Deputy tried to serve civil papers to Deion Sanders at Colorado practice, but coach was unavailable

On August 11, a deputy from the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office attempted to deliver civil papers to Deion Sanders at the University of Colorado campus during an open practice. The coach, however, was not available to receive the documents. According to a spokesperson from the sheriff’s office, Sanders was being subpoenaed to testify in a bankruptcy trial involving his son, Shilo, which was set to begin on August 31.

The Colorado athletic department provided no further information. The season opener for the Buffaloes was scheduled for September 3 against Georgia Tech. The deputy arrived at 10:22 a.m. with the civil papers, which were part of a practice that had specific rules prohibiting any reporting, publication, or sharing of observed activities.

Carrie Haverfield, a senior communications specialist for the sheriff’s office, explained in an email to The Associated Press that serving civil papers often requires multiple attempts. She noted that Mr. Sanders’ legal counsel had accepted the papers on his behalf, but since they were not located in Boulder County, the paperwork was transferred to Denver for service.

The deputy’s team did not report any attempts by university staff to obstruct the civil service and emphasized that they were working to find a more suitable time to serve the papers. Shilo Sanders is currently involved in litigation stemming from an incident with a security guard during his high school years. The guard had filed a lawsuit against Sanders, resulting in a default judgment when Sanders failed to appear in court.

Sanders, a renowned safety who played for his father at Colorado, was waived by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in August.