Picture this: It’s the bottom of the ninth in Game 7 of the World Series. The rookie steps up, bat trembling, crowd roaring. Then—the pitcher throws a fastball… and the stadium lights go out. That’s the gut-punch tension Shedeur Sanders faced during the 2025 NFL Draft. For 48 hours, the Colorado quarterback sat in limbo, his phone silent as teams passed him like a roadside motel. But when it finally rang? Let’s just say it wasn’t Cooper Manning calling to chat about Archie’s glory days.
The NFL Draft is America’s ultimate reality show—a mix of hope, heartache, and occasional chaos. Think American Idol meets Survivor, but with more playbooks. For Shedeur Sanders, the son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, the drama hit harder than a Lawrence Taylor blindside sack. Projected as a first-round pick, his freefall became the talk of sports bars from Buffalo to San Diego. Then came the call—a prank so brutal, it’d make even Johnny Knoxville cringe.
Shedeur Sanders’ nightmare began when a caller posing as Saints GM Mickey Loomis dialed his “NFL-only” number during a live Twitch stream. “It’s been a long wait, man. We’re going to take you with our next pick,” they said. “Let’s be legendary,” Shedeur replied, grinning—until the voice quipped, “Alright, but you’re going to have to wait a little bit longer, man.” The stream cut off, leaving fans stunned. But how’d the pranksters get his number?
That’s where the plot thickens. Rumors swirled as Giants GM Joe Schoen’s daughter, Sydney, was accused of leaking Sanders’ digits after liking social media comments about the scandal. While no smoking gun emerged, the internet jury debated harder than a Brady–Manning rivalry. Was it teenage mischief or draft-day sabotage? Either way, the drama turned private heartache into public theater.
Heartbreaking: Both angles of Shedeur Sanders getting pranked by Ole Miss students pretending to be the GM of the New Orleans Saints.
There’s no place for this ever pic.twitter.com/j3ujcTfsGb
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) April 27, 2025
“Nobody got that number but coaches,” Shedeur later told The Athletic, shrugging off the chaos. “The thing is, why get mad? Because they want you to have a certain type of reaction to it. They want you to feel bad.” Meanwhile, the Browns finally ended his slide at No. 144, but the damage was done. Critics roasted his “brash” persona, while for analysts like Mel Kiper Jr. his fall was baffling. Even Deion Sanders, usually cooler than a Vince Lombardi trophy, muttered, “Wow. Wow.”
The fallout was instant. Social media lit up like a stadium Jumbotron, with fans dissecting the prank and Sanders’ composure.
Shedeur Sanders and the social media storm
“How did those kids even get his number?” asked The Detroit Times, sparking conspiracy theories. Others slammed the prank: “Kicking a man when he’s down. Now I’m rooting for Shedeur Sanders to succeed. Go Shedeur Sanders!” People sympathized. “Pranks can be fun, but not at someone’s dreams,” one user wrote, while another jabbed, “All prank calls are cringe.” Sanders’ unflappable response won points, though.
Amid the chaos, he tossed a football in his backyard, telling his inner circle, “We got time still. Whenever I get picked, we gonna turn it up” Even critics tipped their hats. “Not a fan of Sanders, but that’s not cool,” one admitted. The incident sparked debates about accountability, with a hiring manager vowing, “I hope the kids that did this never interview with meWell, I hope the kids that did this never interview with me for a job because to me they’re unhireable.” Besides, history loves an underdog.
Think Tom Brady’s sixth-round rise or Kurt Warner bagging groceries before winning a Super Bowl. Shedeur Sanders’ story isn’t over—it’s just getting the gritty second-act treatment. The Browns’ gamble could be the steal of the decade, pairing his 74% college completion rate with Kevin Stefanski’s quick-pass scheme.
As he heads to Cleveland, Sanders carries more than a playbook. He’s got a chip on his shoulder, a city’s hope, and a lesson that even in the NFL’s high-stakes poker game, resilience trumps drama. Or as Friday Night Lights’ Coach Taylor once said, “Every man at some point loses a battle. He loses a fight. But the real man is the one who stays in the ring.” Shedeur’s still swinging—and Cleveland’s betting he’ll knock it outta the park.
The post Calls Mount Against Students Who Pranked Shedeur Sanders After Joe Schoen’s Daughter Allegedly Leaked QB’s Number appeared first on EssentiallySports.