When training camp ends, so does the dream for many athletes who attempted to win a spot on an NFL roster. Now, with so much of their lives in doubt, thinking of what becomes the next step becomes of the utmost priority.
Shilo Sanders was waived by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ahead of the regular season. He recently took to social media to discuss his future. Find out what he said about his plans.
Shilo Sanders Opens Up About His Future
When no one drafted him in this spring’s draft, the odds looked stacked against Sanders. Heading into camp, with a head coach well-versed in secondary play, the rookie needed to step up. Tampa Bay cut Sanders among their final releases to trim the roster to 53. Using his personal YouTube channel, he discussed what he envisions for his future.
“I’ve been talking to my agent and we’re waiting on the next opportunity,” Sanders said.”If that’s in the NFL, cool, but God has blessed me with a lot of talents to do other things other than play football, you know, and I feel like in every athlete’s life it becomes a point to where the game ends for you. And I’m not saying that’s what it is now. I’m just saying mentally I’m good because I know that I got a lot of talents and I’ve been blessed.”
“I’m thankful for my family, my friends, and just my support system. I’ve been cool, I’ve been good,” Sanders continued. “The NFL is just, I mean, they call it ‘Not for long league,’ nothing’s ever certain, even if you make the team, it’s not certain.”
“So, you always want to not really have a backup plan, but you always want to have other interests that you’re interested in. I’ve always done that my whole life, playing football with music, acting, and modeling. I’m well-versed, and my parents made sure of that.”
As he mentioned, Sanders does not currently possess an NFL job. However, he does possess several doors of opportunity that he could walk through, and one he didn’t.
This spring, he graduated from the University of Colorado with his master’s degree in organizational leadership. His master’s from Colorado pairs well with the bachelor’s he obtained from Jackson State University, majoring in the same field.
At 25, many considered Sanders rather old for a rookie. Additionally, his coverage limitations as a safety could have led to his release. While he loves to punish ball carriers and receivers from his spot as a pure box safety, the nuance of the NFL requires more.
For example, covering nimble tight ends down the seam would present problems for a player who looks more comfortable running downhill towards the line of scrimmage than streaking from it in the opposite direction.
Sanders himself mentioned that this may not signal the end of his football career. Last week, the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League secured his negotiation rights.
As a result, if playing in Canada appeals to him, he could find his way there. Additionally, Toronto, Canada’s largest city, boasts a thriving music and entertainment scene that could suit his needs. With all of these apparent options, where does Sanders land?
