Deion Sanders’ draft day was the complete opposite of his son’s.
Neon Deion was selected fifth overall in the 1989 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. His selection came after a standout college career at Florida State, where he earned the Jim Thorpe Award in 1988 as the nation’s top defensive back.
It was one of the most consequential drafts of the modern era, with four of the day’s top-five picks and another first-rounder going to the Hall of Fame, including Troy Aikman, Barry Sanders, Derrick Thomas, Sanders, and Steve Atwater.
Deion Sanders’ Draft Day Persona
Whereas Shedeur Sanders saw his position slide while being covered by hordes of media, Deion’s day was marked by charisma and confidence. He appeared on ESPN, with his whole family gathered around him. Wearing sunglasses and flashy gold jewelry, he regaled the cameras with tales of his greatness.
One anecdote ironically references the New York Giants, a team that was very upset with their meeting with Shedeur Sanders. Before the 1989 NFL Draft, Neon Deion met with the Giants at the Scouting Combine. The Giants gave him a lengthy written test.
“They sat me down and gave me a thick book,” Sanders recalled.
“I mean, this thing was thicker than a phone book. I said, ‘What’s this?’ They said, ‘This is our test that we give all the players.’ I said, ‘Excuse me, what pick do you have in the draft?’ They said, ‘I think, 10th [actually 18th].’
“I said, ‘I’ll be gone before then. I’ll see y’all later. I ain’t got time for this.’ That’s a true story.”
Deion also allegedly told them, “If you draft me, you’re going to have to pay me,” indicating his desire to control his draft destination.
Unlike Shedeur Sanders, there was no debate about whether or not he would fall in the draft. However, he was terrified about where he would end up: the Detroit Lions. “I was kinda scared,” he said. “I thought Detroit was gonna take me. I would have asked for so much money they’d have to put me on layaway.”
Instead of Deion, the Lions took Barry Sanders, but only because the Packers passed on the latter to take OT Tony Mandarich of Michigan State, the only bust of the top five.
Sanders went on to have a Hall the aforementioned Hall of Fame career. He played 14 years in the NFL, winning Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys. What is all the more remarkable is that Sanders retired after the 2000 season and returned in 2004 as a defensive back with the Baltimore Ravens.
Sanders was an eight-time Pro Bowler, a six-time All-Pro, a member of the HOF All-1990s Team, the 1994 AP Defensive Player of the Year, and the 1994 PFWA Defensive Player of the Year. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.
