Deion Sanders Calls Brock Purdy One of the Greatest Stories Ever

Sports Illustrated

Deion Sanders joins Sports Illustrated from Radio Row ahead of Super Bowl 58. Primetime believes if Brock Purdy can lead the 49ers to a victory it will cement him as of the greatest stories in NFL history.

Transcript

00:00 Let's go back to the old days.

00:01 First of all, how are you doing?

00:02 I'm good. I'm good.

00:03 You looking good?

00:04 How about you?

00:04 I'm great.

00:05 You look good.

00:05 I can't complain. I feel good too.

00:07 The theme music on?

00:08 Yeah, there you go.

00:08 When you came around the corner, I thought the theme music was on.

00:10 There you go. There you go.

00:12 [laughs]

00:13 All right, so one thing we talked about.

00:16 He wouldn't tell me too much,

00:18 but he said, "Tell Prime to tell or explain what Homie the Clown was."

00:22 Oh my God.

00:24 First of all, let's digress.

00:26 Your father is partially responsible for where I am today.

00:33 Yes, sir.

00:34 Unbelievable man of God,

00:36 changed his total life and told me about the journey,

00:39 but he was so humble enough.

00:42 You got to understand, I'm a first-round pick.

00:44 He was a first-round pick,

00:46 but he sacrificed his position to raise me,

00:49 to make sure I was straight.

00:50 We used to stay after practice and watch film and study and study, study.

00:54 And we were playing against New Orleans or something,

00:57 and your pops was out there.

00:58 And I think one of the big fellows running back came around the corner,

01:02 and I said, "Now, Reverend Presh,

01:04 I know you seen that man running out there at you like that.

01:09 Why would you jump behind that receiver

01:11 and try to play like he was blocking you?"

01:13 And right then, I think we created a homie.

01:16 It's the Homie the Clown.

01:17 And whoever turned down the tackle

01:20 had to wear this pink shirt up under his practice shirt that said,

01:23 "I'm Homie the Clown because I was scared to hit."

01:27 And you had to wear it because we had boating and everything on it.

01:30 Yeah, but it was hilarious, man.

01:31 But I owe a lot to you, Father, man.

01:33 So I got something that he told me to tell you when it's over,

01:36 but we'll save that to the end.

01:38 All right, we're at Colorado.

01:39 - Yes, sir. - In the pack.

01:40 Yes, sir.

01:42 Good season this year, being out there.

01:44 You got your kids out there, they balling.

01:46 What are the things that you have to address going into next season?

01:50 We addressed everything in the offseason.

01:52 I started outside in.

01:53 I build it different because my attractability

01:56 - were for the skill players. - Okay.

01:57 Now we went to inside-out.

02:00 Now winning at a whole new offensive line.

02:03 Several players on the defensive front.

02:05 A couple linebackers, two corners.

02:07 And we understood the need and we fulfilled the need.

02:11 We're still not done.

02:12 Probably after spring, it'll be several other players in the portal

02:16 that fits the description and the smart, tough, fast discipline with character.

02:20 And we would target those guys and probably go after those guys.

02:23 But we fulfilled the needs that we had a lack thereof of last season.

02:30 So being in the pack versus being at an HBCU,

02:34 what was the major difference that you noticed off the bat,

02:37 just from a coaching standpoint?

02:39 Coaches in HBCUs are really good.

02:40 They just don't get the opportunity.

02:42 Now, the fact I have three coaches from HBCUs on my staff,

02:46 as well as a support staff full of HBCU men and women.

02:53 So it's not that.

02:57 Rosters are larger.

02:59 The recruiting capability are broader.

03:02 Budgets are much bigger.

03:04 It's a different game, but we're prepared for that game.

03:07 You got to understand, people talk about coaching at the level of college football.

03:10 They forgot that I was a pro for 14 years.

03:12 Yeah, yeah, of course.

03:13 Not only that, I worked in television for another 19 years combined.

03:17 So all that stuff prepared me for coaching college football.

03:21 And I'm thoroughly happy and excited.

03:23 I can't wait to this season.

03:25 So you know the word says, "Train them a child the way you should go."

03:28 And when he grows up, they will not depart.

03:30 That's right.

03:31 You know, you've been very, very hands on, you know, with Shadur, Shiloh,

03:35 being able to coach them.

03:37 Talk to me about like what that means to you.

03:40 Man, first of all, my son Junior does all that video and everything.

03:44 He's brilliant.

03:45 He's changed the whole game of how people see a team.

03:48 I mean, he's unbelievable.

03:50 But coaching my sons, I've coached them.

03:52 I'm the only coach they've ever known, really.

03:54 Shiloh did go to South Carolina for a couple of years, but came back home with me

03:59 and Jackson.

04:01 But I'm the only coach they've ever known.

04:03 So I'm just not dad, I'm their coach.

04:05 And I think I've instilled some things in them as your father instilled in you.

04:09 But taking it to another level with being there on a daily basis, I can't lose, man.

04:14 We may lose on the scoreboard, but I'm winning because several of those kids

04:17 that played for me in Colorado played for me when they were kids, when they were five

04:21 or six or seven years old, as well as playing for me at Jackson State.

04:24 And we even got a couple of the ladies that I brought from Jackson that are female

04:28 trainers, three of them, matter of fact.

04:30 So, man, I'm living the dream, man.

04:33 And I love life.

04:34 I love the life I live, and I live the life I love.

04:36 I really do.

04:37 That's what's up.

04:38 All right, let's get into the Super Bowl, Ty.

04:39 We are here in Vegas.

04:40 We are ready to roll.

