Deion Sanders facts for kids
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Sanders as Colorado Buffaloes head coach, 2024
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| Colorado Buffaloes | |||||||||||||||||
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| Position: | Head coach | ||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
| Born: | August 9, 1967 Fort Myers, Florida, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 198 lb (90 kg) | ||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||
| High school: | North Fort Myers (North Fort Myers, Florida) | ||||||||||||||||
| College: | Florida State (1985–1988) | ||||||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1989 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5 | ||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||||
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| Head coaching record | |||||||||||||||||
| Career: | 40–18 (.690) (college) 17–21 (.447) (high school) |
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Pro Football Hall of Fame
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College Football Hall of Fame
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Deion Luwynn Sanders Sr. (born August 9, 1967) is an American football coach for the University of Colorado-Boulder. He was also a professional football and baseball player. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons and in Major League Baseball (MLB) for nine seasons.
Sanders is the only athlete to play in both a Super Bowl and a World Series. He won two Super Bowl titles and played in the 1992 World Series.
He played college football as a cornerback for the Florida State Seminoles. The Atlanta Falcons drafted him fifth overall in 1989. During his NFL career, he was also a return specialist and sometimes a wide receiver. He earned six first-team All-Pro honors and nine Pro Bowl selections. Sanders was inducted into the College Football and Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.
Known as "Prime Time" as a player and later "Coach Prime", Sanders worked as an analyst for NFL Network. He coached high school teams in the 2010s. In 2020, he became head coach of the Jackson State Tigers. He led them to two Celebration Bowl appearances and an undefeated regular season in 2022. Sanders became Colorado's head coach in 2023. His sons, Shilo and Shedeur, played for him at both Jackson State and Colorado.
Contents
Early Life and High School Sports
Deion Sanders was born on August 9, 1967, in Fort Myers, Florida. He was raised by his mother and stepfather, Willie Knight, who was a big influence on him.
He went to North Fort Myers High School. There, he was a top athlete in football, basketball, and baseball. In 1985, he was named to the Florida High School Association All-Century Team for football. This team recognized the best 33 players in 100 years of high school football in Florida.
The Kansas City Royals baseball team drafted Sanders in 1985, but he chose to go to Florida State University instead.
College Career Highlights
Sanders attended Florida State University and played three sports: football, baseball, and track. From his first year, he was a starter in football and played outfield for the baseball team. He also helped the track team win a championship.
As a football player, Sanders was a two-time All-American cornerback in 1987 and 1988. He intercepted 14 passes during his college career. He also returned one interception 100 yards for a touchdown. In 1988, he won the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the best defensive back in college football.
Sanders was also an excellent punt returner. He led the nation in punt return average in 1988. His No. 2 jersey at Florida State was retired in 1995, a great honor.
In baseball, Sanders had a .331 batting average in 1986 and stole 27 bases in 1987. He once played in a baseball game, ran a leg of a track relay, and then returned to play in another baseball game all on the same day!
Professional Baseball Career
| Deion Sanders | |||
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| Outfielder | |||
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| debut | |||
| May 31, 1989, for the New York Yankees | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| June 14, 2001, for the Cincinnati Reds | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .263 | ||
| Home runs | 39 | ||
| Runs batted in | 168 | ||
| Stolen bases | 186 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Sanders played part-time in Major League Baseball for nine years. He played left and center field for four different teams. The New York Yankees drafted him in 1988, and he made his MLB debut on May 31, 1989.
In 1989, Sanders made history by hitting a home run in MLB and scoring a touchdown in the NFL in the same week. He is the only player ever to do this. He is also the only person to play in both a Super Bowl and a World Series.
Time with the Atlanta Braves
Sanders joined the Atlanta Braves in 1991. In 1992, he had his best baseball season, batting .304 and stealing 26 bases. He also led the National League with 14 triples.
During the 1992 World Series, Sanders played with a broken bone in his foot and still batted an amazing .533. Even with his great performance, the Braves lost the series to the Toronto Blue Jays.
Sanders later played for the Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants. In 1997, he stole 56 bases for the Reds. He returned to the Reds briefly in 2001 before retiring from baseball. He often said, "football is my wife and baseball is my mistress," showing his love for both sports.
