He intentionally spells his name ‘Deion,’ inspired by the ‘E-I-E-I-O’ from the nursery rhyme ‘Old MacDonald.’
The discrepancy between his legal name and his common spelling sometimes causes issues at airport security.
Sanders’ children, Deiondra and Deion Jr., also use the ‘Deion’ spelling in their names.
Colorado football coach Deion Sanders reminded the world Monday everyone has been spelling his name wrong for the past several decades.
It’s Dion Sanders, not Deion Sanders, according to his birth certificate.
But he spells it the wrong way on purpose, too, and has been doing so since he learned a popular nursery rhyme as a kid called “Old MacDonald.”
The Pro Football Hall of Famer spoke about this when asked about it on Monday’s edition of the “New Heights” podcast with brothers Travis and Jason Kelce.
“We all learned this song,” said Sanders, 58. “If I say the first part, you’ve got to finish the second part. Old MacDonald had a farm…”
“E-I-E-I-O,” the Kelces sang in response.
“So it was D-E-I-O-N,” Sanders told them. “I got it from Old MacDonald.”
“What?” asked Travis Kelce, who plays for the Kansas City Chiefs. “Is it still that?”
“That’s the way I spell it,” Sanders said. “On my birth certificate it’s D-I-O-N. But I’ve always spelled it D-E-I-O-N.”
Why this gives Deion Sanders trouble at airports
Deion Sanders previously said on the Rich Eisen Show in 2017 this issue gives him trouble at airports sometimes because his driver’s license shows the correct legal spelling of his name, which doesn’t look right to some since he’s known as Deion, not Dion.
“Then I have to show credit cards to accompany that when I go through the airport,” Sanders said. He said sometimes security people will tell him to “go back to the front desk” because “this is not your name.”
“I just look at ‘em,” Sanders said in 2017.
Sanders doesn’t really answer to Deion or Dion these days anyway. Those who know him call him Coach Prime or “Prime,” not Deion.
His children also spell their names like their father. Deiondra is his oldest daughter. Deion Jr. is his oldest son. But Sanders’ middle son Shilo has a middle name with a certain spelling, according to public records.
It’s Dion, not Deion.
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com