Deion Sanders
The only athlete to play in both a Super Bowl and a World Series.
Deion Luwynn Sanders Sr. (born August 9, 1967) is an American football coach and former player who is the head football coach at the University of Colorado Boulder. Nicknamed "Prime Time" and "Coach Prime", he played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, and Baltimore Ravens. Sanders was also a baseball outfielder for nine seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, and San Francisco Giants. He won two Super Bowl titles and made one World Series appearance in 1992, making him the only athlete to play in both a Super Bowl and a World Series.
Quick Facts
- Current team
- Colorado Buffaloes
- Position
- Head coach
- Career position
- Cornerback
- Career number
- 21, 37
- Born
- 9 August 1967
- Birthplace
- Fort Myers, Florida, U.S.
- High school
- North Fort Myers (North Fort Myers, Florida)
- College
- Florida State (1985–1988)
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 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2011.
Reader's Guide
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.
Did You Know?
- Sanders was born on August 9, 1967, in Fort Myers, Florida.
- He was a letterman and All-State honoree in football, basketball and baseball at North Fort Myers High School.
- 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.
- Sanders' No. 2 jersey at Florida State was retired in 1995.
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