Deion Sanders | Canton Goes Primetime

it's being right just I just want to start by having you describe Deion Sanders on the football field for us most gifted athlete having a touch football field period best shut down cornerback who ever played Wendy I'm lined up we rolled away from Dion 0 l p-- for 60 minutes fire the only hair i have to feel he's the greatest quarterback ever play this game and i thought it was a beast on a football field hey Jana the product of a party everybody's on pins and needles that 21 has a ball you knew something special was about to happen this guy just had it super-talented Trail Blazers game changer electrifying races the ball in the air innovative entertainment call off very excited swagger to humanity 5 Deion Sanders he personified tonight Garret girl her pets Biondi on trains charismatic man the Dion shuffle it's all in that smile man that's my skill primetime he revolutionized the cornerback position shook up the world it was just full pyatters finest you know is what you pay for there's only been one shutdown corner that I've ever seen fine does it again and that was Deion Sanders [Music] I feel like I was somewhat of a entertainer doing what I love to do my passion just came out I just had a tremendous gift from about the grace of God I mean I think everybody who receives a gift they ought to be happy about the gift recognizing our first ballot hall-of-famer isn't difficult to do first you look at the numbers then the accolades attend the range and then you asked can the history of pro football be written without this man this question perhaps the most difficult to qualify is one that was easily answered every time Deion Sanders stepped on to an NFL field I remember at one point writing something a bit I went back and read it before I I sent it to my editor and I stood by it I said Barry is no longer the most exciting Sanders in the NFL I swear Deion Sanders is he's a game changer that's something else and this is one I guess the best athletes I've ever played with actually playing in the game he's the fastest human being I've ever seen by far it was almost like everybody else was moving in slow motion he made people look foolish even before he touched the ball in any capacity he's got you knew something was gonna happen it was sick with him put it that way there aren't too many football players did you say that our absolutely sick with the football in their hand he always thought about taking it to the house and it was just electrifying to see him maneuver navigate through all these people with that much speed that much style you know you got to hold it up baby you know I'm saying it got the hold to rock up it was a complete return guy that you want to be out there I thought Dion was fabulous at basically being that kid on the playground and nobody could catch he's a cornerback and you went to a football game to see a cornerback well you didn't go to see the quarterback you didn't go to see the ready bet you didn't go to see the wide receiver you want to see the cornerback player punt returner kick returner play the game of football Deon was a physical corner he had good size to him and he was smart and they had unbelievable speed I mean they're really there really wasn't anything that he lacked you know if you say okay well what's his weakness I don't know that he had one to complete efis a back speed technique and willing to get in there and get dirty it was locked down central I mean literally it was don't throw this way he bait guys smart smart player we be in a man-to-man coverage like we always were and wham I look and the guys wide open down the post in Dion's trailing and he's so far open you wonder how did that ever happen and they put the ball up and then of course the eye comes back with the ball and that play become more icd9 how could that guy get open like that and I gotta let him open Koecher I'm not gonna get any work I gotta get him open so the quarterback has the courage and throw the ball he was a game changer he was one of those guys as a defensive player which you rarely see that could take over a football game and and we saw over in the door for the Ray Lewis is it all a little walk in the door is it oh yeah or defense we do our thing too from the quarterback position may that position a prime-time spot in the National Football League still to come are Deion Sanders Canton goes primetime we explore how one legacy of winning altered the balance of power between two NFC powerhouses we look back on the birth of primetime I don't think nobody in the league get the kind of swagger Deion Sanders say and ask the NFL's greatest receivers about playing with and against number 21 he was a beast on a football field he was this unbelievable but next the story of Sanders emergence at Florida State how he affected an entire culture in the city of Atlanta for the people of Atlanta having a ball player who played as an icon in his time it gave everybody a hero when Deion Sanders Canton goes primetime return [Music] in the fall of 1985 Deion Sanders landed on the campus of Florida State University and wasted no time making a name for itself then I met at Florida State where he was a freshman it was