“With the 144th decide within the 2025 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns choose Shedeur Sanders.“
As soon as projected to be the primary total decide let’s check out Shedeur Sanders’ accomplishments in 2024 alone:
- 8th in Heisman voting
- Winner of the 2024 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
- File-setter for passing yards at each Jackson State and Colorado College
- 3.9 GPA on the College of Colorado
- 2024 Huge 12 Offensive Participant of the Yr
- 2024 First-Group All-Huge 12
By each measurable customary, Shedeur Sanders did all the pieces “proper.”
He labored onerous. Stayed out of hassle. Excelled athletically and academically. Represented his household—and himself—with delight, poise, and integrity. He embraced religion, self-discipline, and the legacy of greatness handed down from his father.
He adopted each rule society claims issues.
And nonetheless, it wasn’t sufficient.
Right now, Shedeur isn’t simply battling defenders on the sphere—he’s battling a tradition determined to humble assured Black males the second they start to shine. His confidence is framed as conceitedness. His success is handled as a risk. His delight is painted as a personality flaw.
However possibly this isn’t nearly Shedeur in any respect.
Possibly it’s about who raised him.
Deion Sanders did all the pieces the world informed Black fathers they need to do. He stayed current. He mentored. He raised boys into males. He modeled religion, onerous work, and household loyalty. He constructed a blueprint for Black fatherhood and Black excellence that would not be ignored.
He didn’t simply play the sport of soccer—he mastered it, turning into one of many biggest to ever do it. And nonetheless, he and his sons are handled like liabilities, not legacies.
That is the truth that each Black man in America faces.
We educate our boys to be respectful. To work twice as onerous. To remain out of hassle. To examine each field so that they’ll be seen as “protected” and “acceptable.”
However the ugly fact is regardless of how completely they play by the foundations, society will all the time discover a solution to transfer the goalposts.
If Shedeur Sanders have been white, his swagger could be celebrated. He’d be referred to as electrical, magnetic, a once-in-a-generation chief—the best way athletes like Baker Mayfield and Johnny Manziel have been hyped for his or her “flash.”
As a substitute, as a result of he’s a younger Black man who refuses to shrink himself, he turns into a goal.
This isn’t nearly sports activities.
It’s concerning the emotional and psychological toll that comes from dwelling in a world decided to humble Black males for daring to like themselves out loud.
It’s concerning the exhaustion of getting to be wonderful simply to be thought of worthy—and even then, realizing it nonetheless may not be sufficient.
The message is evident: Black males have to be humble, however not too humble. Assured, however not too assured. Profitable, however by no means too proud.
It’s a shifting goal designed to interrupt spirits.
And when that message will get internalized lengthy sufficient, it begins to chip away at psychological well being. It breeds anxiousness, melancholy, and rage. It teaches younger Black males and boys that regardless of how good they’re, they are going to by no means be ok.
We will’t preserve telling Black males to easily work more durable and behave higher.
We’ve got to construct a world the place they’re allowed to be totally human—loud and quiet, joyful and sophisticated, assured and nonetheless studying. Pleased with who they’re with no need to apologize for it.
Shedeur Sanders deserves to have fun his success with out disgrace.
Each Black man does.
As a result of on the finish of the day, the issue isn’t that Black males break the foundations.
The issue is that even once we comply with each rule, the sport was by no means constructed for us to win.
It’s necessary that Shedeur remembers the place you might be chosen within the draft doesn’t outline the profession you’ll have.
Wishing Shedeur Sanders a profitable profession in Cleveland and hoping he continues to place all of the naysayers of their place.
Jonathan Conyers is the writer of the acclaimed memoir “I Wasn’t Alleged to Be Right here.” He’s additionally a respiratory therapist, author, and producer, in addition to the proprietor and investor of a number of profitable enterprise ventures. Via his storytelling and work, Conyers continues to amplify underrepresented voices and create impression throughout industries.
