Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders has many fans cheering for him to succeed. One of the biggest happens to reside at the White House.

And he’s noticed.

Sanders, the son of NFL legend Deion Sanders, experienced a surprising slide in this past year’s draft, falling to the fifth round despite being viewed as a top quarterback prospect.

None of that matters currently. Right now, he’s a starter—a starter with a fan in President Donald Trump.

“He’s definitely been a supporter for a minute, so I’m just thankful for him, from even taking time out his day to be able to speak out, his support,” Sanders told reporters on the eve of Thanksgiving.

It’s not the first time Shedeur has used the word “thankful” in describing the President’s support. Pretty appropriate considering this holiday week.

Trump has supported Shedeur Sanders from the start

Shedeur Sanders unexpectedly fell to the fifth round of the draft, despite many mock drafts having him going as the number 2 overall.

Trump criticized NFL owners for not drafting Shedeur sooner, praised his athletic pedigree (his Dad, Deion, is a Hall of Famer), and urged teams to pick him immediately.

And that was when he didn’t get picked in the first round. Both Trump and Sanders would have to wait four more rounds to hear his name called.

“What is wrong with NFL owners, are they STUPID?” the President wrote. “Deion Sanders was a great college football player, and was even greater in the NFL. He’s also a very good coach, streetwise and smart!”

“Therefore, Shedeur, his quarterback son, has PHENOMENAL GENES, and is all set for Greatness,” Trump added. “He should be ‘picked’ IMMEDIATELY by a team that wants to WIN. Good luck, Shedeur, and say hello to your wonderful father!”

The ‘giving thanks’ theme was present again afterward.

“I was truly thankful. I was truly thankful for it,” Sanders told reporters at the time of Trump’s support. “Including him, there is a lot of fans, a lot of people in barbershops, a lot of hairstylists, a lot of fans of me and of my craft and of my family that was there to support.”

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Finally got his chance

It’s been quite a battle this season for Shedeur Sanders. He spent most of the Browns’ schedule sitting in the number four slot on their quarterback depth chart. But then a shocking trade of veteran Joe Flacco provided a catalyst for him to rise on that chart.

As fate would have it, a pair of unfortunate injuries to others nudged Sanders into a starting role. At least for now. He responded with a historic – by Cleveland standards – win.

Sanders accomplished something historic by becoming the first quarterback to win his debut start for the franchise since Eric Zeier in 1995. The Browns notched themselves a 24-10 road victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.

That win ended a 1-17 skid for first-time NFL starters in Cleveland dating back to the team’s 1999 return, an utterly remarkable statistic.

Make no mistake, the defense carried the day. Sanders completed 11 of 20 passes for 209 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. Pedestrian numbers at best. But he did what he needed to do to win.

Trump noticed.

“Shedeur Sanders was GREAT,” he wrote on his Truth Social media platform. “Wins first game, career start, as a pro (for Cleveland). Great Genes. I TOLD YOU SO!”

Sanders managed the game well and did only what he was asked to do. You know, like a winner. Shedeur will get a more challenging test next weekend against the San Francisco 49ers (7-4).