funny because Sammy Smith was my roommate Sammy Smith had won the state champion 100 his junior year so what Bobby used to do is for us to run for Jan we got there from Paris off with two months old Dion and Sammy peridot they ran and Deon beat Sammy Smith and so everybody was who's that because nobody ever heard of Dion so then they ran again and he beat him again and then we all said I know who that kid is but he might be pretty good in the four years he was at Florida State now that might been some guys know tracked him I don't know although when he was playing baseball for Florida State he ran in a track made just to have the track team it wouldn't be long before word of Sanders rare athleticism would transcend the Seminole practice fields and garnered national attention Deon I heard things about didn't really see him but the Florida State game if I like to say I put Dion on the map I had an out and up on deal bit on the out I turned it up oh wow it's a wrap throw the ball throw the ball green he throws the ball hangs up in the air a little long I don't know where he came from I left him on the 10-yard out Dion recovered push me down reached up over me grab the ball held it up I'm on the ground in Orange Bowl looking back to got my football running the other way we had a great game with Clemson 1988 I believe and then I went back to the punt and I'll never forget he goes on he looks over to the Clemson and says I'm bringing this one back he told everybody what they do he brought it back about 75 or 80 people ask me is he the best player you ever had when is a lot of different that's some great players you know is he's the best I believe she ran his style and his flash is what helped start drawing other talented players to Florida State watching him do his thing and the magic that he showed that was something that I think helped four-state become the power that it was after back-to-back all-americans season and the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's best defensive back Sanders emerged as a top NFL prospect and a very talented 1989 draft class he watched his future hall-of-famers Troy Aikman Barry Sanders and Derrick Thomas was selected before him but with the fifth overall pick a new era began in Atlanta with the Falcon was Deion Sanders first came to town that was incredible you you would have thought it was a queen of England times the president time some great prime minister I mean every TV station every radio station was there at the airport meeting this guy and he did not disappoint he was even beyond anything that you could possibly imagine with this jheri curl and the flashy jewelry and everything this was a tremendous moment in history of the land of sports something that nobody ever seen before whether it was good or bad it was dramatic teammates coaches friends the show had just begun it wasn't a matter of when the show would begin but rather with which pro sport while the Falcons were in training camp Sanders was in left field with the New York Yankees then that September and one astonishing week the multi sports star homered against the Mariners on a Tuesday sahrin with the Falcons that Thursday and by Sunday was deep to receive a punt in his first ever NFL game beyond drifts of the life takes it on a 32 copter picked it up one man missed him another man missed him now he's going wide off to the right they honor the 37 35 40 45 50 the very final forty my god Deion Sanders its underscore my god that was incredible you could just feel the chills now only up your spine but up the spines of everybody else in that place Wow we just got this guy from a baseball team he hasn't even practiced he's returning but touchdown against a great football yeah I didn't live up to the height he blew up the height he was I he was beyond the height the very first game that he ever played for me he picked the ball off on Warren Moon interceptor fight they got sent over 25 to 30 it takes off down the side he started Cadillac him at the 50 yard line with Warren Moon and a full sprint chaser and the only thing I ever said to my said you know that Cadillac and let's wait till about the 10 yard line you changed the game plans and most teams and that's how good he was teams and I want to throw down sand his way and for me to play safety I'm not even worried about dealing I knew once he had man-to-man he didn't need protection entering the 91 season Atlanta hadn't won a playoff game since 1978 but things were different in 91 91 was respected on both the field and sideline Fulton County Stadium was a veritable red carpet and the Falcons were back there was never time in the National Football League we had so much creative chaos on the sidelines we'd add some everybody on Atlanta Falcons I love George Jones Travis Tritt van der holle field heavyweight champ of the world it took a knockout shot you've got Kenny Rogers you got hammer he had two too legit to quit thing going on with hammer too legit to quit that was that was a foul a lot of these things happen because Deon knew these people being in the locker room with the Falcons was obviously a result of Deon introduced me to Jerry Glanville and Jerry Glanville and I connected one day