The NFL has come a long way since its rough beginnings. A few decades ago, football was brutally unforgiving, far from the refined, heavily regulated sport we see today.
Hits that would now draw hefty fines or ejections were once the bare minimum expected from defenders. Rewind to just a few decades ago, and the league was simply not made for longevity. However, it was the sheer intensity of the game that drove players towards greatness.
The age before social media birthed several players who did not care about their perception among the crowd; they played greatness. And only the most passionate, resilient men showed up to play. They didn’t train for likes or highlight reels. They trained with purpose.
This gritty legacy is exactly what Deion Sanders points to when criticizing today’s generation of players.
Deion Sanders Slams Today’s Softer Players
In one of his older vlogs, Deion Sanders didn’t hold back when speaking about what he sees as a major problem with today’s football players. According to Sanders, the current generation has grown softer and more complacent. “We don’t practice to be great. We don’t practice to be dominant. We practice to practice,” he said, clearly frustrated with how low the standard has fallen.
He explained that many players today are more focused on just getting through the motions than actually striving for excellence. “We practice counting the number of periods. We practice understanding how much time we got left. We practice just to get through practice,” he said. For Sanders, this signals a lack of hunger and a disconnection from the true meaning of training.
He went on to expose a troubling trend: players cutting corners during practice. “We cutting deals in practice. You go soft, I go soft. We don’t practice to be done.” This kind of culture, according to Sanders, reflects a lack of accountability and a dangerous drop in competitive spirit.
But perhaps the most striking part of his message was this: “When I ask you, what was your purpose of practice? You ain’t got no answer for me.” In Sanders’ eyes, the absence of purpose is the real problem, and it’s why he believes today’s generation of athletes is falling short of their full potential.
Coach Prime Urges Players to Practice With Purpose
Deion Sanders believes that every single rep in practice should be approached with Super Bowl-level intensity. He doesn’t just talk about greatness, he embodies it.
Sanders urges today’s players to attack every session with purpose, not just to finish it, but to grow from it. “I practiced to be the best ever. So every time I walked on that field, I had a purpose for my practice,” he shared. For Sanders, purpose fuels performance.
That’s why he’s vocal about the need for players to train with intention, energy, and drive. It’s not just about showing up. It’s about showing up with something to prove.
And if more players embraced that mindset, the game might just elevate again.
Also Read: 10 Moments When Deion Sanders Proved Why He Is Called ‘Prime Time’
Visit Site