INDIANAPOLIS -- Shedeur Sanders knows the spotlight. He was born into it.
When the Colorado quarterback stepped to the podium Friday at the NFL Scouting Combine, he shined brighter than the two twinkling diamond chains he wore around his neck, commanding the room with a presence that oozed confidence and determination.
Look no further than his response to a question regarding those who doubt Sanders.
"You think I'm worried about what critics say or what people got to say?" Sanders said. "You know who my dad is? They hated on him too. So, it's almost normal; without people hating it's not normal for us. We like the adversity. We like everything that comes with the name. That's why we are who we are."
As the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, Shedeur Sanders has spent most of his life living in front of the camera. The same was true of his time at Colorado, where his father coached him and his brother, Shilo Sanders, as well as top 2025 prospect Travis Hunter. Colorado became the story of college football because of Deion. Now, Shedeur is ready to write his own tale in the NFL that he believes will be described with the same adjective as the one he uttered while departing Friday: legendary.
The 23-year-old prospect is ready to author his story, setting out to replicate in the NFL what he'd already accomplished in his two collegiate stops at Jackson State and Colorado.
"We went from Jackson State to Colorado and changed two programs back to back, so you don't think I can come to an NFL franchise and change a program again?" Sanders said. "It's history. We done it again. It's always going to repeat itself."
Plenty of quarterbacks have stepped to the podium in Indianapolis and promised they'd bring transformative change to their future employer. But Sanders was adamant he'd have such an impact Friday, doubling down by recommending those who don't believe in him to steer clear of selecting him.
"That's the plan. If that's not what you're trying to do -- don't get me," Sanders said. "If you ain't trying to change the franchise or the culture -- don't get me. So, you should know history repeats itself over and over and over, and I've done it over and over and over, so it should be no question why a franchise should pick me."
In a class that isn't considered to be as strong at the position than its predecessor, Sanders is one of two top signal-callers expected to be selected in the first round, with the other being Miami's Cam Ward. He didn't mention much about team fit, but did reference the career of one club's minority owner -- Tom Brady -- when referencing his own strengths and his approach to his NFL future.
Brady, of course, owns a stake in the Las Vegas Raiders, a team that is very interested in making a move (or moves) at quarterback. If they selected Sanders, they'd be welcoming a passer who, like Brady, prides himself on his intellect "because I know nothing can faze me. No pressure, no situation, these cameras, nothing fazes me. I grew up with it."
"It's extremely important to keep your mental in the best place because that's where my game is played," Sanders said. "My game's not played from my legs and not even just my arm, so I know longevity, the all-time greats -- what's Tom Brady's best trait? His mental. He's able to think. So, if you have those traits of greatness and I know where I'm headed, then why wouldn't a franchise pick me? You've got the ultimate cheat code."
If prospective employers are looking for a cheat code, they found one when it comes to media relations. Sanders' charismatic presence blended excellently with his humility, such as when he admitted he might need to rein himself in at the next level in order to maximize his potential by avoiding getting "caught up playing hero ball" like he did at times at Colorado.
That begins by preparing mentally, a key priority for Sanders. He's also getting ready to hear his name called on draft night, but ironically, despite being a seasoned veteran in front of cameras, he won't attend the draft, instead taking it in at home with those who have supported him in his journey.
As for where he's selected, it's irrelevant to Sanders, a QB who wasn't as intensely recruited as others in his class. He knows he only needs the opportunity and again pointed to Brady as proof.
"The number of where you go don't matter," Sanders said. "Like I said, this is why I reference Tom Brady because he was the best of the best in my category -- he didn't go first. So, the number getting picked don't matter. I wasn't the top-rated quarterback coming out of high school because there's a lot of exterior things that people like and don't like about me. I'm realistic. I'm realistic about my family and everything that people say it comes with."
Judging by the momentum he's gaining in the pre-draft process and the attention he drew Friday, he won't have to wait very long.
Programming note: Tune in to NFL Network and NFL+ for live coverage of the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine beginning at 3 p.m. ET on Friday and 1 p.m. ET on Saturday and Sunday.