he brought James Brown to practice when James Brown says I always wanted to be a tailback in the I you carry the football so we put him back then flip to the body he ran the toss sweet James took the snap threw the ball and he couldn't understand what he was saying just a little bit but then we caught that last little ruffly like oh oh we had just a boatload of fun all the pieces came together I think it brought sports back to Atlanta the Falcons did that year why did we win games we stole the ball like higher was one corner and Dan was the other they led the league in interceptions but when you do that you're gonna win for Clemson oh man we've made the playoffs in 91 it was like yeah won the Super Bowl and we ended up getting a playoff victory that in itself was a great feat not only as football players but as a city and the city of Atlanta began to to grow the Falcons run in 91 took them all the way to the divisional round falling to the eventual Super Bowl champion Redskins with that season Atlanta came alive and with the help of Deion Sanders arrived at the forefront of the NFL [Music] coming up a look back at Sanders major league baseball career and how the prime time for sauna left a lasting mark on professional sports Deon was doing the high step shuffle in the middle of the play I don't know what the analogy would be Michael Jordan breakdancing before a dunk as Deion Sanders Canton goes primetime continues [Music] you gotta look good look good you play good play good peg that pay good live but live good you know he good that good [Music] game changes Bronx electrifying charismatic he was prime time he's Leon Dion the guy who needs to nickname he loved the attention he loved the spotlight primetime is Showtime primetime the perfect stage name for the man who was always ready to perform he was Deion Sanders carefully crafted alter ego and the reason a player Manning one of the league's least glorified positions became the NFL's most prominent star I always called me on the best marketing business man I've ever known primetime came about as a result of Deon recognizing that some attention needed to come to the cornerback position when you start talking about some of the more brilliant marketing moves that have been made in the course of the history of the game what Deion was able to do fits into that category of just pure genius I don't think nobody in the league had to kind of swagger the Deion Sanders head the swagger the Dion had he didn't have to manufacture it he was born with it this was unheard of on the defensive side of the ball that Bavaro attitude that says basically chunk at me chunk at me primetime was a once-in-a-generation showman with a trend-setting fashion sense and unforgettable dance moves his main celebration move I gave it to him from the good-to-go video Dion you know he took that it made that is his signature move which shoes now is his move he can have that one haha he came here and he started dancing and he paid me compliments but I said man you took it to a whole new level well Billy white shoes Johnson had a dance that it was awesome but it was in the end zone when nobody was allowed to hit him Dean was doing the high step shuffle in the middle of the play I don't know what the analogy would be Michael Jordan breakdancing before a dunk I read it's it's unfathomable when I play football we want to look good and play good and I think Dion definitely brought that playground swagger to the pros but it was the gold chains and jheri-curl gold curl from the hook that was you know a rock star look got to have your activation you'll juice the curl got to swing if you man enough to rock a jheri curl you know I'm saying you might kind of man Dion like myself rock the curl we still was the tip-top and best at our profession with the curl Deion Sanders you know he personified the 90s entertainment swagger super talented and giving his money primetime as successful of marketing tool as primetime had become his flash did not appeal to every demographic I believe he rubbed people the wrong way because he didn't do it the old-school way he type somebody is that cocky you're gonna have lots of people who are excited when he fails the primetime thing was basically our cartoon character and it was a cartoon character that was invented by Dion Dion purposely did that because he wanted to sell himself now that's good but it's bad in the sense that when you're in a community like Atlanta where he's got a lot of black youngsters who are looking up to you and trying to find positive role models that doesn't show very well it's not a bad example for the kids anybody in America that says something's wrong with making a lot of money it's crazy I always quote Yogi Berra after people loved half of the people hated him and the other half didn't even know hated or love when Sunday's came primetime came to play he was brash he's loved he was volatile but what he did between the whistles is what he did best he backed it out he got a guy out there dancing and all the antics and going out there failing and getting beat then it's a different story he was prime time with sustance a lot of cast wannabe prime time but it's just flashing lights no