Prime Time Generosity: Deion Sanders Opens Up Savings Accounts For CU Players Who Have Kids
There’s been a lot of negative criticism surrounding Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders in recent weeks, and with good reason.
He’s shut down reporters from asking him questions, and seems to have a misplaced sense of confidence in how good his football team - which went 4-8 last year - actually is. While his bold personality seemed to be refreshing and electric last season, it’s slowly becoming less appealing by the week.
But through it all, Sanders has shown that he does do plenty of things to show support and appreciation for his players. What he did for a select number of his athletes this past week might have been his coolest display of care yet.
He called a certain number of players to the front, and quickly clued everyone in on the fact that all the players close to him were fathers, or at the very least expecting a child soon.
Sanders was not interested in berating them for their decision. In fact, he applauded them for owning responsibility for their decision and not aborting them.
"A child is not a mistake. A child is an opportunity to mature you, grow you, advance you, and give you some skills," he said.
Amen to that.
Eventually, he revealed that he partnered with Elevations Credit Union (ECU) to start a 529 Savings Plans to give the children of these players an account to tap into later on in life. ECU put $2,121 into each account - in honor of Sanders’ number during his NFL career - and Coach Prime said he would match that total at some point in the future.
"By the time the baby is 18, the baby will be straight and have a head start on life," Sanders said. He later adde, "That’s what we need. Imagine if you had 100 grand dumped on you when you were 18…Let’s pave the way; let’s lay it out so the child has an advantage in life."
I can’t say enough about how awesome this is. While Sanders has yet to prove he can win with this Colorado team, one thing is for certain: he cares about the guys he coaches.