Deion Sanders is known for his radiant and confident personality that touches a lot of individuals. However, even the strongest of individuals hit rock bottom in their lives, and Coach Prime is no different. In his appearance at the I AM ATHLETE podcast in 2021, the NFL legend revealed how he wanted to end his life despite having everything.
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In his chat with Brandon Marshal and Chad Johnson, Deion Sanders opened up about the lowest time in his life that made him suicidal. Prime for many is a mentor, a father figure, someone who ignites the fire within, but he himself once gave up on living when he was losing custody of his kids at the time of his first divorce.
Deion Sanders Opened Up About Suicidal Thoughts
Deion Sanders’ ex-wife Carolyne Chambers filed for divorce on September 11, 1996. At the time, Prime was playing two sports and was at the peak of his career making tons of money along with multiple commercial deals. However, it took a big hit on him when he was losing custody of his children. He shared two kids with Chambers, Deion Sanders Jr., and Deiondra Sanders.
“I was suicidal,” Deion Sanders said. “I had everything. Every time you turned on the TV I was on every commercial. Top of my game, playing two sports and I tried to take myself out in Cincinnati, Ohio. Basically, my babies were taken away from me. That was the only thing I felt like, loved me, at the time. They loved what I did, but they didn’t love me because they didn’t know me.”
Prime further stated that it was a messy divorce that his kids had to go through. His personal life crisis including his overloaded career in MLB and NFL made him extremely stressed. He described this time as the bottom of what life was to him. He previously documented his entire journey in his autobiography, ‘Power, Money & S*x: How Success Almost Ruined My Life’, published in 1999.
Prime’s Suicide Attempt Paved the Path To The Lord
Coach Prime through his autobiography, revealed how he took a spiritual route to fill the void of peace and fulfillment in his life. “I finally just got on my knees and gave it all to the Lord,” Sanders said, via Kelly D. Evans. He further stated that he had to deal with his faith and his strength to fight off “the enemy.” He even mentioned that he wouldn’t have lived without his faith.
I'm on God's plan because he preserved me when I was once suicidal,loved me when many judged me,used me and walked away. I Love JESUS! Truth
— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) August 9, 2014
Furthermore, Deion Sanders also advocates keeping a check on the mental health of the players. He has certainly faced a lot of hardships in his life and he uses all the knowledge that he has learned from his experiences to pass on to the players he coaches. No wonder he is a mentor and a father figure to many.