substance Deon is prime time when he counts with substance prime time was a full-time profession for Sanders there was no offseason and for the better part of nine years he gracefully juggled careers in the NFL and Major League Baseball he was a gamer he's a guy you could call a five-tool player he could run as everybody knows he could throw the baseball he could swing the bat for power and he can get base hits he had all the skills Bobby Cox is one of the greatest managers of all time and he absolutely loved Deion Sanders he thought that he was a tremendous talent if Bobby Cox loved them then that goes a long way with me his most successful campaign on the diamond came in 1992 when he led the National League in triples and helped the Atlanta Braves to the postseason but in true primetime fashion it was how Sanders did it that was most memorable he's the guy that the first punt return he sees in the National Football League who returns it for a touchdown this is the guy who hit a home run and scored a touchdown in the same week now all of a sudden we're getting his reports that Deon is gonna play in an NFL game and a major league baseball playoff game in the same day this town was on fire anytime you can play in a World Series and playing in Nashville Football League game and one day I take my hat off to you that's something I didn't see Bo do he played in Miami on Sunday and was in Pittsburgh Sunday night but not everyone was enamored with the feet then CBS analyst Tim McCarver called it flat wrong that playing two sports was putting his own interest ahead of the team three days later in a champagne soaked locker room after Atlanta's National League Championship Series victory Sanders dump water on McCarver I remember Dion dousing him with the water this to me there's the biggest stage ever what are you doing I said time you don't you don't have to do all that just go do what you do we appreciate the fact that you're making the effort to be here don't let those outside things disrupt football or baseball he was being verbally attacked on national television and so I understand the anger but at the end of the day that still was not how you resolved that conflict it was a very interesting situation then here's one of the biggest moments in Atlanta history the Sid Bream game and here's Deion Sanders who can't enjoy it because he's trying to find us enemies to throw ice water on them the Braves outfielder would go on to battle blistering 533 in a World Series loss to the Blue Jays today Sanders major-league legacy remains largely marked by what if Deion Sanders was a very good baseball player but it was also a very frustrating baseball player because you always had this nagging feeling there could be so much better I would have absolutely loved loved if he got 500 at-bats three years in a row I think it beyond it dedicated to a baseball the way he did football I think he probably would have been one of the best players ever play the game of baseball still to come Sanders football legacy and the cornerbacks battles with pro football's greatest wide outs and next primetime head west to San Francisco when we first signed him I said oh here we go here we go beyond Sanders five-year run in Atlanta came to an end in 1994 when he signed a one-year deal with San Francisco having lost in the previous two NFC Championship game to the rival Dallas Cowboys the 49ers were a franchise at need of that intangible spark and primetime glad to provide it when he arrived in the San Francisco 49ers Clubhouse and locker room it was like parachuting a rockstar into that entire team everybody stopped to see what Diaw was doing and we first signed him I so here we go here we go cuz you know I knew about his you know his entourage all of that I thought that would hurt the 49ers but I think in in turns it helped the 49ers Dion changed the vibe of the 49ers until Dionne came they had flashy players but they were always about we're gonna do with the 49er way Dion came in and said no way man were we're taking that to the next level we're gonna tell the world how good we are and then we're gonna pack about George Seifert handcrafted that defense it was an extremely complicated defense it was rare that you would just line up and say if we're playing cat coverage think about it I mean that's my cat that's your cat go get it well that's what deal did that's what he excelled at that was a big step for George and he finally turned over the asylum to the inmates I think everybody started to have a little bit more fun on the football field to be a little bit more you know creative and I think it was because of being on injury week 7 the 49ers were four and two tied atop the NFC West with none other than the Atlanta Falcons and Sanders was set to make his much-anticipated home coming to the city he had spurned mid tension as ripe as a Georgia Peach he had got into it a little bit passwords because I was I was hurt because he was leaving he thought at least I thought we won't go out together and then once he left and went to the Nemesis Hagan with anywhere else shows a lot of bad water it's built in you can feel the tension for that game even before it started it reminded me of going to