Deion Sanders

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Sanders played college football for the Florida State Seminoles, winning the Jim Thorpe Award in 1988. He was selected by the Falcons fifth overall in the 1989 NFL draft. Primarily a cornerback, he received eight Pro Bowl and six first-team All-Pro selections. Sanders also made consecutive Super Bowl appearances in Super Bowl XXIX with the 49ers and Super Bowl XXX with the Cowboys, winning both. He was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013. After retiring as a player, Sanders pursued a sports analyst and coaching career. He served as the head coach at Jackson State University from 2020 to 2022, leading them to two consecutive Celebration Bowl appearances and the first undefeated regular season in school history. Sanders was named the head football coach of Colorado in 2023.

In Their Own Story

In 1989, Sanders entered the league as a fifth-overall pick and immediately faced a unique challenge: balancing two major sports. That summer, he played for the Albany-Colonie Yankees of the Double-A Eastern League while simultaneously preparing for NFL training camp with the Falcons. A contract dispute with Atlanta led him to use his baseball commitment as leverage, but he ultimately made his MLB debut on May 31, 1989. By mid-July, uncertainty loomed over whether he would remain with the Yankees or report to the Falcons, a tension that defined his early professional years. The defining moment of his dual-sport dominance occurred during the 1989 season when he hit a home run in MLB and scored an NFL touchdown in the same week. This feat cemented his legacy as a singular talent. While playing for the Atlanta Braves later, he hit a key three-run homer against the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 31, only to leave the very next day to report to the Falcons due to a specific clause in his NFL contract, missing the baseball postseason. Despite these departures and returns, his impact on the field remained undeniable, leading to his induction into both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2011.

Reader's Guide

Sanders was born on August 9, 1967, in Fort Myers, Florida, to Connie Sanders and Mims Sanders. His parents divorced when Sanders was two years old. Sanders was raised by his mother and her new husband, Willie Knight. He attended North Fort Myers High School, and was a letterman and All-State honoree in football, basketball and baseball. In 1985, Sanders was named to the Florida High School Association All-Century Team. The Kansas City Royals selected Sanders in the sixth round of the 1985 MLB draft, but he decided to play with Florida State University instead. On the New Heights podcast, Sanders revealed his first name is spelled "Dion" but he started spelling it "Deion" when learning the nursery rhyme "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" as a child. He enrolled at Florida State University and played three sports: football, baseball, and track. Under head coach Bobby Bowden, Sanders was a third-team All-American in 1986, and a two-time unanimous All-American cornerback in 1987 and 1988, intercepting 14 passes in his career. He won the Jim Thorpe Award in 1988. He was also a standout punt returner, leading the nation in 1988 with his punt return average. His No. 2 jersey at Florida State was retired in 1995. While playing baseball under head coach Mike Martin at Florida State, Sanders' batting average was .331 in 1986. He also compiled 27 stolen bases in 1987. Sanders had a nine-year, part-time baseball career, playing left and center field in 641 games with four teams. He was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the sixth round of the 1985 draft, but did not sign. The New York Yankees selected Sanders in the 30th round of the 1988 MLB draft, and he signed on June 22. He made his MLB debut on May 31, 1989. During the 1989 season, Sanders hit a home run and scored a touchdown in the NFL in the same week. Sanders is also the only person to play in both a Super Bowl and a World Series. Sanders later signed with the Atlanta Braves for the 1991 MLB season. During the 1992 season, his best year in the majors, Sanders hit .304, stole 26 bases, and led the NL with 14 triples in 97 games.

Did You Know?

• Sanders is the only person to play in both a Super Bowl and a World Series.
• During the 1989 season, Sanders hit a home run and scored a touchdown in the NFL in the same week.
• Sanders and Bo Jackson were the preeminent multi-sport athletes of their time.
• Sanders' No. 2 jersey at Florida State was retired in 1995.