TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Shilo Sanders walked into his first news conference with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and immediately shook hands with each reporter.
Coach Prime’s son knows how to make a first impression on and off the field.
Click to Gallery
Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Shilo Sanders catches the ball during the NFL football team's rookie minicamp Friday, May 9, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Shilo Sanders catches the ball during the NFL football team's rookie minicamp Friday, May 9, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Shilo Sanders catches the ball during the NFL football team's rookie minicamp Friday, May 9, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Shilo Sanders works out during the NFL football team's rookie minicamp Friday, May 9, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Like his dad, Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders, Shilo displayed his engaging personality and commanded the interview room. He asked for beach recommendations and revealed that he plans to be the “snack guy” for the team’s safety group.
“Man, look at where we’re at,” Sanders said with a big smile. “Look at the whole coaching staff. It’s a really supportive coaching staff. Everybody wants to see everybody do good. Everybody on the team, we all want to see each other win. It’s a great environment to thrive in.”
Sanders, who signed with the Buccaneers after being passed up in the draft, impressed coach Todd Bowles on the first day of rookie camp with his intelligence.
“Like the rest of the safeties, he’s very intelligent, he’s very loud,” Bowles said. “You can hear him (on the field), making calls and everything, so he has a good grasp of things Day 1. There was about three or four of them that did. He was one of them, but you have to make plays in pads. That’s what it comes down to — knowing what to do and then doing it consistently and constantly getting better every day.”
The 25-year-old Sanders even helped younger teammates with some of the defensive calls.
“He’s very smart,” rookie cornerback Jacob Parrish said. “He helped me a lot with the adjustments. I’m excited to work with him.”
While younger brother, Shedeur Sanders, drew most of the attention during the draft after slipping to the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round, Shilo didn’t get a call until hiring agent Drew Rosenhaus.
“They gave me a chance before anyone so I’m forever grateful to the Buccaneers and I’m just gonna do everything in my power to help this team win,” Sanders said. “That’s all I want.”
Shilo played in the shadow of his quarterback brother while they were coached by their father at Jackson State and Colorado. He wasn’t expected to be a top-five pick like Shedeur but ended up in a favorable spot with the four-time defending NFC South champion Buccaneers, a team that needs help in the secondary.
“My take on being disappointed in lows is that it’s not a real low because you can’t change the past,” Sanders said. “I just trust God, and I always end up doing something great, so I just know it’s going to happen, and whatever is happening currently is to learn or grow from.”
Sanders missed three weeks last season at Colorado because of a broken forearm. He finished third on the Buffaloes with 67 total tackles, recovered two fumbles, including one he returned for a touchdown at Texas Tech. He had four forced fumbles, one recovery and a pick-6 his junior season.
The Buccaneers need more playmakers in the secondary.
“It’s just an ‘it’ thing. You either got it or you don’t,” Sanders said. “Throughout my whole career, I’ve always been a guy who gets the ball out any way, shape or form. Forced fumbles, picks, I’m gonna get the ball. That’s the whole point of playing defense. We wanna get the offense the ball.”
As for his baby brother in Cleveland, Shilo said about Shedeur: “He’s been missing me. He’s been calling me like 6 a.m. He wants some brotherly love. His big brother isn’t next him in practice but we talk a lot.”
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Shilo Sanders catches the ball during the NFL football team's rookie minicamp Friday, May 9, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Shilo Sanders catches the ball during the NFL football team's rookie minicamp Friday, May 9, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Shilo Sanders catches the ball during the NFL football team's rookie minicamp Friday, May 9, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Shilo Sanders works out during the NFL football team's rookie minicamp Friday, May 9, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Tanzania and Tunisia secured the last two available spots in the Africa Cup of Nations last 16 on Tuesday, completing the lineup before half of the groups had concluded their final games.
Tanzania's 1-1 draw with Tunisia in Group C wrecked Angola's hopes of squeezing through as one of the best third-place finishers with just two points from Group B. Angola’s goal difference was better than that of Comoros, the third-place finisher in Group A.
