Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders is following in his father, Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion's footsteps. Literally.
Sanders, entering his second year as the starting quarterback for the Buffaloes, on Wednesday signed an NIL deal with Nike, according to Nick DePaula on X, formerly known as Twitter. Sanders is the first college football player to ink an NIL deal with the sports apparel giant.
BREAKING: Nike has signed Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders to a NIL footwear & apparel deal. 📄✍️ pic.twitter.com/4M8oWVzijO
— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) August 28, 2024
The picture, which features Sanders doing his signature celebration, also known as the "Watch Flex" or "The Shedeur", was captioned by Nike, "You know what Time it is."
Sanders's deal with Nike is reportedly for footwear and apparel.
Sanders's father Deion inked a deal with Nike during his playing days in the NFL, and even had his own signature shoe, the Nike Air Diamond Turf, which debuted in 1993. The elder Sanders claimed he wasn't properly compensated for the designing of the shoe and had a falling-out with the apparel company, vowing to never work with the company in 2017.
But Sanders announced he had re-signed with Nike in July of 2023, and now his son is on board with the company.
Shedeur Sanders, during an episode of the 2Legendary With Shedeur Sanders podcast that aired on Tuesday, said he wants to expand upon his father's signature Nike shoe.
“I would want to build on it," Sanders said. "I want to build on it. Have like a different version. But I think concept, because I feel like it’s more… like now, like just looking at life and looking at everything, it’s more about generational."
"It’s more about what could be passed down year after year after year after year rather than everybody starting to think they’re whole new wave and whole new, because there’s no real substance behind it."
The Colorado QB, who is among the expected top picks in the 2024 NFL draft, has an NIL valuation of $4.7 million, the top mark in the country according to On3 Sports, though that mark should be expected to rise significantly in light of the Nike deal.
In Deion Sanders's first season as head coach this past season, the Buffaloes took the sports world by storm, winning their first three games before fizzling out to a 4-8 finish.
The Buffaloes, looking to prove that last season's start was no fluke, open the 2024 campaign at home against North Dakota State on Thursday.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders Follows in Deion's Footsteps, Signs Deal With Nike .
