Deion Sanders Explains His Controversial Parenting Comments

Source: MediaNews Group/Boulder Daily Camera via Getty Images / Getty

Coach Prime aka Deion Sanders dropped by The Pivot podcast and tried to clarify his controversial parenting comments that have been sparking discourse.

Sanders’ move to Colorado garnered backlash from his former die-hard HBCU supporters and now that the dust from the move has mostly settled, he’s facing a new controversy.

During an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, Prime gave his thoughts on how he picks his best players and revealed that their relationship with their parents and home life plays a big part. According to Prime, he wants quarterbacks from dual-parent households and defensive linemen raised by single mothers.

“Well, we have different attributes. Smart, tough, fast, disciplined with character. Now, quarterbacks are different,” Sanders told Eisen. “We want mother, father. Dual parent. We want that kid to be 3.5 [GPA] and up because he has to be smart. No bad decisions off the field, at all because he has to be a leader of men.”

“Defensive linemen is totally opposite. Single mama, trying to get it, he’s on free lunch,” Sanders said. “I’m talking about just trying to make it. He’s trying to rescue mama. Like mama barely made the flight and I want him to just go get it.”

Prime’s comments on roles for players based on parents in the household instantly caused concern and people have been harping on his comments for weeks.

Recently, Sanders stopped by The Pivot podcast and explained his viewpoint.

“We stereotype everything,” said Sanders. “You know, I just got in trouble for being honest about stereotypes, but it’s the truth. … If you look over the history of our game, and you look at the quarterbacks and look at the defensive linemen…”

Sanders went on to explain that he’s unphased.

Luckily for Sanders, he’s got the support of Shaquille O’Neal who recently backed the coach.

“Ain’t nothing wrong with that,” O’Neal said of Sanders’ rationale. “There ain’t nothing wrong with what he said. You know why I have discipline? You know why I don’t get in trouble? You know why I don’t do dumb s—? Daddy would have whooped my a–.” Shaq revealed on The Big Podcast. 

The comments Deion made are triggering for a lot of people and their upbringing which makes finding common ground impossible. In the end, the topic will always be a subject people will have to agree to disagree on.

For now, you can watch Coach Prime’s full interview on The Pivot below.