Colorado was several weeks into its search for a new head football coach on Nov. 12 and Jackson State’s Deion Sanders was one of the top candidates.

Shelomi Sanders was in Boulder that day as a member of the Jackson State women’s basketball team, but never considered it would soon be home.

“I didn’t know anything (in regard to her father’s status at CU),” she said. “I just wasn’t thinking of any of that.”

Three weeks later, Deion Sanders was hired as the Buffs’ football coach and Shelomi’s world was about to change.

“He told me that ‘Yeah, we’re coming here,’ and I was like, ‘Oh, wow. Well, shoot, I was just up there,’” she said. “I had seen the gym and all that and it looks good.”

With her father now more than two months into his new job, Sanders was recently cleared to join the CU women’s basketball team. Transferring one semester into her college career, there was a process to clear, but she’s now on board with the 21st-ranked Buffs.

“I’m adapting to everything,” said Sanders, a 5-foot-6 guard. “It’s pretty cool out here. Everyone’s really welcoming – coaches, my teammates – so I’m adjusting fine.”

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As a walk-on for a Jackson State team on the verge of its fourth consecutive SWAC title, Sanders played in just two games, scoring two points in nine minutes. She didn’t play in CU’s 77-53 win against the Tigers on Nov. 12.

Sanders is a walk-on with the Buffs, as well, and won’t play in any games this season as she takes a redshirt year. But, she’s enjoying the opportunity to train, work on her game and, at times, work with the Buffs’ scout team.

“I feel like it’s a huge benefit,” she said. “I can use that to my advantage, getting stronger in the weight room and just developing my skill with practicing and putting up extra shots and stuff; learning the offense, defense. Just really sticking my foot in there.”

Being a part of the team is helping Sanders through a whirlwind transition.

When her father was hired by CU on Dec. 3, it was clear that her brothers would be following him. Shedeur Sanders is a junior who is projected as the Buffs’ starting quarterback and Shilo is a redshirt junior who is expected to join the football team as a safety once he graduates from JSU in the spring.

For Shelomi, it wasn’t automatic that she would transfer, but following the rest of the family was a natural move.

“I’m a freshman and a female, so they weren’t gonna leave me in Jackson with the whole family coming over,” she said. “Then, I was blessed with an opportunity to be a part of the team, so it all just worked out perfectly fine.”

Sanders and her brothers have settled into an apartment and she’s enjoying her new surroundings.

“I love it out here. It’s like a breath of fresh air, for real,” she said. “Where we are, it’s walking distance towards stores and everything. So, I’m just out walking and I’m really enjoying Boulder. And the people, everyone’s just so nice and welcoming.”

It certainly helps that the entire family is going through the same transition.

“We’re all leaning on each other,” she said. “We’ve got each other’s backs.”

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