Deion Sanders subpoenaed as son Shilo's bankruptcy case heads to trial

A subpoena has been issued for former NFL star and Colorado coach Deion Sanders to provide testimony in the bankruptcy trial of his son, Shilo Sanders, slated to start on Monday, Aug. 31. The legal proceeding coincides with Colorado's opening game of the 2026 season against Georgia Tech the following Saturday, prompting Judge Michael E. Romero to note the scheduling clash while emphasizing his lack of affiliation with the university.

The dispute originates from a 2015 episode where former school security guard John Darjean alleged Shilo injured him while attempting to confiscate a phone, leading to a default judgment of $11.89 million. The bankruptcy court must determine whether the debt can be discharged, with the judge indicating that a pre-incident phone conversation between Deion and Shilo may be material. Deion may seek to have the subpoena dismissed, but if the judge does not allow remote testimony, he could be forced to miss practices and meetings to appear in Denver. The outcome could affect Shilo's financial liability and potentially disrupt Deion's coaching responsibilities.