Shedeur Sanders
Born 2002 · Age 23
American professional football quarterback. Played at Jackson State and Colorado; winner of Jerry Rice Award, Deacon Jones Trophy, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award; selected by the Cleveland Browns in 2025 NFL Draft.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Tyler, Texas
Shedeur Deion Sanders was born to Deion and Pilar Sanders in Tyler, Texas.
Began varsity career at Trinity Christian School
Began playing varsity football at Trinity Christian (Cedar Hill, TX) under coach Andre' Hart (played 2017–2020 in high school varsity program).
Freshman HS season stats and TAPPS title
As a freshman he went 12–1, completed 133-of-252 passes for 2,360 yards and 34 TDs and won a TAPPS state championship.
Sophomore HS undefeated season and stats
Sophomore season Trinity Christian went 14–0; Sanders completed 177-of-289 passes for 3,088 yards and 42 TDs, adding eight rushing TDs; TAPPS state championship.
Junior HS season and state title
Junior year he went 13–1, threw 244-of-331 for 3,477 yards and 47 TDs, and helped secure a third straight Division II state title.
Senior HS season and TCAL National Championship
Senior season finished 9–3, completed 251-of-366 for 3,702 yards and 43 TDs and led Trinity Christian to the 2020 TCAL National Championship.
Committed to Florida Atlantic (FAU)
Originally committed to play college football at Florida Atlantic University.
Flipped commitment to Jackson State
After his father Deion Sanders was named Jackson State head coach, Shedeur flipped his commitment from FAU to Jackson State.
SWAC Freshman of the Year & All-SWAC honors
Named SWAC Freshman of the Year and second-team All-SWAC following his 2021 season at Jackson State.
High school career totals and accolades
Finished high school career with 12,627 passing yards, 166 TDs, 805-of-1,238 completions and a 47–5 record (10th-most prep wins all-time).
Enrolled at Jackson State
Enrolled at Jackson State University in January 2021 (eligible for fall season but did not play spring 2021 due to COVID-delayed schedule).
2021 Jackson State season stats
As a freshman in 2021 he passed for 3,231 yards, 30 TDs and 8 INTs (JSU record season and led team to 11–2 overall record as starter).
Historic college NIL pioneer status
Became one of the highest-profile HBCU NIL beneficiaries and among the first college players to land major brand NILs (Beats, Gatorade, later Nike).
Named Jackson State starting quarterback
Went into fall 2021 season as the Tigers' starting quarterback.
Beats by Dre NIL deal
Signed an NIL deal with Beats by Dre as the company's first collegiate ambassador.
Won Jerry Rice Award (FCS Freshman of Year)
Awarded the Jerry Rice Award as the top freshman in FCS — first HBCU player to win the award.
Opened 2022 season dominant performance
To open his sophomore season Sanders completed 29-of-33 for 323 yards and 5 TDs in a 59–3 win over Florida A&M.
Finalist for Walter Payton Award
Named a finalist for the Walter Payton Award (top offensive player in FCS) after his 2022 season.
2022 Jackson State season stats
Sophomore season completed 344-of-488 passes for 3,752 yards, 40 TDs and 6 INTs (JSU: SWAC champs, 12–1 record).
Gatorade NIL deal announced
Signed an NIL partnership with Gatorade — noted as a historic deal for an HBCU player.
SWAC Offensive Player of the Year & HBCU honors
Named SWAC Offensive Player of the Year and received BOXTOROW HBCU Offensive Player of the Year honors.
Won Deacon Jones Trophy
Awarded the Deacon Jones Trophy as the nation's top HBCU player.
Entered NCAA transfer portal
Entered the transfer portal after Jackson State's 2022 Celebration Bowl.
Announced transfer to Colorado
After his father Deion Sanders was hired as Colorado's head coach, Shedeur announced his decision to transfer to Colorado.
2023 Colorado season totals & honors
Finished 2023 with 3,230 passing yards, 27 passing TDs, 3 INTs and 4 rushing TDs in 11 games; named AP Pac-12 Newcomer of the Year and first-team All-Transfer honors.
Named to Davey O’Brien midseason watch list and semifinalist
Earned a spot on the Davey O’Brien midseason watch list and was one of the season's semifinalists for the award.
Early-season Colorado performances
Followed with 393 yards vs Nebraska and 348 yards and 4 TDs in win over Colorado State, leading CU to 3–0 start.
Colorado debut vs TCU — 510 yards
In his first game for Colorado he completed 38-of-47 for a school-record 510 passing yards and 4 TDs in a 45–42 upset of No. 17 TCU.
Missed Utah game with back fracture
Missed Colorado's season finale against Utah due to a fractured back.
Colorado career & NCAA career milestones
Completed collegiate career with 50 games, 1,267-of-1,808 passes (70.1%) for ~14,347 yards, 134 TDs and 27 INTs; threw TD pass in 49 straight games (NCAA D1 record).
2024 Colorado season statistics & records
In 2024 completed 353-of-477 (74.0%) for a school-record 4,134 yards, 37 TDs and 10 INTs; led Colorado to a 9–4 record and Alamo Bowl appearance.
Finished 2024 Heisman voting (8th)
Finished eighth in Heisman Trophy voting for the 2024 season.
Multiple weekly national player of the week honors
In 2024 earned multiple national weekly honors (Johnny Unitas Golden Arm National Player of the Week five times and other weekly awards across Davey O’Brien, Earl Campbell polls).
Set multiple Colorado single-season records
Set CU single-season records in passing yards (4,134), completion percentage (74.0%), passing TDs (37), completions (353) and touchdown-to-interception ratio for the season.
Released hip‑hop single 'Perfect Timing'
Released his first song, 'Perfect Timing'.
Signed NIL deal with Nike
Signed a name, image and likeness (NIL) agreement with Nike — reported as the first college football player to sign with the brand in that manner.
Named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year
Earned Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year honors for the 2024 season.
Won Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
Awarded the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award as the nation’s top upperclassman quarterback.
Rookie at Cleveland Browns training camp
Appeared as a rookie quarterback at Browns training camp and listed on the active roster.
NFL Combine measurables recorded
NFL pre-draft measurables listed: height ~6'1.5" (1.87 m), weight 212 lb (96 kg), arm length 31.5 in, hand span 9.375 in.
Draft-day prank call and phone number leak
During the draft a prank caller obtained the private NFL phone number assigned to Sanders; the caller later identified as Jax Ulbrich. The incident led to league investigation.
Public pre-draft evaluations & criticisms
Several NFL scouts and executives publicly debated his draft stock; anonymous critiques included concerns about sacks, timing, and body language.
Colorado announced jersey retirement
Colorado announced that Sanders' jersey number (and teammate Travis Hunter's) would be retired before the school's spring game.
Selected in 2025 NFL Draft (5th round, pick 144)
Selected by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round, 144th overall, on April 26, 2025.
Brother Shilo Sanders signs as UDFA
His older brother Shilo Sanders signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent following the 2025 draft.
NFL fines over Sanders phone number leak
NFL fined the Atlanta Falcons $250,000 and coach Jeff Ulbrich $100,000 over the leak of Sanders' phone number and related prank.
Signed rookie contract with Cleveland Browns
Signed a four-year rookie deal with the Cleveland Browns worth $4.6 million, including a $447,380 signing bonus.
Speeding citation in Medina County, Ohio
Cited for driving 91 mph in a 65 mph zone in Medina County, Ohio.
Second speeding ticket near Strongsville, Ohio
Received a speeding ticket for driving 101 mph (41 mph over the limit) near Strongsville, Ohio.
Key Achievement Ages
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