In a sports world that is increasingly dividing the nation rather than uniting it, the re-emergence of Deion Sanders is sparking hope among a lot of Americans. The man is a genuine superstar and his recent 60 Minutes segment was revealing about himself, his faith, fundamental truth and the state of American society.
Sanders is the head football coach at the University of Colorado. He’s also an extraordinary athlete - the only man to compete in both a Super Bowl and a World Series - and he showed a true warrior ethos in his 60 Minutes interview. He explained how he tells his players that he will be hard on them, trying to make them quit. Some people, when told they’re not good enough, believe what they're told and fulfill that prophecy. But others hear those words as a challenge and rise to meet it.
“If you were able to let words run you off, you ain’t for us because we’re an old-school staff,” said Sanders. “We coach hard. We coach tough. We’re disciplinarians. So, if you’re allowing verbiage to run you off because you don’t feel secure with your ability, you ain’t for us.” Translation: Snowflakes need not apply. This may sound harsh, even cruel, but there is a constructive calculus in this approach.
Sanders’s strategy parallels that of elite military programs like Navy SEALS, Army Rangers, and other specialized training regimens. Initiates are pushed very hard, almost to the breaking point, hectored about not being good enough to be the best, daring them to either quit or find their better, stronger selves. It separates the wheat from the chaff, and Sanders knows how to find the wheat among young men.
But Sanders is more than a warrior; he is a man of God and he isn’t shy about it. When asked by 60 Minutes correspondent Jon Wertheim about taking the job at Colorado to coach a team with a record of 1-11 the previous year, Sanders unflinchingly acknowledged a firm conviction in his faith. "God would relocate me to something that was successful? That don’t make sense, do it?” Sanders rhetorically asked. “He had to find the most disappointing and the most difficult task, and this is what it was. And this is what it is, and I love that.”
Sanders understands how God calls us to difficult challenges, a theme that is woven throughout the Bible. Moses didn’t think he was good enough to lead the Israelites to freedom. Joseph was unfairly imprisoned and sold into slavery. The shepherd boy David had only a slingshot when facing a giant. The Jewish orphan Esther risked death on behalf of her people.
These historical figures were given difficult tasks by God but they discovered something bigger than themselves, found inspiration in their faith, and prevailed over adversity, ultimately helping many others. Moses freed an entire nation from slavery. Joseph rescued nations from famine as an Egyptian governor. King David achieved peace for his people through military strength. Esther saved the Jews in Persia from genocide.
I am not suggesting that taking over a flailing college football program compares with these biblical achievements, but it illustrates how God presents us with daunting challenges. For Sanders, his latest task is taking charge of a team that managed a single victory the year before. The 2023 football season is still young but thus far, Sanders is meeting his challenge and prevailing.
Sanders also shows a healthy appreciation for truth, something that’s in short supply these days. While the toughness of his coaching strategy reflects that of a fighter, he also knows the importance of supporting toughness with honesty. “I think truth is good for kids,” said Sanders. “We’re so busy lyin', we don’t even recognize the truth no more in society.”
Sanders is talking about more than participation trophies. Truth is especially good for kids in an era when the culture lies to young people with ease. It lies to students with marginal academic achievements, convincing them to attend and pay for college, only to see many wash out with mountains of debt and little to show for it. It lies to young people about Earth’s climate, prompting many to forgo family life. It lies to children about their sex and encourages them to seek hormonal and surgical treatments to accommodate gender delusions. Fundamental truths are vanishing.
Truth is indispensable in a civil society. It’s also central to the biblical worldview; it was Jesus Christ who said, “Know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Sanders understands this too, and I’d wager he believes truth applies to much more than college football. Young men need to hear and learn the lessons of truth, toughness and faith that Deion Sanders is teaching.