Deion Sanders is accustomed to being at the center of attention, but as Colorado prepares for the beginning of another college football season, the Buffaloes coach has found himself dealing with something far more personal.

His son, Shilo Sanders, is currently fighting an $11.89 million civil judgment in a Denver bankruptcy court.

The case stems from a 2015 confrontation at a Dallas school when Shilo was 15 years old, and the court must now determine whether the debt can be eliminated through his Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

Amid the legal battle, Deion offered an emotional glimpse into his state of mind.

“Praying for my baby,” Deion Sanders said via Well Off Media. “Shilo in court today. I came to the creek to get several suits last night. Praying for my baby that people see what really transpired. We are going to forgive you for your judgment.”

The message came as Shilo appeared in court for the opening of a trial that could have enormous financial consequences for him. The proceedings are expected to last several days, with U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Michael E. Romero ultimately deciding whether the judgment can be discharged.

The dispute traces back to an incident at Shilo’s school involving security guard John Darjean. Darjean attempted to take Shilo’s cellphone, leading to a physical confrontation.

Darjean later sued, and after Shilo failed to appear for the 2022 civil trial, a default judgment of $11.89 million was entered against him. Shilo subsequently filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2023.

Shilo’s defense faces a major legal hurdle

The central question in the bankruptcy case is not simply whether the judgment exists. Instead, the court is examining whether the injuries Darjean suffered resulted from conduct that qualifies as a “willful and malicious” injury under bankruptcy law.

If the judge determines that they did, the debt generally cannot be erased through Chapter 7. If Shilo succeeds in demonstrating otherwise, the enormous financial obligation could potentially be discharged.

Shilo’s attorneys have presented a version of events that differs sharply from the allegations made by Darjean’s side. His lawyer, Victor Vital, argued that the security guard escalated the encounter and used excessive force against the teenager.

“The plaintiff escalated the encounter using disproportionate physical force against a 15-year-old boy,” Vital said. “The evidence is going to show he manhandled my client.”

Darjean’s attorney, Ori Raphael, has challenged that account and questioned Shilo’s credibility.

“For 10 years the defense (claimed) he never touched a man,” he said. “If that’s the case, it cannot be self-defense. No one accidentally acts in self-defense… And if today he changes his tune, his credibility, which is also on trial, is shattered.”

The opening day of the trial featured prerecorded testimony from witnesses who were involved with the school or had knowledge of the confrontation.

Some witnesses described Shilo as the aggressor, while his legal team maintains that the encounter needs to be viewed in the context of what happened before the physical exchange.

Former school founder Leroy McClure also provided testimony concerning Shilo’s determination to keep his phone.

“He was very adamant about not giving up that phone,” McClure said. “In fact, he still had the phone in his hand. The way he was carrying himself, I thought there would be another confrontation that would have been between Shilo Sanders and myself.”

The case has created an unusual scheduling issue for Deion as well. The Colorado coach is preparing for his team’s season opener against Georgia Tech on Sept. 3, while he has been ordered to remain available remotely on Sept. 4 should his testimony become necessary.

His appearance will depend on whether Shilo’s attorneys open the door to testimony concerning the circumstances surrounding the earlier civil proceedings.

That means Deion is attempting to balance one of the most important weeks of his coaching calendar with a deeply personal family matter.

He has previously tried to portray the lawsuit as something that would not interfere with his responsibilities at Colorado.

“When you have ‘it,’ when you’re ‘him,’ you get sued,” he said previously.

But his latest message showed a different side of the Hall of Famer. Rather than talking about recruiting, game plans or the Buffaloes‘ upcoming campaign, Sanders was thinking about his son and hoping the court would see the situation from his family’s perspective.

For Shilo, however, the final decision will rest with the bankruptcy judge. The trial is now underway, and its outcome could determine whether an $11.89 million judgment remains hanging over his future or can finally be put behind him.