“There’s only one Lion King”: Ryan Clark shuts down Deion Sanders vs Asante Samuel debate

Ryan Clark has now made his feelings known regarding the ongoing debate between Deion Sanders and Asante Samuel. Samuel has been on a social media tirade as of late debating well-known pundits and even some fans as to why he was the better cornerback over Sanders.

Various names in the NFL space, such as Shannon Sharpe, Cam Newton, Chad Ochocinco, and more, have voiced their opinions on the matter. Clark doubled down on his support for where Deion Sanders stands amongst the rest, including Samuel.

"Asante Samuel was a very good football player, but there is no Hall of “Very Good”. He can have all the technique conversations he wants with Deion Sanders, but do not throw rocks at Tanks. You can pull up all the stats you want, but who’s the better of these two should not be a conversation. Both men are far better than me, but @DeionSanders is in different stratosphere from everyone.

"He’s the reason people wore 21, he manifested the term “lockdown corner”, & shifted the power in the NFL simply by changing jerseys. Channing likes to say that, he loves when “Lions” go at one another, but there’s only 1 “Lion King”."

Sanders and Samuel's accolades are certainly interesting to compare. Over a 16-year career, Sanders racked up a total of 53 interceptions. Samuel only played in the league for 10 years and managed to record 51 interceptions. While neither man plays anymore, their legacies still live on within the game through their sons.

Deion Sanders and Asante Samuel's sons carry on their legacies in the NFL

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Sanders currently serves as the head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes football program. He coached his son, Shedeur Sanders, for the entirety of his collegiate career, and now, Shedeur prepares to enter the 2025 NFL draft as one of the top quarterback prospects in the class. He's slated to be drafted within the first few picks of the first round, and could be gearing up to become the face of an NFL franchise next season.

As for Asante Samuel, his son, Asante Jr., was drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft. Samuel has been a starting cornerback for the past several seasons. Unfortunately, Samuel missed the majority of the 2024 NFL season after suffering a shoulder injury in October. Asante Samuel Sr. also has a cousin, Deebo Samuel, who plays wide receiver for the Washington Commanders.