a great price fight you just knew something was going to happen and you also knew that Deanna was gonna do something dramatic because Dionne always does well here's rising and Sanders going at it it's a fight Oh baby [Applause] oh they were throwing haymakers at each other it already javi am i you know what I'm saying so I had to come get a look back and then I said I know we was jabbing and slapping and jabbing his slack rice and it's under the second quarter splat however was merely the undercard the main event is still to come I think that one's probably will be shown forever with him you know high-stepping hand behind his back for about 96 yards you know pointing at the Atlanta the Georgia Dome just absolutely exploded then it's after the game and we're standing there talking the Dion and Dion says out of nowhere this is my house I built this and this is my house I don't care from which the Falcons not this is my house and this will always beat my house now let's continue and after that it was like you know what I can retire now because there's nothing that's going to be bigger than this in a history of sports the 1994 season was arguably Sanders finest with six interceptions returned for over 300 yards three of them taken in four touchdowns he became just the fourth cornerback to receive Defensive Player of the Year honors but more than that he had led the 49ers back to the NFC Championship for another rematch with the force he was hired to help overthrow crime help San Fran big time without Dion on that sea facade of a football field I think my government would had to feel that diem Mason there were a number of plays in that game to where I thought we had a chance for Michael on a big play to where Dion would be able to close on the ball and make a play on it one of which he probably got away with pass interference which might have changed the outcome of it was all over Evan elbows to the chant film will say that I was really aware what deal we'll see was they did have it and if Dino Sanders is not on that team we easily come back a wind a game in Super Bowl 29 Sanders was key to San Francisco's 23 point rout of the San Diego charges and also became the first man ever to play in both the World Series and a Super Bowl the 49ers were back on top and had proven how valuable primetime could truly feel it was clearly the most amazing year he ever had on the field that year in 1994 for the 49ers team is a huge difference maker for that team you could argue they bought themselves a Super Bowl with Deion Sanders that's something Jerry Rice doesn't want to hear but Deion Sanders impact on that team and its ability to win a Super Bowl is unquestionable up next prime time high steps his way to Dallas the opportunity to play together after all of those years of battling each other it was incredible it was incredibly fun Austin when Deion Sanders Canton goals primetime return after winning Super Bowl 29 with San Francisco Deion Sanders was once again a free agent then in an attempt to reclaim control of the NFC Jerry Jones and the rival Cowboys Brock Sanders - Dallas made him the highest-paid defender to ever play the game I'm looking forward to the first a step foot on his football field or to put on that star was one mile what he wanted to do a start you know now get the best start every day on my help me you know I think with Jerry Jones signed him to that thirty-five million dollar contract it was a sign that Jerry Jones thought that he was the missing piece the time the contract was so large over 12 million dollar signing bonus it was unheard of for a defensive player to be paid that much money but that's the kind of difference maker that Deion Sanders was I think the perception of crime is that he was not a great teammate because of the showmanship on a football field a lot of people look at him like oh he's just an individual it's totally different opportunity to play together after all of those years of battling each other it was is incredible there's a real comfort when you're playing against a team knowing that you can assign Deion to a receiver and pretty much know that that guy's not gonna be a big factor in the game and it allowed us to do so much more defensively and made us a better team the other you know sees you remember that stuff that all came over he was returning kicks play the receiver with us did a lot of things Dan was just so amazing that whole year and really made the difference for the Cowboys and that's Zander's took the term versatility to a new level of Big D starting games at both cornerback and wide receiver if he had been able to work at it you know early in his career and really put time into it he could have been as good as there was people were scared to death of his speed and so he immediately got respect where the intermediate stuff was very good for him and then he opened up routes for a lot of other people and so he was a real threat for us and for the limited amount of time that he had to really work on that craft I thought he was outstanding people had to respect his ability as a wide receiver because he could catch the ball and if he caught it he got it got one-on-one he can make a mess and take it to the