With the news that Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones wants to hire two-time Super Bowl champion Deion Sanders as the next head coach of 'America's Team,' we thought it was time to ask the real question.
Who is Deion Sanders?
Deion Sanders is a former NFL and MLB player and one of the most successful American cross-code players in the world.
Sanders is one of the few athletes to appear at the highest level of multiple professional North American sports. Not only did he make both the major leagues of baseball and the National Football League, but he found immediate success in both, too.
Sanders, nicknamed "Prime Time", played in the NFL for 14 seasons, spreading his time across Atlanta Falcons,ย San Francisco 49ers,ย Dallas Cowboys,ย Washington Redskins, andย Baltimore Ravens after being drafted in 1989 by the Falcons.
During his time in the NFL, the cornerback won two Super Bowl trophies (XXIX and XXX), was named the 1994 NFL Defensive Player of the Year and was included in the 1990s All-Decade Team among other achievements.
Phenomenally, at the same time as his illustrious football career, Sanders also had a nine-year career in Major League Baseball, featuring in left and centre field in 641 games with four teams.
He was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the sixth round of the 1985 draft but opted not to sign with them, which eventually led to being selected by the New York Yankees in 1988.
Sanders spent time at the Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants following his start with the famous pinstripes in New York.
Sanders gave up baseball in 2001, turning his attention to football for the remaining years of his prime athletic abilities.
Four years later, Sanders retired from the NFL, hanging up the cleats in January 2006.
Since then, he has risen up the coaching ranks since founding 'Prime Prep Academy' whilst working as an NFL analyst.
He then had the opportunity to coach his sons - Shilo, Shedeur and Deion Jr - when he was named offensive coordinator at Trinity Christian High School, before his first college head coaching role at the historically black (HBCU) Jackson State University between 2020 and 2022 when moving to the Colorado Buffaloes as their head coach.
ยฉ Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
And now, the Dallas Cowboys and owner Jerry Jones are in talks of potentially bringing him across following a disappointing season, after which head coach Mike McCarthy's contract went unextended.
Deion Sanders Achievements
As an NFL player:
- 2x Super Bowl champion (XIXX, XXX)
- 1994 Defensive Player of the Year
- 6x First-team All-Pro (1992-1994, 1996-1998)
- 2x Second-team All-Pro (1991, 1999)
- 8x Pro Bowl (1991-1994, 1996-1999)
- 2x Unanimous All-American (1987, 1988)
- Jim Thorpe Award (1988)
- NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time team
- NFL 1990s All-Decade Team
As a football coach:
- 2x SWAC Champion (2021, 2022)
- 2x SWAN East Division champion (2021, 2022)
- 2x SWAC Coach of the Year (2021, 2022)
As an MLB player:
- Finished his career with a .263/.319/.392 slash line with 186 stolen bases and 39 home runs