Professional Football Career
Sanders was the fifth overall pick in the 1989 NFL draft by the Atlanta Falcons. He played for the Falcons until 1993. In his first NFL game, he scored a touchdown on his second punt return attempt. During his time in Atlanta, he intercepted 24 passes, returning three for touchdowns. In 1992, he led the league in kick return yards.
San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys
In 1994, Sanders joined the San Francisco 49ers. He had an amazing season, intercepting six passes and returning three for touchdowns. He was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He helped the 49ers win Super Bowl XXIX, earning his first championship ring.
In 1995, Sanders signed with the Dallas Cowboys. He helped the Cowboys win their third title in four years in Super Bowl XXX. He played four more seasons with Dallas, being selected to the Pro Bowl every year.
Later NFL Teams
Sanders played one season with the Washington Redskins in 2000 before retiring. In 2004, he came out of retirement to play for the Baltimore Ravens. He played for two seasons with the Ravens before retiring for good in January 2006.
Coaching Career
High School Coaching
After his playing career, Sanders became a high school football coach. He coached at Prime Prep Academy and Triple A Academy. In 2017, he became the offensive coordinator at Trinity Christian High School, where he coached his sons, Shilo and Shedeur.
Jackson State Tigers
In September 2020, Deion Sanders became the head coach of the Jackson State Tigers, a team from a historically black university (HBCU). In his first full season in 2021, he led the Tigers to an 11-win record and a conference title. He also won the Eddie Robinson Award as the top FCS head coach.
In 2022, Jackson State had an undefeated regular season. Sanders made headlines by convincing Travis Hunter, a top high school recruit, to join Jackson State. This was a huge moment for HBCU football. Sanders helped bring more attention and resources to these programs.
Colorado Buffaloes
On December 3, 2022, Sanders was named the head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes. He brought many new players to the team, including his sons Shedeur and Shilo, and Travis Hunter. In 2023, Colorado won their first three games, a big improvement from the previous season. They finished the season with 4 wins.
In the 2024 season, Colorado had a strong year, finishing with a 9–4 record. They tied for first place in their conference. Travis Hunter won the Heisman Trophy, and Shedeur Sanders finished 8th in the Heisman voting. After the season, Colorado retired the jerseys of Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders. In March 2025, Sanders signed a new five-year contract with Colorado.
Legacy and Honors
Deion Sanders is considered one of the best defensive players in NFL history. He was known for his incredible speed and playmaking ability.
He is the only person to play in both a Super Bowl and a World Series. He is also the only player to score an NFL touchdown in six different ways: interception return, punt return, kickoff return, receiving, rushing, and fumble recovery. His 19 defensive and return touchdowns were an NFL record.
Sanders was selected to eight Pro Bowls and won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award in 1994.
- In 2010, he was inducted into the Atlanta Falcons' Ring of Honor.
- In 2011, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
- On August 6, 2011, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
Media Appearances and Pop Culture
Sanders was famous for his "Prime Time" nickname, given to him by a high school friend. He was known for his flashy style, including wearing a bandana and doing touchdown dances.
He released a rap album called Prime Time in 1994. He also hosted Saturday Night Live in 1995. Sanders appeared in many TV commercials for companies like Nike, Pepsi, and Pizza Hut.
After retiring from the NFL, Sanders worked as a football analyst for CBS and NFL Network. He also starred in a reality show with his family called Deion & Pilar: Prime Time Love.
He appeared in the docuseries Coach Prime, which follows his journey as a college football coach.
Leon Sandcastle
Leon Sandcastle is a funny character created for an NFL Network commercial. In the commercial, Sanders pretends to be a new player named Leon Sandcastle and enters the NFL draft combine. He wears an afro wig and shows off his amazing athletic skills. The commercial was very popular and even led to Sandcastle being added as a character in the Madden NFL 13 video game.
Personal Life
Deion Sanders has five children. Two of his sons, Shilo and Shedeur, play football for him at the University of Colorado. His daughter, Shelomi, also plays college basketball.
In 2020, Sanders earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Talladega College.
In 2021, Sanders had several foot surgeries due to blood clots, which resulted in the amputation of two toes on his left foot.
In the 2025 NFL draft, his son Shedeur was drafted by the Cleveland Browns. His son Shilo signed with the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent.
On July 28, 2025, Sanders announced that he had bladder cancer and had his bladder removed. He was considered cancer-free after the procedure.
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See also
In Spanish: Deion Sanders para niños
