On This Date in Sports September 10, 1989: Primetime Debut
In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com
Deion Sanders picked fifth in the NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons starts his NFL career in spectacular fashion as he returns a punt 68 yards for a touchdown. Just five days earlier he hit a home run for the New York Yankees. The punt return would not be enough as the Los Angeles Rams 31-21 beat the Falcons at Fulton County Stadium.
Deion Sanders was born August 9, 1967, in Fort Myers, Florida. An incredible athlete, Sanders played three sports at Florida State, adding track to baseball and football. Picked out of high school by the Kansas City Royals in the sixth round in 1985, he was later chosen by the Yankees in the 30th round, as most baseball scouts expected him to play in the NFL. In football Sanders had been a top prospect all along as he was a two-time consensus All-American at cornerback.
As expected, Deion Sanders was a top draft pick in the NFL, going fifth overall to the Atlanta Falcons. It was one of the most talented drafts in NFL history as four of the top five picks would end up with Hall of Fame careers. It started with Troy Aikman going first to the Dallas Cowboys. After Ton Maderich went second to the Green Bay Packers, Barry Sanders went third to the Detroit Lions, and Derrick Thomas went fourth to the Kansas City Chiefs.
After the NFL Draft, Deion Sanders played minor league baseball for the New York Yankees. At the time, the Yankees were in the midst of a poor season and called up Sanders to add a spark. When training camp arrived, he remained with the Yankees as was unable to come to a contract agreement with the Falcons. Just days before the start of the season, Deion Sanders agreed to a contract, but before he left he hit a home run against the Seattle Mariners on September 5th. In 14 game with the Yankees, Sanders batted .234 with two home runs and seven RBI, scoring seven runs and stealing one base.
Once he hit the football field, it became clear that Deion Sanders was born to play football. With the Atlanta Falcons in 1989, Sanders had a habit of breaking a big play and high steppin’. After finishing his rookie year with five interceptions, Sanders who carried the nicknames “Primetime” and “Neon Deion” earned the reputation as the best cover corner in the league. He would have nine pick-sixes in All-Pro career, among 53 interceptions. Sanders would shut down the opposing teams’ best receivers just by having quarterbacks afraid to throw the ball his way.
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While his football career was impressive, Deion Sanders was underwhelming in baseball as he would always leave when the pennant races began to heat up. Following the 1990 season, Sanders was released by the New York Yankees. Sanders would end up with the Atlanta Braves. There the Braves and Falcons allowed him to play both sports at the same time, giving him the chance to play in the 1992 World Series, while reporting to the Falcons on Sundays.
Deion Sanders left the Atlanta Falcons following the 1993 season and became the first player to play in a World Series and a Super Bowl as he won a ring with the San Francisco 49ers. He would leave the Niners after one season to play with Dallas Cowboys and won a second ring the following season. Meanwhile, in baseball, he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds and became one of the top base stealers in the National League.
Later in his career, Sanders was slowed by a foot injury, as he split his final baseball years with the Reds and San Francisco Giants. In football, he played one year with the Washington Redskins in 2000 before retiring. Deion Sanders would come out of retirement four years later and played two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens.