Shedeur Sanders had one of the highest NIL valuations of any player in college football last year. He was well-liked by fans, and even football insiders appreciated his game, touting him as the likely No. 1 overall pick as late as December. Unfortunately, that’s not how things shook out. The Buffs QB went through an epic slide on draft weekend that ended on Day 3, when he was selected No. 144 overall in the fifth round by the Cleveland Browns.
Despite the league seemingly trying to blackball the son of Deion Sanders, the family’s supporters never let up. After the draft’s conclusion, it was reliably reported that Sanders’ Browns jersey was the highest-selling rookie jersey on the market, even ahead of No. 1 pick Cam Ward and Shedeur’s former teammate and No. 2 pick, Travis Hunter.
While many in the media love to create a negative narrative surrounding Shedeur, his fans have stood by him through thick and thin. Now that he’s made it to the big leagues, some people are still trying to give his rabid fanbase a moniker. “Sanders Nation” was suggested to the 23-year-old recently, but Shedeur didn’t sound very impressed—or all that interested in the name.
“What’s Sanders Nation? I don’t be calling them that. It’s a group of individual people who have they’re own thoughts. I can’t control nobody. I don’t even pay attention, I don’t pay attention to it for real. I’m thankful, though, but I focus on the main thing.”
It was basically the perfect answer. Don’t put importance on things like the name of his fan base, but also show love to those fans who support him by saying he’s “thankful.” When you actually listen to Sanders talk, rather than reading hot takes from people who don’t know him, it becomes clear that the agenda against him is utter nonsense. He’s got a good head on his shoulders.
Most of the fan response to the Sanders Nation clip was focused largely on the reporter’s attempt at getting Sanders into a gotcha moment. “SHE labeled them as “Sanders Nation,” and she wanted him to confirm it so she could run with it in the headlines. She wants us to be labeled so they can accuse us of being a cult next,” one fan said.
Another exasperated fan simply said, “This f**king lady.”
One Sanders supporter pointed out that, “that’s the reason he was streaming live on Twitch, I believe, so she couldn’t twist his words.” Another had clearly had run-ins with this reporter before (possibly Cleveland.com beat writer Mary Kay Cabot):
“Her obsession with his status is sickening. She’s a hater, and it shows. She’s jealous cause don’t nobody know no damn Mary Katherine or whatever her name is. I DON’T LIKE HER.”
We’re not well-versed enough in her writing to know if she has had an anti-Shedeur Sanders agenda previously, but it’s clear that many are not fans of the reporter. And it’s also clear that Sanders’ life growing up in the spotlight has prepared him well for media figures like this, who try to get him to say something headline-worthy.
Sanders has one thing on his mind at the moment: climbing up the Browns’ QB depth chart. Currently, it seems Joe Flacco is in pole position, with Kenny Pickett behind him. We’d say Sanders has a better chance to move up than fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel — but that still leaves him as QB3.
Still a lot of work to do, and no time to worry about the so-called Sanders Nation.
