Deion Sanders didn’t cultivate his ‘Prime Time’ persona just to be a standout athlete. He did it to carry himself as an entertainer, a spokesperson who could captivate the audience while addressing the media. And this, he achieved through a long journey, starting from his high school dorm, driven by his desire to not only make a name for himself but also to earn a lot of money to help out his mother. He didn’t even have internet access back then. So, naturally, he takes immense pride in how he accomplished it all with such flair.
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Sanders joined The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Monday, where the host asked the Colorado head coach how his Prime Time persona came about. Sanders was candid in his reply, explaining that it all began when his agent informed him that the position he played, defensive back, was one of the lowest-paid in the NFL.
This news seems to have frustrated him, as he wanted to earn big as a DB and take care of his mother. Determined to stand out, he thus decided to create a persona that would ensure he’d always be noticed.
“I said, ‘Oh, no no no no,'” Deion recalled telling his agent. “I promised my mother she was going to be rich and never have to work another day in her life… So, I created this image right in my dormitory room called Prime Time. That was my nickname coming out of high school, but now I had to enact this thing.”
It was a smart move by Deion, and one that helped him become a focal athlete in the 90s sports scene. His flamboyant public persona mixed with him being a standout player at Florida State generated a lot of buzz. During his time there, he was a two-time all-American and a multi-sport athlete.
What makes this even more impressive is that Deion did this all before social media and the iPhone came into existence. A notion that he takes great pride in.
“I had to emulate some things that truly were detached from me. And, I did it. I did it with no social media. I did it. The old-fashioned way. I built it,” Sanders added.
Creating a public image of himself allowed Deion to leverage his brand beyond the football field. It was truly a genius idea that not many other players took advantage of during that era. As a result, Deion stood out from the crowd. He had a magnetic personality that was hard to not like.
Deion even revealed that he would choreograph his dialogues in his dorm room. He said that he would write down quotes so that he was ready to make a splash during his post-game interviews.
“I knew I had the goods, I was going to ball out. So, you were going to ask me, ‘How did you feel on that punt return?’ Well, I’m the best thing since peanut butter and jelly. I don’t even know why you kicked it to me. You should’ve fired up the band as soon as you kicked the ball because you knew what I was going to do.”
It was a funny interaction between Deion and Colbert—refreshing, even. He also let the dog out of the cage momentarily, embodying his persona in front of the host and the audience, and they loved it. Laughter and applause filled the room as they watched Deion being Prime Time.
However, it’s important to note that this self-embodied style was not liked by everyone. Some teams viewed Deion as a distraction and self-centered. But that never detracted from the wildly successful career he ultimately had.