Feisal Salum’s equalizer for Tanzania sent the Taifa Stars through. While Tanzania and Angola both finished with two points and a goal difference of minus 1, the goal scored by Salum, who is commonly known as Fei Toto, took Tanzania's tally to three — one better than Angola's two goals.
All the other group stage survivors were decided already on Monday because of Angola and Comoros’ relatively low points total. It meant teams that already had more than two points and were already assured of at least third place in their groups could be certain of reaching the last 16.
The four best third-place teams from the six groups progress, along with the top two in each. Head-to-head results are the first determining factor if two teams finish with the same amount of points in a group.
Here's a look at which teams went through from the six groups:
Host nation Morocco progressed as the winner of Group A, followed by second-place Mali with just three points from three draws. Morocco next faces a third-place finisher from Groups C, D or E on Sunday. More importantly for the Atlas Lions, they will continue their run to the final in the almost 70,000-capacity Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, which will also stage the final on Jan. 18. Mali awaits Tunisia for a showdown in Casablanca on Saturday.
Seven-time champion Egypt booked its place after two games and won Group B to advance with South Africa in second, ahead of Angola. Egypt stays in Agadir and next faces a third-place finisher from Groups A, C or D on Jan. 5. South Africa faces a likely tough game against the runner-up in Group F on Sunday.
Nigeria was already sure of topping Group C before its 3-1 win over Uganda on Tuesday. The Super Eagles will remain in Fez for their first knockout game against a third-place finisher from Groups A, B or F on Jan. 5. Tunisia faces Mali in the last 16, and Tanzania progressed as the fourth-best third-place finisher.
Senegal, Congo and Benin were already sure of progressing before their final group games late Tuesday. In the end, Senegal topped the group on goal difference after its 3-0 win over Benin, while Congo finished second after a 3-0 win over Botswana. Botswana had already lost to Senegal and Benin and was certain of finishing last.
Top spot ensured Senegal stays in Tangier for its first knockout game on Saturday against a third-place finisher from Groups B, E or F. But the 2021 champion will be without suspended captain Kalidou Koulibaly.
Congo next faces Algeria, and Benin – like the other surviving third-place finishers – will face one of the group winners.
Algeria is certain to win Group E before its final group games, and Burkina Faso and Sudan are certain to advance because they cannot finish below Equatorial Guinea, which lost both games against them. Algeria will play Congo, the second-place finisher from Group D, on Jan 6. in the same Rabat stadium where it has played all its games so far. On Wednesday, Sudan play Burkina Faso and Algeria plays Equatorial Guinea.
Defending champion Ivory Coast, five-time winner Cameroon, and Mozambique are assured of progress from Group F. Gabon, sure to finish last, was already eliminated before the last round of group games on Wednesday, when the order of the top three teams will be decided. Ivory Coast plays Gabon and Cameroon faces Mozambique.
AP at the Africa Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-cup-of-nations
A DR Congo fans cheer prior to the Africa Cup of Nations group D soccer match between Botswana and DR Congo in Rabat, Morocco, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
A DR Congo fan cheers prior to the Africa Cup of Nations group D soccer match between Botswana and DR Congo in Rabat, Morocco, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
Morocco fans wait for the start of the Africa Cup of Nations group A soccer match between Zambia and Morocco in Rabat, Morocco, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
Tunisia's supporters wait for the start of the Africa Cup of Nations group C soccer match between Tanzania and Tunisia in Rabat, Morocco, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
A Moroccan fan waits for the start of the Africa Cup of Nations group A soccer match between Zambia and Morocco in Rabat, Morocco, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
A Moroccan fan waits for the start of the Africa Cup of Nations group A soccer match between Zambia and Morocco in Rabat, Morocco, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
Senegal fans support their national team during the Africa Cup of Nations group D soccer match between Senegal and DR Congo in Tangier, Morocco, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
