Deion Sanders claims recent subpoenas, depositions and lawsuits against him and his son Shilo aren’t distractions as the Colorado Buffaloes prepare for their season opener.
Earlier this month, a sheriff’s deputy attempted to serve the coach with court papers during Colorado’s open practice. They were related to his son Shilo’s bankruptcy trial. It is believed that Deion Sanders was being summoned to testify. However, Shilo’s bankruptcy trial is scheduled for the same week that the Buffaloes begin their season versus Georgia Tech on September 3.
In another pending lawsuit, Deion Sanders has been accused of defrauding the graphic designer who created his “Prime” logo. The designer claims Sanders and his reps told him he would join the coach’s brand/marketing team, along with several other career perks. He says none of those promises were delivered.
Deion Sanders claims his legal issues are not a distraction
On Monday, a member of the media asked Sanders during a press conference how much his legal issues are distracting him and the team.
“What distraction — are we talking about? Let’s cut to the chase,” Deion Sanders replied; then the reporter referred to the subpoena.
“Is that a distraction? Do you think that’s my first subpoena?” Sanders responded. “When you have ‘it.’ When you ‘him.’ When you ‘that’, you get sued.
“You have off-the-field foolishness that if somebody really sat down and explained it to you, you’d say, ‘You’ve got to be kidding.’ But it is what it is.
“I don’t know anyone that’s a game changer, a way maker, that is not dealing with some type of lawsuit.”
Deion Sanders claims his son Shilo already won a lawsuit that remains unsettled
The reporter then followed up by asked Deion Sanders what advice he has for his son Shilo.
“Did y’all do your own, you know, Shilo won this case previously, right? Anybody know that?” Deion replied.”Raise your hand if you knew that. That Shilo got awarded money for this? Just check it out. I can’t wait until it’s over and he gets to tell his story. He already won this case.”
Actually, Shilo Sanders was 15-years-old when he assaulted John Darjean while he was working as a security guard at Sanders’ school in Dallas, leaving him with permanent injuries. Darjean sued Shilo Sanders in 2016, and when the case went to trial in 2022, Sanders didn’t show up in court, despite claiming self-defense. Therefore, Darjean won the lawsuit by default judgment, and Shilo has owed him $11.89 million ever since.
Now, in an effort to try to get out of paying Darjean, Shilo Sanders filed for bankruptcy in October 2023, and that’s why Deion was subpoenaed by a federal judge last week.