Shedeur Sanders and the Public Lynching at This Year’s NFL Draft

“...for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected…” - Exodus 20:5 NLT

Southern trees bear a strange fruit

Blood on the leaves and blood at the root

Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze

Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees

— Billie Holiday 

Shedeur Sanders, former quarterback at the University of Colorado, and son of Hall of Famer and current Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders, experienced a shocking slide in this year’s NFL Draft.

Leading up to the draft, Sanders was frequently mentioned alongside former University of Miami quarterback Cam Ward as a contender for the No. 1 overall pick. Ward was ultimately selected first, but Sanders did not hear his name called on Day 1 (Round 1) or Day 2 (Rounds 2 and 3). At Colorado and Jackson State, Sanders built an impressive resume. He was a two-time First-Team All-SWAC selection, won the Deacon Jones Trophy as the top HBCU player, and set school records at Colorado for passing yards and passing touchdowns in a single season.

In 2023, he threw for over 3,200 yards, 27 touchdowns, and maintained one of the nation’s best touchdown-to-interception ratios, despite playing behind one of the worst offensive lines in college football.

Sanders has no history of legal trouble, served as a captain at both schools, and by all reports is a great teammate, son, brother, and friend.

So what explains his sudden fall?

As a player, Deion Sanders was known for his bravado and larger than life personality. During his draft workout, Sanders famously showed up at the NFL Combine, ran a 4.2 second 40-yard dash, the fastest ever recorded, and immediately left without participating in any other drills. He was later drafted fifth overall by the Atlanta Falcons. Sanders’ Hall of Fame career was matched only by his charisma, as the two sport athlete transitioned into a successful sports commentary career after retirement.

Now  known as “Coach Prime” — the elder Sanders has attracted headlines since his hire at Jackson State and his high-profile move to Colorado. He has been outspoken in advocating for the best landing spots for his sons, Shedeur and Shilo Sanders, and for Travis Hunter, the Heisman Trophy contender and No. 2 overall pick. 

Yet Deion is not the first famous sports parent to do this, and in past cases, it has not resulted in punishment. 

How does a quarterback projected as a top pick fall to the fifth round? It appears that the sins of the father have come back to haunt the son.

What happened to Shedeur Sanders was not just a draft-day disappointment.

It was a public lynching.

The NFL made it clear that, despite his talent and leadership, Shedeur’s refusal to fully submit to their unwritten rules made him a problem to be dealt with. They made an example of him.

A Modern-Day Lynching

Lynching is often associated with the 19th century, but it persisted well into the 20th. It was a tactic to punish Black people who refused to “stay in their place.” After World War I, Black servicemen returning home were often targeted for lynching simply because they carried themselves with pride and dignity.

Sometimes lynchings happened in the dead of night, with victims kidnapped from their homes. Other times, they were public spectacles where families would gather, food would be served, and the victims would be paraded through town before being tortured and killed. The purpose of lynching was not only to punish but to instill fear. To control.

I have previously written about how the NFL Draft mirrors a modern-day slave auction. Black athletes are paraded, measured, and scrutinized before being assigned to teams.

In Forty Million Dollar Slaves, William C. Rhoden argues that despite their massive contracts, Black athletes’ autonomy is severely limited, and their financial security depends as much on maintaining good relationships with ownership as on athletic performance.

Historically, when an enslaved person refused to comply, three steps followed:

First, torture. Slave breakers would beat the rebellious into submission.

Second, separation. Those who resisted were often sold to harsher plantations, tearing apart families.

Third, murder. Public executions were used to terrify others into obedience.

Extending the metaphor, Shedeur Sanders’ refusal to fully conform during the pre-draft process led to his professional lynching. As Shedeur sat patiently with his family, waiting to be drafted, he became a target. Anonymous reports criticized his attitude. His phone number was leaked. He was prank-called by the son of a New York Giants staffer.

The financial difference alone is staggering.A top pick could expect a contract worth around $48 million. A fifth-round pick will earn around $4 million. But this was not just about the money. It was about humiliation.It was about control.

Anticipating the Counterarguments

“A Black quarterback went first overall.”

True, but historically there is always an “exceptional Negro” to deflect attention from systemic injustice.

“He didn’t interview well.”

Talent usually outweighs interviews — when ownership decides it should.

“They didn’t want the Sanders circus.”

Yet in 2004, Archie Manning successfully orchestrated his son Eli’s trade from San Diego to New York without penalty or backlash.

Power, Race, and Control in the NFL

The NFL is run by 32 billionaires whose collective power is staggering. The average NFL team is worth over $6 billion, and becoming an owner requires a two-thirds majority vote. The club is so exclusive that even Donald Trump, despite multiple attempts, failed to gain entry. His rejection still fuels his ongoing grudge against the NFL, which made his public support for the Sanders family this weekend all the more calculated.

While the NFL was the first major American sport to desegregate, its record on race remains dismal. Today, more than 53 percent of NFL players are Black, yet Black people are severely underrepresented in positions of leadership. There are currently no Black majority owners, only 11 Black general managers, and just six Black head coaches across the league.

Even policies like the Rooney Rule, which mandates that teams interview at least one minority candidate for head coaching vacancies, have been undermined. Qualified Black coaches are often passed over for positions, and when hired, they are given less time and fewer resources to succeed compared to their white counterparts.

At the quarterback position, Black players have made historic strides. Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Jalen Hurts are among the faces of the league, earning MVP awards and record-setting contracts. Yet the double standards persist. Black quarterbacks are still more often praised for athleticism rather than intellect, and their mistakes are judged more harshly than those of their white peers.

The NFL’s ability to police behavior and control narratives is well-documented.Colin Kaepernick was effectively blackballed after kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial injustice. He has not played since 2017 and eventually settled a lawsuit against the NFL for roughly $10 million.

The message remains clear. Talent may open the door, but challenging the power structure can close it just as quickly.

Conclusion

Despite the NFL’s efforts to humble him and his father, Shedeur Sanders handled the weekend with dignity and humor. He was seen laughing with his brother Shilo and even jokingly blaming their father for being a “bad agent.” When the Cleveland Browns finally selected him with the 144th pick, Shedeur celebrated surrounded by family and friends.

Shedeur has already won.

He reached the NFL.

He secured millions in college through NIL endorsements.

And most importantly, he inherited from his father the confidence, resilience, and competitive fire that no draft slide could extinguish.

The NFL tried to break him. They failed. There will be no strange fruit. Now they have to deal with another Sanders they can not control.

Good luck with that.