Deion Sanders Revived College Athlete Who Lost Father Figure; Giving His Life New Purpose Despite NCAA Injustice

Deion Sanders is synonymous with polarizing. Certain factions look down upon his outward eccentricity and antics as a head coach and, by extension, leader of men. The “men” he’s affecting, though, are quite unanimous in their reverence of him. From the onset of his CFB head coaching career at Jackson State, Deion has altered careers. Players have been given a new lease of life and a platform they yearned for. The proverbial tide has lifted all boats, and one player is a proponent of this.
It’s difficult to fathom for the everyday Joe how a coach can become an integral part of your life. The nexus between player and coach is sacrilege, built on reciprocal trust. Especially at the collegiate level. Players are essentially trusting coaches with their future, and coaches are trusting student-athletes with their commitment to sports. After a Colorado player tragically lost his coach in front of him, he was naturally in a bad spot mentally. He acknowledges Deion Sanders’ role in pulling him out of a dark place.
O-lineman Tyler Brown initially went to the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns out of high school. There, he was coached by DJ Looney, the assistant offensive line coach. During s3 e2 of the Coach Prime docuseries, Brown called Looney his “go-to guy” who “really took him under his wing”. “[Coach Looney] taught me the nuances of football. I mean, my nickname was ‘Little Looney’ because they said we walked the same, we talked the same,” he said on August 1, 2020. DJ Looney collapsed with a heart attack in the midst of practice. He unfortunately succumbed to it. Tyler Brown witnessed this tragic ordeal first-hand. This experience necessitated a change in scenery and a fresh start.
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View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tyler Brown (@_tylerbrown56)
“I didn’t know if I was going to be the same player again. I’d really lost my confidence. I was just not in a good place mentally. it was just like sinking into the darkness. I just felt like I needed to mentally reset. Louisiana wasn’t really home,” stated Tyler Brown. He transferred to Jackson State, where his path crossed with Deion Sanders. Brown outwardly said how one small gesture from Deion changed the trajectory of his career. A new nickname, Rock. It instilled Brown with lost confidence. “Rock is Rock, man. Rock is steady. He’s strong as an ox. Rock is smart. He’s wise in the moment,” said Deion.
Naturally, when Deion Sanders went from JSU to Colorado, Brown wanted to follow suit. However, there was a problem. Since he’d already used the transfer portal once, Tyler Brown needed a waiver to access it again. Obtaining this waiver became an unfair problem. Brown became a victim of some injustice from the powers that be.
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Deion Sanders couldn’t deploy Tyler Brown’s services for a year
The aforementioned waiver is only afforded by the NCAA to those with extenuating circumstances or mental health issues. Tyler Brown takes medication for anxiety and other mental health problems since he was 18, he stated without hesitation. He also said he takes therapy sessions. “I didn’t see how I couldn’t get a waiver. A week later, I was told that I couldn’t play football. I was ineligible for a whole year.”
According to Brown, the NCAA rejected his plea, citing that his mental health issues weren’t severe enough. It’s quite prejudicial to suggest one can assess how severe someone’s issues are on a scale. Let alone without any proper investigation. “That ate at me every single Saturday during that time,” said Brown. Despite this setback, he didn’t let his confidence waiver this time around.
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Adversity can often lead you down paths that appear treacherous at first but transpire to be a blessing in disguise. When Tyler Brown moved to Jackson State after losing his confidante and coach, he’d have never thought the pieces will fall like this. Deion Sanders, with all his baggage, became a beacon of hope. He continues to be an advocate for anybody suffering inwardly. “I love being a part of a team, being a part of a community. I love being a part of something bigger than myself. So I’m just ready and excited to show the world that it doesn’t matter what you’re going through. Doesn’t matter if you have anxiety or depression. You can make something of yourself. You can be great, you can be awesome.”