04:41 We got the Chiefs and we got the Niners.

04:43 I'm pretty sure my guess would be you're going for the Niners, being a Niner alum.

04:48 I don't care about alum.

04:49 I care about teams.

04:51 Okay.

04:52 I think Brock Purdy is the best story in the last two decades ever.

04:58 This kid is phenomenal, what he's accomplished.

05:01 I love me some Travis Kelce.

05:03 I love him.

05:04 I think he's unstoppable.

05:06 You can't contain him.

05:07 If I were them, I would double him and make everyone else beat me.

05:10 Yeah, yeah.

05:11 I'm going to have to do that.

05:12 But the flip side, who are you going to double with San Francisco?

05:16 They have too many weapons.

05:17 You can't.

05:18 So I'm leaning towards San Fran just because.

05:21 But it's going to come down to those quarterbacks.

05:23 Somebody's going to have to make a certain play.

05:26 It can come down to a great play, but a third and five, a third and eight.

05:30 And one of those guys is going to have to step out and have an out-of-body

05:34 experience to make the play.

05:35 For sure.

05:36 So let's talk about Patrick Mahomes a little bit.

05:39 Obviously, he's not been in the league too long.

05:41 Right.

05:42 You know, when it comes to a career, it's a journey.

05:45 Right.

05:45 Right?

05:46 It's not a sprint.

05:47 If he wins this Super Bowl, what does that do for his legacy?

05:51 His legacy is still unfolding as we speak.

05:55 The young man is brilliant.

05:57 He's unbelievable.

05:58 Not only that, he's a bona fide leader.

06:00 Because no matter what the personnel is, he continues

06:04 to lead and migrate himself here.

06:06 But do not underestimate the importance of Andy Reid.

06:09 Yeah.

06:10 One of the best to ever do it.

06:13 I love him as a man.

06:14 I love him as a coach.

06:15 I love him as a leader.

06:16 And I'm blessed enough to receive a call every now and then from Andy Reid just

06:21 encouraging me.

06:22 Super Bowl routines.

06:25 What was your Super Bowl routine?

06:26 You played in a few of them things.

06:28 You won a lot of them things.

06:29 I had the same routines every game.

06:31 So I didn't care about the magnitude of this moment.

06:35 The only difference was, there's more people

06:37 get to see you do your thing.

06:38 Right.

06:38 That's how I approached it.

06:39 More people get to see you do your thing, man.

06:41 And so I didn't really change how I approached the game.

06:45 So we're here with Sports Illustrated.

06:47 You were obviously the Sportsman of the Year.

06:49 Yeah.

06:49 Talk to us about maybe your favorite SI comment.

06:51 Probably me with the kids, man.

06:57 OK.

06:57 Yeah.

06:58 OK.

06:59 I think Travis and Shadora.

07:00 OK.

07:02 Anything that I add to somebody.

07:04 I don't want it to be about me.

07:05 It's been about me for 14 years when I played in the league.

07:08 But anything that involves the young men I coach is phenomenal.

07:11 OK.

07:12 I like that.

07:12 Talk to us about the partnership with the Almond Board of California.

07:14 Oh my god.

07:15 Like, I'm here today with the California Almonds.

07:17 February the 12th is National Recovery Day.

07:22 After the big event, the big game.

07:24 And I'm an almonds guy.

07:26 Like, I'm very cautious about what I put in my body.

07:29 I'm very cautious about-- very particular about how I look.

07:32 And I try to eat right and live right, man.

07:34 So almonds help me do that.

07:35 And I'm thankful for California Almonds for giving me these opportunities.

07:39 All right.

07:40 So Reverend Press had a note.

07:42 I'm going to read that note.

07:43 This came direct from him verbatim, quote for quote.

07:46 Please do.

07:47 He said, "Tell Prime I said he is the greatest corner to ever play the game."

07:51 Hold on.

07:52 Hold on.

07:52 You got to stop right there.

07:53 See, you're trying to get me emotional.

07:55 This Press.

07:56 This Press.

07:57 You're trying to get me emotional.

07:57 This Press.

07:57 This is what he said.

07:58 Don't get me emotional.

07:59 This is what he said.

08:00 Thank God I have on shades right now.

08:02 He said, "He had all the tools, speed, length, and size.

08:05 He was a technician at bump and run because he laid his hands on receivers.

08:09 He could backpedal.

08:10 And if he intercepted the ball, it was highly likely it would be a pick six.

08:15 The most important thing about him was he loved the film room.

08:18 That's how real pros are made."

08:21 That's Reverend Press right there.

08:23 I'm glad I have on these shades right now.

08:25 Because I hold your father in so much high esteem.

08:32 It's unbelievable.

08:33 He still can't fathom what he did for my career, his selflessness.

08:39 And he always told me, he said, "You know what?

08:41 One day you're going to be saved, man.

08:43 One day you're going to be preaching, and you're going to always be a leader of men."

08:47 And he proclaimed that when I said, "Yeah, but until then."

08:50 Yeah.

08:50 Get out here in the streets and get down to Magic City.

08:54 So he proclaimed that, man.

08:56 And he used to always look out for me, no matter what.

08:59 And just think about it.

09:00 I'm coming there to take his job, but he's looking out for me.

09:05 Come on, man.

09:06 So that's why I've always been that guy and always been personable with my

09:12 teammates as well as the young men I coach because your father taught me so much, man.

09:17 That's what's up.

09:17 Hey, ladies and gentlemen, what's understood does not need to be explained.

09:21 Deion Sanders, primetime, baby.

09:23 (whooshing)

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