They say you are a product of your environment. But if one were to observe Deion Sanders’ life, it could be concluded that you are who you choose to become. On one hand, his biological father, Mims Sanders, was a drug addict. On the other, his mother, Connie Knight, was a hardworking woman who gave her all to raise Coach Prime. A young Deion Sanders could’ve easily gone down the wrong paths, but instead, he chose to be like his mother—a God-fearing, assiduous human being.
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Deion Sanders recently appeared on Reach The People Media’s YouTube channel, where he shared that he picked up his never-give-up attitude by watching his mother never take a day off from work.
While this has led to Prime constantly overworking himself—much to the frustration of his loved ones—Sanders defends his work ethic by pointing out that he never saw his mom, Connie Knight, make any excuses. Not even in sickness.
This is also why he keeps hustling to this day, despite amassing a net worth of $45 million — more than enough for him to live comfortably for the rest of his life.
“My staff says I’m stubborn because I love to work… but I’ve never, in my life, seen my mama take a day off. I can’t recall a time when I was at home and my mom said, ‘I’m not going to work because I don’t feel good.’ I can’t recall it. So if I can’t recall my mom ever taking a day off, who am I? I have to go get it. That may be the difference between you and me—I got it, but I’m still trying to go get it,” said the Colorado head coach.
However, this relentless work ethic wasn’t just shaped by his mother’s dedication—it was also reinforced by the hardships he witnessed growing up.
Deion Sanders recalls seeing his father do things that he shouldn’t have seen
Deion Sanders grew up in poverty. But today, he has all the riches in the world. He even has a dedicated medical cohort around him that takes the utmost care of his health.
In the video, Sanders is seen taking IV drips to combat his flu sickness. So when Sanders’ nurse injected the drip into his veins, it instantly reminded him of the day he saw his father shooting up drugs the same way.
“I used to work at Bojangles back in the day with my homies, and we used to take the chicken that didn’t sell and bring it to our fathers. I remember taking some chicken, sides, and all that into a little room where my father used to stay. They were in there shooting up. That’s what I think about when I say there are things a young man shouldn’t have to see.
Despite witnessing this unfortunate sight, Sanders revealed that he didn’t let it dampen the impression he had of his father. Instead, Coach Prime prayed to God for the well-being of his dad. For Sanders, identifying your calling and reaching out to the almighty in times of stress is the ideal way to lead life.
“But I didn’t judge him—I just prayed for him. So take your trials and tribulations and progress from them. Don’t let them deter you from being who God called you to be.”
All that said, stories like these prove that one can make it in life despite how harsh the conditions around them may be. All you need is a positive mindset and immense self-belief—two things Coach Prime had in abundance.
