The Colorado Coach Has Been Subpoenaed to Testify in His Son Shilo Sanders’ Bankruptcy Trial, Which Begins Aug. 31, Just Days Before First Game
Colorado football coach Deion Sanders has been called to testify in his son Shilo Sanders’ bankruptcy trial, creating a potential scheduling conflict just days before the Buffaloes open their season more than 1,000 miles away.
Attorney Harvey Steinberg accepted service of a subpoena on Sanders’ behalf by email, according to a court filing entered Aug. 19 and reported by USA TODAY.
The subpoena commands Sanders to appear in a Denver courtroom during the bankruptcy trial, which begins Aug. 31 and is expected to last about five days.
Colorado is scheduled to leave for Georgia on Sept. 1 before facing Georgia Tech on Sept. 3.
The subpoena follows an unsuccessful attempt by a Boulder County sheriff’s deputy to personally serve Sanders during a Colorado football practice earlier this month.
Deputy Tried to Serve Sanders at Colorado Practice
The deputy arrived at the University of Colorado campus at 10:22 a.m. Aug. 11 while the Buffaloes were holding an open practice.
Sanders was “unavailable at the time to receive receipt of the papers,” a Boulder County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson told The Associated Press.
Carrie Haverfield, a senior communications specialist for the sheriff’s office, said university employees were not attempting to interfere with the service.
“We did not find any university staff to be attempting to block the civil service, on the contrary, they were attempting to help our deputy find a better time to do so,” Haverfield said.
Haverfield also said multiple attempts to serve civil papers are not unusual.
While officials worked with university staff on another opportunity to reach Sanders, his attorneys contacted the sheriff’s office and indicated they could accept the documents on his behalf.
Because Sanders’ counsel was not located in Boulder County, the paperwork was transferred to Denver.
The Colorado athletic department said it had no additional information about the matter.
Judge Could Decide Whether Sanders Must Appear
Whether Sanders ultimately takes the witness stand could depend on additional legal action.
Steinberg could seek to quash the subpoena, though Judge Michael Romero would decide whether Sanders can avoid appearing. Romero has previously acknowledged the scheduling conflict while also indicating that Sanders could have information relevant to the case.
University of Texas law professor Mechele Dickerson questioned whether Sanders’ football responsibilities would be enough to excuse him from testifying.
She told USA TODAY that simply needing to go to work would not typically provide grounds to quash a subpoena because most witnesses also have employment obligations.
Attorney Ori Raphael, who represents John Darjean, has offered to establish a specific window for Sanders’ testimony, according to the court filing.
Shilo Sanders Owes More Than $11 Million
The bankruptcy dispute traces back more than a decade.
Shilo Sanders, 26, filed for bankruptcy in 2023 with more than $11 million in debt. Nearly all of that amount is owed to Darjean, a former security guard at Shilo’s Dallas high school.
Darjean sued over a 2015 confrontation in which he says he suffered permanent injuries while trying to confiscate Shilo Sanders’ cellphone at his father’s request.
Darjean later received an $11.89 million default judgment in 2022 after Shilo Sanders did not appear in court.
Shilo Sanders maintains that he acted in self-defense.
The bankruptcy trial centers on whether the debt arose from a “willful and malicious injury.” If the court finds that it did, the debt could be ruled non-dischargeable, meaning Shilo Sanders would remain responsible for paying it despite the bankruptcy filing.
Shilo played safety for his father at Colorado before pursuing an NFL career. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers waived him in August 2025.
For Deion Sanders, the court proceedings now fall directly into one of the busiest weeks of Colorado’s football calendar, with the trial scheduled to begin Aug. 31 and the Buffaloes’ season opener set for Sept. 3 at Georgia Tech.
