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Two-time Super Bowl winner Deion Sanders has once again come under criticism this time finding himself in the middle of a religious controversy.
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Member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Deion Sanders has been under the spotlight since he announced that he’ll be moving to Colorado after a successful stint with Jackson State. The two-time Super Bowl winner will be looking to improve on the Buffaloes’ 1-11 record last year.
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And Sanders isn’t the only new addition to the Colorado Buffaloes. Sanders’ son QB Shedeur Sanders, star CB Travis Hunter, and LB Jeremiah Brown are part of a nine-player list of former Jackson State players who have transferred to Colorado through the portal.
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Sanders was on the front page again for expressing his strong belief in God while he was still a coach at Jackson State Tigers. This was shortly before the 55-year-old signed a $29.5m contract for five years to coach the Buffaloes in December 2022. This move also made him the third-highest-paid coach in the PAC 12.
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In his introductory press conference in Colorado, Sanders openly praised God, while talking about his new endeavor. However, the Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF), which is a non-profit organization that advocates for atheists, agnostics, and nontheists has not taken too kindly to the head coach expressing his religious beliefs.
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The FFRF has also accused the former Super Bowl champion turned head coach of creating a ‘pray-to-play’ environment. According to reports, Sanders has been ingraining his team meetings and programs with Christianity and engaging in religious exercises with players and staff.
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This is not the only accusation from the FFRF, as there are multiple claims of Colorado residents expressing their concerns over team-led prayers. Moreover, the after-practice prayer sessions hosted by the head coach have encouraged players to devote more time to God.
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The FFRF expressed all these concerns in a letter to Colorado University. Meanwhile, on the other hand, another organization called the First Liberty Institute has come to the defense of Sanders. The Institute made it clear that the university telling him to do so could infringe on his rights.
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Deion Sanders was picked by the Atlanta Falcons as the 5th in the first round of the 1989 NFL draft. The lockdown cornerback spent five seasons there establishing himself as a dominant force on defense. After spending five years in Atlanta, Sanders signed with the San Francisco 49ers where he won the Super Bowl the same year.
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Sanders signed with the Dallas Cowboys the following year and was once again an important part of the team winning the Super Bowl. Across 14 seasons in the NFL, Sanders racked up 512 tackles, 53 interceptions 3,523 kickoff return yards, and 22 touchdowns. He won two Super Bowl titles and earned eight Pro Bowl honors.
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