University of Colorado head football coach Deion Sanders is opening up about the dark side of his fame, revealing he is no stranger to death threats.
Sanders, 59, met with the media on Tuesday, September 8, ahead of this weekend’s home game against Weber State University. During his press conference, a reporter asked him how fans should approach him in the Boulder area to show their support.
“Not hug you,” he responded, before explaining the risks he faces.
“We get death threats every week,” he said. “We had some guy claiming some crazy stuff, and I think they apprehended him. I think he’s incarcerated right now. But so, you got to be careful on that side.”
This isn’t the first time Sanders has spoken about security threats as a head coach. In a video posted to YouTube by his son, Deion Sanders Jr., in January, the head coach said he gets death threats “all the time.”
“Why? I’m a Black man making it happen, making things move, making all that happen,” he said in the video. “So we have stuff that’s real.”
His bodyguard, Michael Rhodes, spoke to the Buffaloes team in the video, urging the players to be vigilant.
“Real quick, I want to say this. Those of y’all that are new, when y’all head up to the facilities in the morning, be mindful of who comes in with you, especially on the elevator,” he said. “Don’t let somebody coerce you into scanning them up on the floor, because everybody’s trying to get to Coach Prime. Those people that are trying to get to them, not all of them have good intentions. So just be mindful of that, don’t prop open any doors, because my philosophy is, if the doors open, they will come through. Then they’re gonna have to meet me.”
Deion Sr. then asked Rhodes how many death threats he receives per day.
“About five every day,” Rhodes replied.
Speaking on Tuesday, Deion Sr. explained that he can’t simply walk around town by himself, often bringing family with him for another set of eyes.
“I have a girl with me oftentimes, or someone in the family,” he said. “You want to be careful, but you want to be kind. So I try my best to blend the two, you know, but not that accessible.”
Deion Sr. also implored fans to “read the room” when they see him in public. Rather than approaching him at a restaurant with his family, for example, he suggested a “head tilt” from across the room.
