Deion Sanders’ best moments: ‘Coach Prime’ turns 57

With the college football season just weeks away, Deion Sanders will celebrate his 57th birthday on August 9th.

The head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes will enter year two with the program, after shocking most of the sports world with several upset wins last season. However, we can’t forget the legendary playing career he had in two different sports. 

From jaw-dropping performances in NFL games, to clutch plays in MLB, FOX Sports Research broke down the best moments of his career from both a coach and player perspective.

Let’s take a look: 

Top five moments of Deion Sanders’ career

Beats TCU in first game as Colorado head coach

• While this might be considered recency bias, there might not have been a bigger moment in “Coach Prime’s” career than upsetting TCU in Week 1 of last season. The Horned Frogs were fresh off a national championship game appearance and entered the matchup as 21-point home favorites. Shedeur Sanders had his coming out party, throwing for 510 yards and four touchdowns in a 45-42 victory for Colorado. Sanders would go on to lead them to four wins on the year, surpassing their Over/Under win total of 3.5.

Back-to-back Super Bowl titles with 49ers and Cowboys

• In 1994, Sanders won the Defensive Player of the Year award en route to leading the 49ers to a Super Bowl victory. He intercepted six passes that season and took back three of them for scores. However, the following year he’d join the Cowboys, and play a pivotal role in their Super Bowl run- winning the second title of his career. Between the 1994 and 1995 seasons, Sanders intercepted eight passes in 23 regular season games, along with three picks in postseason play.

1992 MLB season

• It can’t be forgotten that Sanders was a two-sport superstar, thriving as a MLB player. His 1992 season with the Braves was arguably his best, recording an OPS of .841 and leading the majors with 14 triples in just 97 games. In that same season, he played a game against the Dolphins for the Falcons, and later that night flew to Pittsburgh to join the Braves for Game 5 of the NLCS. Atlanta would go on to make the World Series, where Sanders would bat a whopping .533 with eight hits, five stolen bases, and an RBI in four games played. He’s still the only player ever to bat over .500 and record five stolen bases in a single World Series. 

Punt-return for TD in first NFL game 

• Deion Sanders cemented his dominance right from the start of his NFL career. After going fifth overall in the 1989 NFL Draft, he took back a punt 68 yards for a score in his pro football debut against the Rams in Week 1. He’d start 10 games at cornerback that season and record five interceptions, two forced fumbles, along with over 1,000 combined kick and punt return yards.

93-yard pick-six against Falcons

• Sanders spent his first five seasons in the NFL with the Falcons before signing with the 49ers in 1994. On October 16th of that year, he made his return to the Georgia Dome to face his former team. After getting into a scuffle with former teammate Andre Rison (a five-time Pro Bowl selection), “Prime” would go on to intercept a pass from quarterback Jeff George, returning it 93 yards for a score and staring down the entire sideline before high-stepping into the end zone. Scroll to 5:50 in the clip below to see the incredible play.

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