Deion Sanders faces a darker side of fame that most fans never see. His bodyguard, Michael Rhodes, recently opened up about the daily death threats targeting the Colorado head coach.
The revelation came as Rhodes warned players to stay vigilant about facility access, highlighting the serious security concerns surrounding one of college football’s most polarizing figures.
Deion Sanders Death Threats: Daily Security Concerns
“I’m Officer Rhodes. I’m head of security for Coach Prime,” Rhodes told the team.
“Real quick, I want to say this. Those of y’all that are new, when y’all head up to the facilities in the morning, be mindful of who comes in with you, especially on the elevator. Don’t let somebody coerce you into scanning them up on the floor, because everybody’s trying to get to Coach Prime. Those people that are trying to get to them, not all of them have good intentions. So just be mindful of that, don’t prop open any doors, because my philosophy is, if the doors open, they will come through. Then they’re gonna have to meet me.”
Deion Sanders then cited being a “Black man” for his constant death threats.
“We get death threats all the time,” Sanders said. “Why? I’m a Black man making it happen, making things move, making all that happen. So we have stuff that’s real.”
“How many death threats we get?” Deion Sanders asked Rhodes.
“About five every day,” Rhodes said.
The security concerns at Colorado extend beyond typical celebrity attention. Rhodes’ warning to players reveals the protocols necessary to protect their head coach. The threats target Deion Sanders specifically, forcing the program to implement strict facility access measures.
Sanders connected the threats to his visibility and success as a Black leader in college football. His candid acknowledgment of the danger highlights challenges that come with his high-profile position at Colorado.
The revelation came at a time when Sanders just fought a serious health battle.
Deion Sanders Health Issues
Last June, reports surfaced that the Pro Football Hall of Famer was sidelined with an unspecified illness.
In July, Deion Sanders revealed he had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of bladder cancer. During a news conference with his doctors, Sanders shared that a portion of his intestine had been surgically reconstructed to function as a bladder.
Following his bladder cancer diagnosis and treatment, Deion Sanders frequently needed to use the restroom, so the school introduced a portable sideline bathroom for him during games.
Then, during a postgame press conference in October, Sanders predicted he was facing more blood clots after previously being impacted by them.
“Cat’s out of the bag, all right. I think I’ve got more blood clots,” Sanders said. “It don’t make sense. I’m hurting like crazy… I’m not getting blood to my leg. That’s why my leg is throbbing.”
The blood clot issue resulted in the amputation of two toes on his left foot in 2021. Deion Sanders was coaching at Jackson State at the time. In 2023, the two-time Super Bowl champion missed Pac-12 media day to address a blood clot in his right leg and another surgery to correct curved toes on his left foot.
“I’m going to go in there [surgery], and I’m going to get some of the best sleep in the world for, I think, four hours, the surgery is going to be,” Sanders said Tuesday.
“I’ve never been high a day in my life. I’ve never drank, smoked or anything. But when I get those surgeries, I am there on time.”
Deion Sanders faces these medical battles while navigating five daily death threats. The wellness concerns plus the death threats show just how resilient his head coaching position demands.