QB Shedeur Sanders the Strongest Sanders?

Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities continue to get more creative as fans see more players advertising higher-end products by the day.

However, I am not sure anything can beat this commercial featuring several members of a well-known family in the sports industry.

During this year’s Super Bowl, viewers might have seen an advertisement featuring renowned retired NFL player, Deion Sanders. Those watching also got to see his mother, father, sister, and children including his four-star transfer prospect son, Shedeur.

Shedeur has been making headlines of his own for his work as an athlete in the past few years. The 21-year-old was the No. 21 overall player in the 2023 portal rankings (as of 12/19) and the fifth-ranked quarterback according to 247Sports.  

Deion Sanders is currently the Head Coach for the Colorado Buffaloes. Previously, he was Head Coach at Jackson State University.

While at Jackson State, Shedeur played for his father as the quarterback (QB). Shilo (another son of Deion’s) also served as safety for the team before each athlete followed their father to Colorado.

A Sanders family member for all types of fans

In the commercial, viewers can see different members of the family fighting over the title of “the strongest in the family.”

Just hours before the commercial’s debut, Deion Sanders tweeted “There’s no family stronger than mine. The family that strengths together, stays together” with a teaser of the video. 

The advertisement closes out with text that reads, “Stronger makes everything better,” along with three different kinds of Oikos yogurt. 

The users in the comments seemed to love the advertisement, sharing their love for different members of the family.

“We hope our campaign inspires consumers to make strong snack choices that power their strength,” said Surbhi Martin, nutritionist and vice president at Danone North America in a statement. “This year, we also have ambitions to strengthen access to nutrition and fitness resources that will help fuel the next generation of strong, healthy young adults,” according to Ad Week.

Shedeur stepping into the spotlight

Last year, Coach Prime was also a part of Oikos’ advertisement with Shedeur. Since the NCAA’s rule changes two years ago, players like Shedeur can financially benefit from work like this.

“People don’t understand how much work and how much time you put into the game,” says Shedeur. “Stay late at the school just going over film, going over plays, as much time and hard work it is that’s put into this and that we’re able to be rewarded now, it feels amazing.” 

Shedeur definitely seems to be getting comfortable with the NIL side of athletics. He also has deals with Beats by Dre, Gatorade, and Mercedes-Benz. Not to mention, he signed an agreement with a Porsche dealership while still at Jackson State.

In January of last year, Shedeur also signed a “historic deal.” Sanders became the first athlete ever from a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) to be sponsored by Gatorade.

Check out this behind-the-scenes video of the commercial. Also, be sure to keep an eye out for Sheduer Sanders in next year’s draft. He is proving to have the athleticism, personality, and star quality to appeal to many coaches.

Victoria Jonach is an aspiring writer and media analyst fascinated in what kinds of activities players participate in off the football field. Growing up in New Jersey, she is a New York Giants fan and attends Rutgers University, pursuing a career in Journalism and Media Studies. She writes for FirstRoundMock.com covering anticipated draft picks and their acts of volunteerism, entrepreneurship, and other interests that shape these individuals.