Right now in Colorado, one of the most entertaining storylines in the building might be the ongoing sitcom starring Yahya Attia and Deion Sanders. Today’s episode was all about soul food, featuring his head coach’s son. As the Buffs’ 6’4″, 340-pound guard admitted, Shilo Sanders had him eating American soul food for months.

“I’ve been eating American food, soul food for 11 months,” Yahya Attia lamented during practice on March 4. “Like, I can’t eat that anymore, bro… But I’m with Shiloh.”

“You’re with Shiloh,” Deion Sanders grinned at the mention of his son. “Shiloh, look out for you. You’re going to think he’s Sanders because Shiloh looks out for him.”

If you go back to October, the food storyline has layers. At a Mediterranean restaurant in Tampa, Yahya Attia joked he’d gain weight from all the bread and appetizers. Shilo looked at him and said he seemed “fatter” than the last time they met. The OL didn’t laugh it off.

“Stop saying that because your dad is saying that. And it makes me sad,” he said. 

Yahya Attia admitted he doesn’t love it when Deion Sanders comments on his shape, and Shilo immediately softened and told him he was proud of him and mentioned the muscle he’s added since getting to Colorado. The OL, on his part, struck a deal with his head coach. 

Yahya Attia recently got his Social Security number. The green card is on the way in about 10 months. And a month ago, he made a deal with Coach Prime. If he wins the Big 12 championship, Deion Sanders will shout him out on social media. Now, the question is, can that happen?

Colorado returns five offensive linemen who started games last season. They also added 11 newcomers to the room as they try to erase the memory of a 3-9 finish. Yahya Attia, a sophomore from London via the NFL Academy, is one of the most versatile pieces in that room. He said the team has been holding player-led walkthroughs every weekend, followed by breakfast together. But before that, he also took Deion Sanders down memory lane. 

Yahya Attia is moving like Deion Sanders 

When Yahya Attia and Deion Sanders get together, jokes become endless. And this time, they talked about gait. 

“I don’t think those shoes are built for that kind of pressure,” Sanders said, looking down at Attia’s cleats. 

“I was moving like you,” the OL shot back. “But like in your last year.”

That sent the Buffs’ head coach into a fit of laughter. Attia doubled down. 

“Today was me. Today was me,” he added. “But then, Friday I’m moving like Coach Prime.”

“You got on the light shoes,” Deion Sanders said, leaning in. “You got a little towel on. You got a little arm bracelet. There’s nothing wrong with your arm. You know, I like your swag.”

It’s usual talk between coach and player, but this one carries a heavy backstory. Last year, Deion Sanders battled bladder cancer and underwent surgery that forced the removal of his bladder.

Before that, he dealt with serious blood clot issues dating back to his time at Jackson State University, where doctors amputated two toes on his left foot. In October, he had an aspiration thrombectomy on his left popliteal and tibial arteries. At one point, partial leg amputation was on the table.

During the 2025 season, more clots developed. Against TCU, Deion Sanders was visibly in pain during a 35-21 loss. He alternated between sitting and limping and didn’t wear a shoe on his left foot in the second half. Afterward, he said he was “hurting like crazy.” It ended in what marked his 16th surgery in recent years.

So when Yahya Attia jokes about “moving like you in your last year,” it’s about Deion Sanders earning every step he takes right now.