It’s Prime Time!

Deion Sanders has dominated the news about college football this year. An article in U.S. Today suggested that he could be the most famous college football coach in history! Prime time has a new meaning, and it doesn’t refer to television.

In the past thirty years, Deion has made multiple commercials for outstanding products. His AFLAC commercials with Nick Saban are some of the most popular today. He has hosted a Miss USA pageant. He played both professional baseball and professional football. In five days in 1989, he had two doubles and a homerun for the Yankees, then flew to Atlanta to score a touchdown to beat the Rams!

He was hired this year as the University of Colorado head football coach. His popularity escalated as Colorado played their archrival Colorado State. The televised game did not even start until 10:00 pm on the East Coast. That’s not television prime time, but Coach “Prime Time” led his team to a double overtime win and 11.1 million television viewers saw it! Wow! That’s six times as many viewers as watched the highly advertised Alabama/Texas football game a week earlier!

I love his outspoken witness to his Christian faith. He has an Instagram post captioned “Jesus.” He said, “Sex won’t satisfy you. Fame won’t satisfy you. Drugs won’t satisfy you. Money won’t satisfy you. Alcohol won’t satisfy you. Success won’t satisfy you. Life is empty without Jesus. He is the only one who can satisfy your heart.”

When he was introduced at Colorado as the head coach, he thanked Colorado for selecting him, but he felt it was really God who chose him for that position. He said, “Out of all the persons in the world, God chose me. For that, I thank Him and you.” 

He has had some big physical, spiritual, and emotional challenges in his life. He is realistic that life has mountaintops and valleys. He was quoted when he prayed, “Lord, I thank you for yesterday because if it weren’t for yesterday, I wouldn’t be prepared for today. I am appreciative of the ups, downs, comings, goings, the light, the darkness, the good and the bad. I thank you for it all.”

He got his nickname when he was playing high school basketball and scored 35 points to beat a big rival. The newspaper headlines called him “Prime Time”—and it has stuck. Today, it is often shortened to “Prime.”

He gives credit to coaches, but he always remembers the “little people.” Look at his shirt that he wears on the sideline each week when he coaches. On the right sleeve, you will see JC. That stands for Jimmie Callahan who was the equipment manager at Florida State. Deion remembers him every time he coaches because he had such a big influence on him in college. How many people reading this article know the names of the “little people” in your organization?

I don’t know how many more games Deion will win this year, but watch out for the future. The most important wins he has are not on the football field but in the lives of students, players, and adults throughout America. Pray for him—and all coaches.

Isn’t this a prime time for you to make a difference?