NFL
Deion Sanders Personality as an NFL Player
Sanders’ 14-year NFL career saw him suit up in 188 games, while representing five different NFL franchises. He achieved tremendous success as a punt and kick returner.
Head Coach Deion Sanders//Getty Images
Deion Sanders is undeniably one of the greatest players to ever set foot in the National Football League. Nicknamed ‘Prime time’ or ‘Neon Deion’, Sanders was simply electric. He was blessed with incredible athletic ability, speed and swag that made him a must-see sensation and a sports media favorite.
To some, he seemed cocky and braggadocio, but Sanders backed up the talk with highlight-reel plays and banger performances that made even staunch doubters and haters swallow the bitter pill. He was widely regarded as a ‘shutdown corner’.
What made Sander’s NFL career more impressive was his ability as a multi-sport athlete. His nine-year baseball part time career in the Major League Baseball often mirrored his efforts on the gridiron. Sanders is the only person to have played in both a Super Bowl and a World Series.
Deion Sanders NFL career
Deion Sanders//Getty Images
Sanders was a multisport star in high school and earned a scholarship to Florida State University, where he was a member of the school’s football, baseball, and track teams. He first brought his brash attitude to national attention as a two-time All-American in football.
The Atlanta Falcons selected Sanders with the fifth selection in the 1989 NFL draft, bypassing his cocky persona, self-promotion and penchant for flashy jewelry. Sanders had led the entire country in 1998 with a 15.2-yard punt return average. More than two decades later, Sanders still holds the FSU career record for number of punt returns (126) and punt return yardage (1,429). Sanders is tied for the number of punt return touchdowns with three.
Atlanta Falcons
Sanders had an immediate impact with the Falcons where he played for five seasons between 1989 and 1993. His stardom in the NFL was apparent as in his very first game, he returned a 68-yard punt for a touchdown.
Sanders finished his rookie season with five intercepted passes but did not record a tackle in the 15 games he played.
During his time in Atlanta, he intercepted 24 passes (including a career-high seven in 1993), three of which he returned for touchdowns. In 1992, he also led the league in kickoff return yards with 1,067, yards per return with 26.7 and return touchdowns with two.
In his five years playing with the Falcons, Sanders scored 10 touchdowns which were: three defensives, three kick returns, two punt returns, and two receptions.
San Francisco 49ers
After five years of little team achievement with the Falcons, Sanders signed a one-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers for the 1994 season. Sanders had arguably his best season as a professional football player, recording six interceptions and returning them for an NFL-best 303 yards and three touchdowns.
Prime Time claimed the NFL Defensive Player of the Year and helped the team to a decisive 49-26 victory against San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX, earning his first championship ring.
Dallas Cowboys
In 1995, Sanders signed a lucrative seven year $35 million contract with the Dallas Cowboys, who had lost their starting cornerback Kevin Smith to injury for the rest of the season. The contract which included a 12.999 million dollar signing bonus made him the highest paid defensive player in the NFL at the time.
In his first season with the Cowboys, he won another Super Bowl title starring in Super Bowl XXX as they overcame the Pittsburg Steelers 27-17. This was Dallas’s third title in four years thereby cementing their dynasty status.
In his five years with the franchise, Sanders earned Pro Bowl selection in what would prove to be his most successful years in the NFL.
Washington Redskins
Sanders would join the Washington Redskins after his release from the Cowboys, where he signed a seven-year 56 million long-term contract in 2000. However, he would abruptly retire after playing one season with the team.
Sanders power on the gridiron had declined but he still had an above average statistical year.
Baltimore Ravens
After a three-year retirement and at the age of 37, Sanders returned for a two-season stint with the Baltimore Ravens.
Deion played in every game of the 2005 season, a remarkable feat considering his age and positional demands. The Ravens would, however, fail to qualify for the postseason for the second straight year, after which Sanders permanently hanged up his boots for good in January 2006.
Deion Sanders’ NFL Stats and Accolades
Deion Sanders concluded his illustrious NFL career with a remarkable 53 interceptions, returning them for 1,331 yards and nine touchdowns. He also recorded 60 receptions for 384 yards and three touchdowns on the offense. He notably found the end zone 22 times in his overall plays throughout his career.
He ranks among the NFL’s all-time leaders in interceptions, highlighting his phenomenal playmaking skills, which he many a time transformed into offensive opportunities. His interception totals are lower than those of most other elite cornerbacks, simply because opposing teams often avoided throwing the ball in his vicinity.
His impact was also felt as a return specialist, where he accumulated 2199 and 3523 yards on punt and kickoff returns, respectively.
Sanders also had 34 solo tackles, four assists, 1.0 sack and 13 fumble recoveries. He’s an eight-time Pro Bowler as well as a six time First Team All-Pro.
Despite critics pointing to his lacking tackling and run-stopping, Sanders still managed to be named the AP NFL Defensive player of the year in 1994.
Sanders has two Super Bowl championships and was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011. He is also a member of the NFL’s 100th Anniversary All-Time Team and 1990s All-Decade Team.
Ian Mugo Wanyeki is based in Nairobi, Kenya. He is a sports enthusiast with vast knowledge of different sport disciplines. Ian is a graduate with a Bachelor’s of Science degree from Kenyatta University. He is a Kenyan journalist who’s worked as a sports analyst at Covenant Television Network, as a sports reporter at NTV and as a Sports Correspondent/contributor at Quartz Africa.