QB Shedeur Sanders (4.26.25)
Can you please put into words somehow just the emotional roller coaster that you have been on since the first day of this draft and waiting for this to happen, including a nasty prank call that everyone can agree was a horrible thing, to finally getting that phone call from the Browns and jumping in the pool?
“I would say I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity, throughout everything. I don’t ever focus on the negative or even think about the negative because the positive happens so fast, and it’s a change of emotions. For me, it was just playing quarterback. That’s what it’s about. You can’t be up too low or anything, you got to be able to celebrate. Like when we score a touchdown, we celebrate for a little bit. Now it’s back to, it’s time to work, it’s time to go. So, that’s all it is, it’s a football game to me, and that’s how I view it. That’s my personality, is I always stay leveled through adversity and level through everything. Any situation I’m faced with, because I know what it’s going to require for me to come out on top.”
I wanted to talk to you about that because I know you bring up how adversity fuels you a lot. So, I mean, just knowing so many analysts had you pegged as first or second round talent, to fall to day three, how is going when you went in the draft going to motivate you, you think, going forward in your NFL career?
“I feel like talent is everywhere throughout the draft. It’s about just being picked and who sees your value. That’s pretty much it. Because it’s a lot of valuable players that go in the rounds after the first and second. So I’m a product of one of those. And I understand you can’t really categorize, I’ll say my talent, I just got to prove and show what I’m capable of. But what fuels me is my purpose in life and understanding the route that we’re gonna have to take. Understanding that I was able to get an opportunity when a lot of people didn’t want to give me an opportunity. So that’s what I’m truly thankful for. That’s what fuels me.”
I just wanted to get your thoughts on specifically coming to Cleveland to play for the Browns. I know that this was an organization that you spent a lot of time with during the pre draft process and now it’s official that you are coming here, but maybe a little later than you expected. So how do you think you’re going to fit in with this team and with this organization?
“I know I’m going to fit in perfectly. I feel like it’s first getting in, showing respect to the vets, showing them I’m here ready to work. Show the coaches and have them understand, I’m here ready to work. So they could actually understand the real me. That’s what I’m truly thankful to have, is the opportunity for people to actually see the real me and not be able to see stuff that could be true or not. That’s what I’m most excited about being in the building and of course the staff, the cafeteria [staff], everything was extreme, the people there were genuine. It was real cool. So I left that visit knowing that if that was the place for me, I would feel real comfortable with what they have in place.”
I know you’ve been asked a million questions about your dad over the years, but you know, obviously his experience in this specific business in pro football, as you were going through the last couple of days and going through seeing kind of waiting your turn, waiting for your name. What was sort of his advice to you? Was there anything he sort of said to you or were things sort of understood just, you know, between you and him, you know, just about what was going on?
“He said, ‘God got us.’ So that’s what it is. I look at what went on and everything as a football game, you know, you may not come out early hot, you know, that may not happen. But you know, when it’s down to the final two minutes of the game, then you understand the level of seriousness raises the stakes. All the stakes raised and that’s why I thrive in those high pressure moments. So I never felt any type of way, I never felt any type of way. I understood, ‘okay, this is the route’ and that’s it.”
Shader with that, what kind of burden was it being the son of Deion and that you were not just a regular player here in college football?
“Well, it’s never a burden. It’s never a burden. I wouldn’t look at that as that. I feel like everybody, God makes everybody have their own routes, and this is just my route. Like there’s nothing I would be able to go back and wish that wasn’t my dad because I’m truly thankful for him being there and the structure I have. So it’s never really a burden. I just find it, you know, that other kids in similar situations, I want them to be proud of what their fathers and what they have accomplished. So then you could carry on a legacy, carry on the family name and not really be kind of ashamed about it. I don’t like when people make people feel ashamed about it.”
You’re going to get in here, just get to work in a couple weeks, rookie minicamp. What’s your mindset heading into this organization with that minicamp around the corner and the anticipated quarterback competition for that starting role in this upcoming season?
“Get there and handle my business, do what I have to do, whatever role that is, I’m just thankful for the opportunity. So that’s all I could ask for. The rest is on me.”
You said earlier that you want people here with the Browns to see the real you. You’re coming to a new franchise and fan base and city, so what can you tell people about what they will see? What is the real you?
