If there’s someone who knows style, it’s Deion Sanders.
Nicknamed “Prime Time” during his tenure as an MLB and NFL player, Sanders is a member of the GQ Sports Style Hall of Fame for his iconic, brash, and ahead-of-his-time looks throughout the 80s and 90s that featured doo rags, sweat suits, gold chains, diamond-studded dollar sign earrings, Louis Vuitton bags, Emmanuelle Khanh sunglasses, and leather – lots of leather.
“I don’t follow trends — I set trends,” Sanders said to GQ.
Decades later, Sanders, now going by the moniker “Coach Prime” as head coach of the University of Colorado Buffaloes, is quick to champion others who are fashionistas like himself — such as Monumental Sports Network’s Alexa Landestoy.
Saturday, Landestoy, working her other gig as a sideline reporter for FOX’s college football broadcasts, shared insight for the Colorado vs. Delaware game. During an interview before the start of the second quarter, Landestoy found Sanders on the sideline and asked him, “What have you liked from your team’s start here today?”
Not only did Prime like his team’s consistency, but he also admired Landestoy’s look.
“When your outfit is Coach Prime approved😁😁 @cfbonfox,” Landestoy wrote proudly on Instagram.
“We’re running the ball,” Sanders replied. “We’re mixing the throw. Pat is calling a heck of a game defensively. We’re coming up. We just came up with a tremendous stop. And our special teams, we’re doing our thing. We just got to score on this one. And your outfit is killing the game right now.”
“Thank you,” Landestoy replied. She then retorted, brilliantly, “I feel like I could be loud on the Colorado sideline.”
Shortly after posting the video, Landestoy’s Instagram was full of compliments from her contemporaries.
“Omg AMAZING 👏👏🔥🔥,” said NHL Network’s Jamie Hersch.
“Hahaha yes!! 🙌❤️” added Jenny Taft, a fellow college football commentator.
Landestoy also talked to Sanders and redshirt sophomore Ryan Staub, the team’s third-string quarterback, after their big victory. Sanders gave each of his three QBs in the game two series each to prove themselves. Staub threw touchdowns on his first two drives and stayed for two more, turning a 10-7 barnburner into a 31-7 beatdown.
Speaking to RMNB after the game, Landestoy was ecstatic about the shoutout she elicited from the 58-year-old Pro Football Hall of Famer.
“My phone was blowing up after that,” Landestoy revealed.
“He was so gracious all week,” she added. “The outfit was a loud pattern and not what I typically wear, but felt like it fit the vibe at Colorado. So when he mentioned that I was ready.”
The off-white colored ensemble was a Ted Baker London Linen two-piece featuring a bold floral pattern that you’d be more likely to see on one of Joe Beninati’s classic ties. While it may seem like Landestoy has a full-time stylist, she revealed that she uses Rent the Runway for all her on-air looks — an online designer clothing rental service that operates via either a subscription model or one-time “reserve” rentals.
While Sanders is getting attention on the football field as a coach, he’s also back in the spotlight after serving as one of the main stars of the Netflix documentary on the Dallas Cowboys’ dynasty: America’s Team: The Gambler and his Cowboys.
When asked if she was even alive during Sanders’ playing days when the electrifying athlete was a touchpoint in American culture, the 28-year-old Landestoy responded laughing, “I was born in 1997, so half of it.” Sanders played his final season in 2005 with the Baltimore Ravens.
Landestoy returned to her roots as a college football sideline reporter when FOX announced her signing in a release last week. The Washington Capitals host will continue to share insights from the field this season, while Jason Benetti does the play-by-play and former Washington Commanders quarterback Robert Griffin III serves as an analyst for the broadcasts. The trio is considered one of FOX’s top teams covering games.
“FOX has been incredible,” Landestoy said. “It truly is a family! They put us in a position to be successful and have resources for whatever we need.”
While Landestoy is becoming a familiar face on national TV, she remains humble and will be back in Maryland on Monday for the Laughlin Family Foundation’s annual golf tournament in Crofton, which raises money for Rare Cancer research.