house people forget to how potent he was in the playoff game during the 1995 season they played Philadelphia and he actually scored on a reverse as an offensive player much like he had a year earlier with San Francisco Zander's was playing for a Super Bowl in his first season with a new team in Super Bowl 30 it would be against the Pittsburgh Steelers at primetime with Rock Sun Devil Stadium with the game's first big play on offense but I think of the most is our Super Bowl against the Steelers we knew early in that game we were gonna try to take a shot to Dion over the top on a post route it was not a well-thrown ball it was a ball that was underthrown but he was able to go up make a play in it it set up points for us there on her first possession with the 27:17 victory Dallas had captured its third title in four years and was back on top Sanders it was two in a row and beginning to seem like winning a championship was as simple as signing number 21 I think Dion was the difference in the 94 Super Bowl season for the 49ers and Dion was the difference in the 95 Super Bowl season for the Cowboys he swung the balance of power between 1994 and 1995 given both those teams championships and if he had stayed in San Francisco they'd probably win the 95 Super Bowl he was one of the first real hired guns if you wanted a championship you got Deion Sanders would wear the Dallas star for four more seasons drilling cowboy fans and vintage prime time fashion but perhaps most exciting was a Monday night performance in 1998 against the division rival New York Giants gets a block at the 45 turns the corner to midfield slices back left to the 30 a footrace to the 20 say touchdown Deion Sanders took over that giant cooker would Pat goes Garrett looking Dion's Wade deep ball down the middle for Diaw another amazing thing that I recall Kevin Mathis got in the game late in the game as Deion replacement quarterback kept throwing a couple out routes to our silent and dealin was on the sidelines and yelling to Kevin little fella fella it's coming to us so finally he said lift up committee pulled him off the field he got on the football field they tried to say more route he's young right in front of 30 yard line took him back back 60 yards to the touchdown he starts the high step at the 25 came back to the sideline said now that's how you do when we return some of the NFL's greatest on their legendary battles with football's first shut down corner well if I had to really describe it it was almost like Michael Jordan against Magic Johnson it was just that type of rivalry Ken Jerry Rice a guy like that you know you got to be in full condition because he's gonna run like a deer from from from the start of the game to the conclusion Mike you got to be strong get in the weight room all that we got like like sterling sharp you know big and fast and strong all the components just different guys you just got to know what your what you're dealing with when you were in the title shut down corner lining up against Provo caliber wide outs on a weekly basis is just what you do Deion Sanders made a career of it frustrating some of the most prolific pass catchers ever to play the game going up against him when he was with the Atlanta Falcons I remember him telling me that he couldn't sleep the night before I couldn't sleep but we look forward to that challenge there was only two ways you could go his confidence either raised your confidence where his confidence intimidated you and and I enjoyed playing against the best Deon was one of the best corners I ever played against he's always been the best Davis is back on football and we had our share of battles he don't want to go in there slide dogs right come on out here on this island you know before it was Revis Island trust me Brian Tom had a couple oceans here couple oceans on lockdown if I had to describe it it was almost like Michael Jordan against Magic Johnson it was just that type of rivalry and you wanted to go out and play at your best you wanted to go up against the best and I knew I had a challenge with Deion Sanders whenever I beat him I still had to rely on the quarterback to throw the ball on time because if he didn't throw it on time the ball was gonna be going to other direction at your expense if he could he was gonna entertain 40 50 60 70 thousand people you didn't want to be on the end of that it's kind of like being dunked on you didn't want to be beyond those to the left sideline picked off batter this is how you have to play a DSN you got a literally give him something make sure he sees that don't worry about he'll see and then try to trick him or later because he's that ghoul that really frustrates you I remember man on that carpet in the Orange Bowl looking at him to see he'll that ball up running back the other way that's a dumb I don't care what happens I came to you in the second of all you cannot do that kid half the only thing I would just take away from dr and he'd probably laugh at this is that he doesn't tackle well that is true and you know is he he has said and he continues to say that he wasn't paid to make tackles and and and i think he's probably right there's a famous story very early in Dion's