Deion: Shedeur endured 'hell' in predraft, as rookie with Browns - ESPN

Colorado football coach Deion Sanders said his son Shedeur «went through hell» during a turbulent predraft process and rookie season with the Cleveland Browns, adding that he believes both were rife with untruthful reporting.

«When he takes off his shirt, I see the scars on his back that he's been through hell, but he's made it through hell,» Deion said in an interview with «The Barbershop» that was posted Thursday on YouTube.

«He kept going and he matured, not like he was a child, but he matured spiritually,» he said. Shedeur, he added, came to understand, «You can't force this. If it ain't your time, it ain't your time.»

Shedeur Sanders, a standout at Jackson State and Colorado, was viewed as one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2025 draft and was ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr.'s No. 1-rated quarterback, but he fell to Day 3, when the Browns traded up to select him with the 144th overall pick.

The surprising drop sparked discourse about his predraft process, with multiple reports citing anonymous sources saying he did not interview well with teams at the combine.

«It was some ignorant things came out about him predraft and all that, and that was a lie,» Deion Sanders said. «Like, he would never go into a meeting with headphones on. He would never go into a meeting unprepared. Like, that's just not who he is. There's no way he could accomplish the things he accomplished without being prepared.»

Deion was also critical of some of the reporting during Shedeur's first season in Cleveland.

«A lot of things that was said… it bothered me, but it didn't bother him,» Deion said. «He just wanted the opportunity to get on the grass and do his thing.»

Shedeur began his pro career as Cleveland's No. 4 quarterback and did