Deion Sanders has proved to be one of the world’s best football players, whose versatility extended beyond the field.
Before advancing from playing football, Deion left an impeccable impression with his two Super Bowl Championships, eight Pro Bowl selections, and becoming the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1994.
After gaining unmatched skills and knowledge, Deion transitioned to the media, where he worked as a sportscaster for CBS Sports. His multi-talent was seen in media, with popular segments like “Primetime and 21st” coming up during his tenure. What’s not known to many people is that Deion Sanders also worked with Barstool Sports before venturing into coaching, where he’s focused much of his attention now.
Recently, Dave Portnoy, the founder and owner of Barstool Sports, shared interesting details about his first meetup with Deion Sanders that blew his mind.
Deion Sanders’ Run with Barstool Sports
Deion Sanders had a successful run with Barstool Sports from 2020 to 2023. Interestingly, many fans didn’t get wind of his run with Barstool for several reasons.
When he joined Barstool Sports, the world was struggling with the pandemic, and so people were more concerned about their health, which took away the focus from sports.
Adding to the oblivion of Deion’s run was the nature of the show. Mostly a podcast, which didn’t have a major on-camera focus. And Deion appeared only in a few shows.
The same year, 2020, Jackson State Tigers named Deion Sanders as their head coach, which took away fans’ interest from his media career.
Amid all the overshadowing events, Deion Sanders was making his real abilities known and appealed to many, including the founder of Barstool Sports. Portnoy was surprised by Deion’s character when he first met him, which was truly impressive.
“I think he’s one of the most, what I was expecting to walk through the door, (I took a complete) 180 (degrees)… Like none of his success surprised me in the least, after you get to know him.”
Dave Portnoy Calls Coach Prime a Marketing Genius
Besides being impressed with Deion’s character, Portnoy realized that Coach Prime is truly a genius after meeting him for the first time. Sharing his experience, Barstool Sports’ founder claims that their conversation helped him realize how different Deion was from his expectations. In fact, he realized that many people misunderstood Deion:
“I remember he told me a story, when I was like, man, when he was coming out of college, and he’s like, you know, you saw the pomp circumstance, he’s like, I researched where guys at my position got drafted and they weren’t getting paid. And he’s like, I knew I had to do something to create my brand and my image. And he’s a brilliant, smart. He’s literally one of my favorite hires.”
With how Deion created a public persona of himself to market his brand can truly be viewed as the first NIL ever. He made Prime Time his bread and butter, which later made him the face of the league.
From Deion’s plan to create an image and start earning, Portnoy appreciates Coach Prime’s genius mind.
To build his own brand and attract more earnings, Deion created his alter ego, Prime Time. It wasn’t just a nickname. It gave him access to lucrative endorsements and contracts. With the persona, Deion commanded more sales and generated significant revenue from his partnerships.
As a man who realized a problem and created a solution, Portnoy’s observation of Deion as a genius is truly relatable. He is truly one of the most talented and genius sporting minds of his generation. And now he’s implementing his genius mind to transform players through his now-thriving coaching career.
Also Read: 10 Moments When Deion Sanders Proved Why He Is Called ‘Prime Time’
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