Do You Believe Now? written by Cornell Dews

What prevents you from seeing Deion’s coaching experience as one of the greatest cultural moments for young men he’s leading and families he’s forever changing? What causes your seemingly unadulterated skewed view and attempt to relegate Deion’s mission and purpose to just football? Is it not clear that what Deion is doing reaches far beyond man made turf and the beautiful grass GOD has bestowed upon this earth that thousands of men run, jump, tackle, fall, kick and throw on? Coach Prime is doing something miraculous. And apparently, he was the only man that could do it. He was the man chosen by the MAN to do it. So, I ask you the same question Coach Prime broke into the realms of big-time college football asking, “Do You Believe, Now?”

I don’t intend for this editorial to be racially infused rhetoric. Nor do I intend to insinuate that because a person is not of the same complexion as the main character discussed, they may not understand the totality of Deion’s presence on the sideline at the University of Colorado, a predominantly white institution I might add. By no means am I attempting to reduce the visceral directed towards Coach Prime and the attack on him and his boys as racial hatred. No, no, I’m not attempting to do that. That would be absurd for a black man in America to think that a successfully accomplished black man in America, such as Deion Sanders, would not be celebrated by the masses for doing the phenomenal things that he’s doing in the lives of young men who look like him and come from humble beginnings like him, just because he’s black. Maybe it’s his Jake Paul cockiness that causes people to hate him. Maybe it’s his confidence that people dislike. Maybe it’s the JC embroidered on the sleeve of his coach apparel, the gold cross he adorns around his neck or his constant reference to JESUS. I don’t know what it is about his spirit that irritates the spirit of so many others. But can we just agree that he’s doing some great things at the University of Colorado? And it’s not just for himself. It appears that everyone is a recipient of the Deion Effect.

Increase in first year applications (+26.4%)
Increase in advertising value (+$249 million)
Increase in viewership
Increase in publicity
Won the most games in a season since 2016
Travis Hunter won the Heisman Trophy, the Biletnikoff, Bednarik and Maxwell Awards
Shedeur Sanders was voted the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year
During the Spring Semester of 2024, the CU Football program achieve their highest GPA in school history (2.932 GPA)
He teaches a class on campus called “Prime Time: Public Performance and Leadership”
The local economy in Boulder has taken an unprecedented uptick generating millions of dollars since the arrival of Deion

Oh, do we dare not say that Deion’s success at first Jackson State University and now the University of Colorado, did not pave the way for Michael Vick and Desean Jackson to get hired as head coaches at Norfolk State and Delaware State Universities, respectively? And on a more personal level, how many of those young men does Coach Prime show up as a surrogate father for? That’s not an aspect of the job that’s taken into consideration for most coaches on a DI level. But it’s obvious that Coach Prime thoroughly understands his role and mission. He’s not only fathering his own children. He’s fathering males, who, for a multitude of unfortunate reasons, can’t be fathered by their own biological fathers. Should that not be celebrated? That’s why, I’m sure, when he sits at the podium postgame to speak about his teams performance or he’s in the news defending or changing the narrative and labeling the media tries to place on individuals in his program; he does so with such visceral and passion. He’s not defending his players. He’s defending his sons. It’s a difference.

I just personally think that we should show a greater appreciation for Deion Sanders and all that he’s doing as a coach, mentor, role model, teacher and father. He’s doing a phenomenal job! And it’s not just based on x’s and o’s, wins and losses. Naw, GOD’s work can not be measured by man’s standards. Whether you like him or not (I’m talking about Deion, not JESUS), you must applaud the wondrous work he’s doing. So, when he poses the question, “Do You Believe Now” what might you say in response?