career he's playing a game at Candlestick Park against the Niners and a lot of the Niner defenders are very skeptical about Dion's toughness and Roger Craig comes around the corner on a sweep right by the 49ers sidelines and all of a sudden Dion's the guy who's got to make the tackle and he just dives shamelessly near his legs and warning our linebackers are out there on the sidelines screaming don't be afraid to hit somebody don't be afraid to hit somebody and Dion pops up looks right at him and goes don't be afraid to make some money and you know all they could do was laugh I am so tre of those damn guys with the microphone talking about oh dear you know he doesn't like to tackle and he gotta like get out of here you're up there with a microphone I pound into this guy you never heard a wide receiver say they get out physical deal cuz they never tried I was doing them when they tried it and a man's opinion is only as good as his knowledge on that subject when it comes to talking about being physical with Dion my opinion should reign here some of Sanders greatest adversaries would go on to become his greatest allies when primetime moved to their team former foes would see that beyond the brash persona was a dedicated sportsman and a student of the game he only made things better though when he came over to the San Francisco 49ers because you know then I got a chance to really go against him during practice to have him on my side that felt really good my best battles with dealing with Axman practice to be honest with you because once he got to Dallas he was just such a good workout partner he was an absolute competitor I think any teammate that that's ever played with him will tell you that showed up everyday to get you and he was great to be around for the critics of Dion I always said find me a teammate of his that was in the locker room with him that had something negative to say for his big a persona as he is and was he was the ultimate teammate the great competitor I enjoyed the challenge playing against it and I certainly enjoyed the times we played together when we return a football legacy put into perspective here came a guy who said go ahead and try to throw it at me you'll never succeed and he was right when Dion Sanders Canton goes primetime returned Deion Sanders enjoyed five fruitful years with the Dallas Cowboys then in 2000 he would sign with the Redskins only to retire after one season in Washington but three years later at the age of 37 Sanders came back with the Ravens for one final stand [Music] [Applause] Sanders spent two years in Baltimore before hanging up his cleats for good at the close of the 2005 season five years later he would secure his place in Canton elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on his first ballot Deion Sanders legacy is going to be that of the greatest cover cornerback of all time with a style that we had never ever seen before with a style that we will never ever see again he is truly the best shutdown corner Baghdad the NFL is embassy he was diffused yeah by far and there were some great players and I don't mean to be disrespectful the guys like their barrel green people but they didn't do what he did they didn't take a ball and put points on the board from taking it from the other team the greatest shutdown quarterback of his era or any era and combined with the most exciting open field non offensive player in NFL history that's an incredible combination I don't know that we'll ever see it he brought something to the game that's probably not ever gonna happen again you know he had a quality that that was just unbelievable people gonna remember deny for being such a pure athlete you know he's the only man to play in a Super Bowl in a World Series and you just came tonight he is the epitome of a true Hall of Fame the only debate is was there ever anybody better the Dion there's no other compliment or better compliment you can give him when you say Dion Sanders was the Muhammad Ali of the national football at a time when every team in the NFL is beginning to fill the air with footballs like never before in the history of the league here came a guy who said go ahead and try to throw it at me you'll never succeed and he was right both aim was like gods they changed the game that since they played the game it will never be the same dianna survey that Dion fits into that mold as one of the guys who revolutionized the game and a position I think when you look at people who really changed the game and changed how people look at it and what they're willing to do or what they want in different positions Dion's one of those guys I think you know Dion's place in history is definitely secured Frank Sinatra I did it my way I did it my way and there's nothing anyone can say about that he did it prime times wait [Music]

Channel: NFL Fanzone

Views: 631,044

Rating: 4.7134857 out of 5

Keywords: NFLFanzone, NFL, Fanzone, Deion Sanders, Prime Time, Prime, Deion, Neon Deion, Dallas Cowboys, Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons, MC Hammer, Jerry Glanville, Michael Irvin, Florida State University, Seminole

Id: lx_OmncIkx4

Length: 44min 21sec (2661 seconds)

Published: Thu Sep 26 2019