the old days.
00:01 First of all, how are you doing?
00:02 I'm good. I'm good.
00:03 You looking good?
00:04 How about you?
00:04 I'm great.
00:05 You look good.
00:05 I can't complain. I feel good too.
00:07 The theme music on?
00:08 Yeah, there you go.
00:08 When you came around the corner, I thought the theme music was on.
00:10 There you go. There you go.
00:12 [laughs]
00:13 All right, so one thing we talked about.
00:16 He wouldn't tell me too much,
00:18 but he said, "Tell Prime to tell or explain what Homie the Clown was."
00:22 Oh my God.
00:24 First of all, let's digress.
00:26 Your father is partially responsible for where I am today.
00:33 Yes, sir.
00:34 Unbelievable man of God,
00:36 changed his total life and told me about the journey,
00:39 but he was so humble enough.
00:42 You got to understand, I'm a first-round pick.
00:44 He was a first-round pick,
00:46 but he sacrificed his position to raise me,
00:49 to make sure I was straight.
00:50 We used to stay after practice and watch film and study and study, study.
00:54 And we were playing against New Orleans or something,
00:57 and your pops was out there.
00:58 And I think one of the big fellows running back came around the corner,
01:02 and I said, "Now, Reverend Presh,
01:04 I know you seen that man running out there at you like that.
01:09 Why would you jump behind that receiver
01:11 and try to play like he was blocking you?"
01:13 And right then, I think we created a homie.
01:16 It's the Homie the Clown.
01:17 And whoever turned down the tackle
01:20 had to wear this pink shirt up under his practice shirt that said,
01:23 "I'm Homie the Clown because I was scared to hit."
01:27 And you had to wear it because we had boating and everything on it.
01:30 Yeah, but it was hilarious, man.
01:31 But I owe a lot to you, Father, man.
01:33 So I got something that he told me to tell you when it's over,
01:36 but we'll save that to the end.
01:38 All right, we're at Colorado.
01:39 - Yes, sir. - In the pack.
01:40 Yes, sir.
01:42 Good season this year, being out there.
01:44 You got your kids out there, they balling.
01:46 What are the things that you have to address going into next season?
01:50 We addressed everything in the offseason.
01:52 I started outside in.
01:53 I build it different because my attractability
01:56 - were for the skill players. - Okay.
01:57 Now we went to inside-out.
02:00 Now winning at a whole new offensive line.
02:03 Several players on the defensive front.
02:05 A couple linebackers, two corners.
02:07 And we understood the need and we fulfilled the need.
02:11 We're still not done.
02:12 Probably after spring, it'll be several other players in the portal
02:16 that fits the description and the smart, tough, fast discipline with character.
02:20 And we would target those guys and probably go after those guys.
02:23 But we fulfilled the needs that we had a lack thereof of last season.
02:30 So being in the pack versus being at an HBCU,
02:34 what was the major difference that you noticed off the bat,
02:37 just from a coaching standpoint?
02:39 Coaches in HBCUs are really good.
02:40 They just don't get the opportunity.
02:42 Now, the fact I have three coaches from HBCUs on my staff,
02:46 as well as a support staff full of HBCU men and women.
02:53 So it's not that.
02:57 Rosters are larger.
02:59 The recruiting capability are broader.
03:02 Budgets are much bigger.
03:04 It's a different game, but we're prepared for that game.
03:07 You got to understand, people talk about coaching at the level of college football.
03:10 They forgot that I was a pro for 14 years.
03:12 Yeah, yeah, of course.
03:13 Not only that, I worked in television for another 19 years combined.
03:17 So all that stuff prepared me for coaching college football.
03:21 And I'm thoroughly happy and excited.
03:23 I can't wait to this season.
03:25 So you know the word says, "Train them a child the way you should go."
03:28 And when he grows up, they will not depart.
03:30 That's right.
03:31 You know, you've been very, very hands on, you know, with Shadur, Shiloh,
03:35 being able to coach them.
03:37 Talk to me about like what that means to you.
03:40 Man, first of all, my son Junior does all that video and everything.
03:44 He's brilliant.
03:45 He's changed the whole game of how people see a team.
03:48 I mean, he's unbelievable.
03:50 But coaching my sons, I've coached them.
03:52 I'm the only coach they've ever known, really.
03:54 Shiloh did go to South Carolina for a couple of years, but came back home with me
03:59 and Jackson.
04:01 But I'm the only coach they've ever known.
04:03 So I'm just not dad, I'm their coach.
04:05 And I think I've instilled some things in them as your father instilled in you.
04:09 But taking it to another level with being there on a daily basis, I can't lose, man.
04:14 We may lose on the scoreboard, but I'm winning because several of those kids
04:17 that played for me in Colorado played for me when they were kids, when they were five
04:21 or six or seven years old, as well as playing for me at Jackson State.
04:24 And we even got a couple of the ladies that I brought from Jackson that are female
04:28 trainers, three of them, matter of fact.
04:30 So, man, I'm living the dream, man.
04:33 And I love life.
04:34 I love the life I live, and I live the life I love.
04:36 I really do.
04:37 That's what's up.
04:38 All right, let's get into the Super Bowl, Ty.
04:39 We are here in Vegas.
04:40 We are ready to roll.
04:41 We got the Chiefs and we got the Niners.
04:43 I'm pretty sure my guess would be you're going for the Niners, being a Niner alum.
04:48 I don't care about alum.
