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Shedeur Sanders’ fall from projected first overall pick to 144th in this year’s NFL Draft stunned countless NFL fans, and one fan was so shocked he is taking legal action.
An anonymous fan of the quarterback has filed a $100 million lawsuit against the NFL over the fall.
The plaintiff is a self-identified Georgia native and fan of Sanders’ college team, the University of Colorado. The lawsuit alleged leaked statements that Sanders “tanked interviews,” “wasn’t prepared” and was “too cocky,” damaged the player’s reputation and hurt his eventual draft position.
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The lawsuit suggested the situation violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
“The decisions made regarding Sanders may have been influenced by racial discrimination, violating his rights as a player,” the lawsuit states.
Sanders’ slide during the draft prompted heated racial debates on social media, including an X interaction between ESPN host Stephen A. Smith and Barstool founder Dave Portnoy. Former Democratic U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman suggested the reason Sanders slid was because “America continues to fear strong black men.”
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However, the first overall pick in this year’s draft was former Miami quarterback Cam Ward, who is, like Sanders, Black. In fact, the last three players to be taken No. 1 in the NFL draft have been Black quarterbacks.
Still, as a result of the slide, the plaintiff claimed he had experienced “intentional infliction of emotional distress and trauma.”
“The NFL’s actions and the dissemination of slanderous statements have caused severe emotional distress and trauma to the plaintiff, resulting in frustration, disappointment and psychological harm as a fan,” the suit says. “The NFL may have engaged in unfair practices by misrepresenting the nature of the drafting process and the qualifications of players.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the NFL for comment.
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The Tuesday before the draft, NFL Media released a summary of the top 18 prospects in this year’s class.
Sanders’ section included comments from an anonymous assistant coach, who said Sanders was “the worst formal interview I’ve ever been in in my life. He’s so entitled. He takes unnecessary sacks. He never plays on time. He has horrible body language. He blames teammates. … But the biggest thing is, he’s not that good.”
An anonymous longtime executive added, “It didn’t go great in our interview. He wants to dictate what he’s going to do and what’s best for him. He makes you feel small.”
Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders talks to ESPN after the University of Colorado NFL Showcase at the CU Indoor Practice Facility. (Michael Ciaglo/Imagn Images)
However, Sanders and his family have not expressed any such grievances about the quarterback’s draft slide. The quarterback was taken in the fifth round by the Cleveland Browns.
Sanders is expected to contend for the team’s starting quarterback job with fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel, who was taken ahead of Sanders in the third round.
The team announced Tuesday that Sanders will wear the jersey No. 12.
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