“The real me? I’m definitely going to be able to show up with actions. And you’ll understand I’ll be more involved in, you know, the community and really leading the kids in the right direction. That’s the main thing. Whatever situation they’re in, that’s really where I feel like I have the most impact on, is really the kids and giving them a different perspective of respecting parents, respect their elders and respect those people that are in position to give you advice. So that’s where you’ll see the most impact there and of course, within the building and just making sure everybody is comfortable with whatever situation, anything is. So, that’s how I make everybody feel comfortable and make them understand. I’m not, you know, just here to talk about it. I’m here to prove it.”
You’ve been around the game a long time and learning the business of football. And while you’ve said that you keep the faith, I was wondering if your experience the last couple days changes your outlook on the business of football or how things are done behind the scenes?
“No, nothing really affected me the last couple of days. You know, to just really push having faith and understanding, you know, God really had me and I’m favored, I’m blessed. Besides that, it’s not really anything that changed, the love of the game, is still the love of the game. When you get on the field, there wasn’t too much negativity being said. I know I gotta clean up some things in my game for me to be at my best, but that’s what I take each offseason one at a time and fix it. So I think that was just outside of football getting in the way. But therefore I have an opportunity now. We’re about to get on grass really soon.”
Just throughout this entire process you’ve been pretty open about some of the comments made about you and different things that have been said. So given how that all went, given how this weekend went, going in the fifth round, do you come into the league feeling like you have a lot to prove even though you try to stay pretty positive and above the negativity?
“Yeah, of course. The main thing, I’m just proving, Coach Stefanski and Mr. Berry that they are right. That’s it. They’re right about picking me. I’m a good decision. I’m a good draft pick for them, to be able to come in there and do what I need to do.”
Shedeur, do you have any regrets about anything in the pre draft process?
“Do I have any regrets? I feel like in life it’s always a way I can improve. So it’s always in different areas I’m able to improve. And some things that I could have done at the time that seemed right at the time I could have went about in a different way and that was like more during the season and stuff like that.”
Wanted to ask you what that moment was like between you and your dad. Obviously, you wanted to go higher up in the draft but weren’t able to do that. And after falling, I’m sure it was probably relief. And what was that like for you two? What was the embrace like?
“I don’t know if me and dad hugged, but it was more of just understanding that the main thing is just getting the opportunity. That’s why I preach on that. That’s why I stand on that, because that was my main goal. After we watched, you know, the first, second round go by and my name wasn’t called or anything, it was okay, all we need is opportunity. So it really didn’t matter what pick, what round, could have done anything.”
Everywhere you’ve gone in football, you’ve been able to turn around and elevate programs. What is it about you that gives you that ability? And I know being a fifth round pick, those expectations might not be fair in this particular moment, but also what would it mean for you to come to Cleveland and potentially work your way into becoming this franchise’s long lost franchise quarterback?
“I’m a Sanders, so it’s always going to be expectations regardless of what pick I am.”
Shedeur, you mentioned that nothing has bothered you over the past couple of days. I actually have two questions real quick. The first question is did that prank phone call, did that not get to you? Or how do you feel about the person who did that to you and what impact did that have on you when that happened today?
“It didn’t really have an impact on me because it was just like, I mean, okay, like I don’t feed into negativity or I don’t feed into that stuff. You’ve seen on Deion (Sanders) Junior’s YouTube video. My reaction to it, I don’t… It is what it is. I think of course it is childish. Of course, I feel like it was a childish act, but everybody does childish things here and there.”
My second question is there was a lot of talk throughout the pre draft process that you were brash and arrogant and that you were not interviewing well and you weren’t coming off right in some of those interviews. Do you feel like any of those things actually happen and do you think that that is what cost you some draft status?
“I think what happened was I had a great interview and great process with the Browns, and that’s why they were able to pick me. So anything outside the organization is really a non factor to me now because this is where my focus and this is where my mind is just doing everything I can to make the team better. So everything outside of that, the opinions don’t really matter.”
Shedeur, when the Browns drafted Dillon Gabriel yesterday, did you think it was possible you’d end up in Cleveland?
“No, I wasn’t really watching at that point in time.”
Shedeur as you look at this Browns roster, what gets you excited when you look at the offensive side of the ball?
“I would say the system, the offense, I would say the receivers, the running backs. I would say the O line. It’s really I want to be able to get in there and meet all these different personalities. And even the corner, even Denzel Ward, it was pretty cool he reached out and Kenny (Pickett) reached out too. So it’s really just getting around the people and being able to live in the building.”
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