04:49 I care about teams.
04:51 Okay.
04:52 I think Brock Purdy is the best story in the last two decades ever.
04:58 This kid is phenomenal, what he's accomplished.
05:01 I love me some Travis Kelce.
05:03 I love him.
05:04 I think he's unstoppable.
05:06 You can't contain him.
05:07 If I were them, I would double him and make everyone else beat me.
05:10 Yeah, yeah.
05:11 I'm going to have to do that.
05:12 But the flip side, who are you going to double with San Francisco?
05:16 They have too many weapons.
05:17 You can't.
05:18 So I'm leaning towards San Fran just because.
05:21 But it's going to come down to those quarterbacks.
05:23 Somebody's going to have to make a certain play.
05:26 It can come down to a great play, but a third and five, a third and eight.
05:30 And one of those guys is going to have to step out and have an out-of-body
05:34 experience to make the play.
05:35 For sure.
05:36 So let's talk about Patrick Mahomes a little bit.
05:39 Obviously, he's not been in the league too long.
05:41 Right.
05:42 You know, when it comes to a career, it's a journey.
05:45 Right.
05:45 Right?
05:46 It's not a sprint.
05:47 If he wins this Super Bowl, what does that do for his legacy?
05:51 His legacy is still unfolding as we speak.
05:55 The young man is brilliant.
05:57 He's unbelievable.
05:58 Not only that, he's a bona fide leader.
06:00 Because no matter what the personnel is, he continues
06:04 to lead and migrate himself here.
06:06 But do not underestimate the importance of Andy Reid.
06:09 Yeah.
06:10 One of the best to ever do it.
06:13 I love him as a man.
06:14 I love him as a coach.
06:15 I love him as a leader.
06:16 And I'm blessed enough to receive a call every now and then from Andy Reid just
06:21 encouraging me.
06:22 Super Bowl routines.
06:25 What was your Super Bowl routine?
06:26 You played in a few of them things.
06:28 You won a lot of them things.
06:29 I had the same routines every game.
06:31 So I didn't care about the magnitude of this moment.
06:35 The only difference was, there's more people
06:37 get to see you do your thing.
06:38 Right.
06:38 That's how I approached it.
06:39 More people get to see you do your thing, man.
06:41 And so I didn't really change how I approached the game.
06:45 So we're here with Sports Illustrated.
06:47 You were obviously the Sportsman of the Year.
06:49 Yeah.
06:49 Talk to us about maybe your favorite SI comment.
06:51 Probably me with the kids, man.
06:57 OK.
06:57 Yeah.
06:58 OK.
06:59 I think Travis and Shadora.
07:00 OK.
07:02 Anything that I add to somebody.
07:04 I don't want it to be about me.
07:05 It's been about me for 14 years when I played in the league.
07:08 But anything that involves the young men I coach is phenomenal.
07:11 OK.
07:12 I like that.
07:12 Talk to us about the partnership with the Almond Board of California.
07:14 Oh my god.
07:15 Like, I'm here today with the California Almonds.
07:17 February the 12th is National Recovery Day.
07:22 After the big event, the big game.
07:24 And I'm an almonds guy.
07:26 Like, I'm very cautious about what I put in my body.
07:29 I'm very cautious about-- very particular about how I look.
07:32 And I try to eat right and live right, man.
07:34 So almonds help me do that.
07:35 And I'm thankful for California Almonds for giving me these opportunities.
07:39 All right.
07:40 So Reverend Press had a note.
07:42 I'm going to read that note.
07:43 This came direct from him verbatim, quote for quote.
07:46 Please do.
07:47 He said, "Tell Prime I said he is the greatest corner to ever play the game."
07:51 Hold on.
07:52 Hold on.
07:52 You got to stop right there.
07:53 See, you're trying to get me emotional.
07:55 This Press.
07:56 This Press.
07:56 This Press.
07:57 You're trying to get me emotional.
07:57 This Press.
07:57 This is what he said.
07:58 Don't get me emotional.
07:59 This is what he said.
08:00 Thank God I have on shades right now.
08:02 He said, "He had all the tools, speed, length, and size.
08:05 He was a technician at bump and run because he laid his hands on receivers.
08:09 He could backpedal.
08:10 And if he intercepted the ball, it was highly likely it would be a pick six.
08:15 The most important thing about him was he loved the film room.
08:18 That's how real pros are made."
08:21 That's Reverend Press right there.
08:23 I'm glad I have on these shades right now.
08:25 Because I hold your father in so much high esteem.
08:32 It's unbelievable.
08:33 He still can't fathom what he did for my career, his selflessness.
08:39 And he always told me, he said, "You know what?
08:41 One day you're going to be saved, man.
08:43 One day you're going to be preaching, and you're going to always be a leader of men."
08:47 And he proclaimed that when I said, "Yeah, but until then."
08:50 Yeah.
08:50 Get out here in the streets and get down to Magic City.
08:54 So he proclaimed that, man.
08:56 And he used to always look out for me, no matter what.
08:59 And just think about it.
09:00 I'm coming there to take his job, but he's looking out for me.
09:05 Come on, man.
09:06 So that's why I've always been that guy and always been personable with my
09:12 teammates as well as the young men I coach because your father taught me so much, man.
09:17 That's what's up.
09:17 Hey, ladies and gentlemen, what's understood does not need to be explained.
09:21 Deion Sanders, primetime, baby.
09:23 (whooshing)