Deion Sanders and Bo Jackson were two of the most well-known NFL players of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Both played major league baseball during the NFL offseason, and they squared off in a legendary 1990 game at Yankee Stadium.
See how fans reacted to a clip from the game.
Fans React to Highlights From MLB Game Where Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders Went Head-to-Head
Jackson was drafted five times before playing professional sports. The New York Yankees selected him out of high school in the 1982 MLB June Amateur Draft. He decided to attend Auburn University, and was drafted by the California Angels in the 1985 draft and the Kansas City Royals in the 1986 draft.
He was also the first overall pick in the 1986 NFL Draft, but refused to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after losing NCAA baseball eligibility because he flew on a private jet to the team facility. Tampa Bay forfeited his right, and Jackson was selected in the seventh round of the 1987 draft by the Los Angeles Raiders.
Sanders was drafted twice for baseball (1985 and 1988) and once for football when he was the fifth overall pick of the 1989 NFL Draft.
Fans reacted to a recent “On This Day” tweet from FOX Sports highlighting a 1990 matchup between Jackson’s Royals and Sanders’ Yankees.
OTD in 1990, two-sport icons Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders faced off in a memorable matchup at Yankee Stadium.
Jackson hit three home runs, while Sanders showcased his speed with an inside-the-park homer. pic.twitter.com/wOPpv5nznQ
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 17, 2025
One fan tweeted, “Talk about world class athletes.” Jackson and Sanders simultaneously made playing two sports at the highest level look easy. Another posted, “Amazing athletes. Amazing game. No wonder Deion Sanders is so well respected even to this day.”
Jackson is regarded as one of the best athletes of his generation, but both his football and baseball careers were cut short by a brutal hip injury in the 1990 NFL playoffs. One fan noted Jackson’s athletic ability, posting, “Bo Jackson to this day greatest 2 sport athlete in mine and this generation!”
Sanders hit on an inside-the-park homerun that got by Jackson in center field. The future Pro Football Hall of Famer scored on a wild play at the plate where he lept over the catcher to touch home plate. One fan noted, “I love that they each scored one on the other directly. Deion’s was more like a triple and an error though.”
Another fan called out Sanders’ speed, comparing it to current Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, saying, “Deion is almost as fast as PCA. Good for him.”
Jackson responded with three mammoth homeruns, one of which went directly over Sanders’ head in dead center field. Kansas City won 10-7, and one fan simply posted, “Legendary game!”
While Sanders had the longer career in both sports, Jackson was a more succesful baseball player. He made the All-Star team in 1989 and was named the game’s MVP after going 2-4 with a homerun and stolen base.
Sanders played for five teams in his nine MLB seasons. He played in the 1992 World Series with the Atlanta Braves, but never made the All-Star game. One fan noted this by saying, “I wish Neon Deion was an mlb all star so that the two of them could accomplish the same feat.”
Once he came to the NFL, Jackson formed a formidable running back duo with Marcus Allen. He never played a full season because of baseball, but was always electric when he was on the field. Including the playoffs, Jackson posted 775 rushing yards and five touchdowns in his final NFL season.
Sanders won two Super Bowls and was named an All-Pro eight times (six first-team, two second-team) over his 14 NFL seasons. One fan noted the differences in the two stars’ careers, saying, “Bo was clearly the better athlete, Dion [sic] had a longer career.”
In their primes, Jackson and Sanders were two of the best athletes in American professional sports. It’s a shame that Jackson’s career ended early, but this game highlighted what each did best.
