Deion Sanders ranks alongside Larry Bird, Wayne Gretzky, Lionel Messi, Pele, Barry Bonds, Babe Ruth and Ken Griffey Jr. as one of the best left-handed athletes in sports history. Sanders stands out in such an elite group because he's a dual-sport athlete, and the only man to play in a World Series and a Super Bowl.
In an even crazier record that will be more difficult to repeat, Sanders became the only person to score a touchdown in the NFL and hit a homer in the MLB on the same week; he achieved that feat in 1989.
Although he's better remembered as a franchise symbol for the Atlanta Falcons, Sanders won a Super Bowl with two different teams — one with the San Francisco 49ers and another with the Dallas Cowboys. At the collegiate level, he played football, baseball and track and field at Florida State. Meanwhile in the MLB, he had his best years with the Atlanta Braves.
In terms of personal accolades, Sanders is a Pro Football and College Football Hall of Famer. He was an eight-time Pro Bowl selection, six-time first-team All-Pro and the 1994 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. At the collegiate level, he was a two-time unanimous All-American and the 1988 winner of the Jim Thorpe Award.
His jersey was retired by the Florida State Seminoles in 1995, and he was inducted to the Atlanta Falcons Ring of Honor in 2010.
Deion Sanders caught flak for banning a reporter from Colorado events
Over the last few days, Sanders caught flak from the world of college football for banning a reporter from The Denver Post from asking questions to personnel and players of the Colorado football program.
The University of Colorado Boulder made the decision due to what the school and Sanders considered personal attacks made toward the coach by Sean Keeler, the reporter in question. However, the school did not confirm if the coach had any involvement in making the decision.
On Monday's edition of ESPN's "Get Up," Paul Finebaum shared his thoughts regarding the ban.
"Coach Prime is showing he is not ready for prime time, Greeny," Finebaum said to host Mike Greenberg. “I find this whole thing to be disgraceful. Deion may want to talk about love and joy, and that’s been the cornerstone of what he seems to be spewing out. But treating reporters like this seems like we’re in some autocratic country. This is not America. And the fact that it’s in his contract is really even more absurd."
"But don’t forget he did this at Jackson State. This is a trait of Deion Sanders. He wants to have it his way, and I find him to be a bully and a hypocrite. And quite frankly, as someone who has been a fan of his throughout his entire career, even at Colorado, I am mortified by his actions."
During Sanders' time at Jackson State, the Tigers banned a reporter from The Clarion-Ledger — but only for the Southwestern Athletic Conference Media Day. As for Keeler, the ban is indefinite.
Keeler's latest story was regarding special teams coach Trevor Reilly traveling to Saudi Arabia to leverage potential NIL deals from the country's Public Investment Fund. The PIF has been involved in big investments in sports, including its acquisition of the Premier League club Newcastle United and its contribution to the merge of LIV Golf with the PGA Tour.
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