There are not many past NFL superstars who hold the title of head coach in the college football realm. Deion Sanders happens to be the only one leading a Power 4 university this fall, as his Colorado Buffaloes will start the season on Thursday, Aug. 29.
Sanders has captivated the CFB landscape with his brash persona and unique coaching. But do the Buffaloes also have a Hall of Famer leading the football program?
Looking at Deion Sanders’ Hall of Fame Status
The Colorado-North Dakota State battle set to kick off the 2024 season for CU doesn’t just feature one of the league’s most popular and polarizing players ever on the sidelines.
The Buffaloes happen to have a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame leading them. Sanders was inducted in Canton back in 2011, with his longtime agent Eugene Parker presenting Sanders into the Hall.
Sanders thanked approximately 120 different people in his acceptance speech. That included former teammates, coaches, and even past teachers and religious figures who helped shape his life. He also thanked friends and hip-hop legends Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube for joining him on his ceremonial night.
In his acceptance speech, Sanders reflected back on how fortunate he was to play in a league featuring icons like Dan Marino and Joe Montana — also naming some Hall of Fame teammates he played with.
“… To play against the Marinos, to play against the Montanas, Troy Aikman, man, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin. Are you kidding me? Steve Young I got to play with? Some of the best in the business. Irving Fryar from the Washington Redskins, Andre Rison, the guys I adore,” Sanders said.
While he played with a litany of NFL stars, he cited his secondary mates with the San Francisco 49ers as the best group of defensive backs he played with.
“The best secondary to me in San Francisco. Eric Davis, Tim McDonald, Dedrick Dodge as well,” he said.
Overall, Sanders was thankful for his 14 seasons, including the lessons that came with playing the sport.
“This game … this game taught me how to be a man. This game taught me if I could get knocked down, I’ve got to get my butt back up again. This game taught me there are things in life you can’t do prematurely. They call it offsides. In life, it’s just life,” Sanders said.
“But this game, this game means so much to me, but I always had a rule in life that I would never love nothing that couldn’t love me back. So I admired this game, I liked this game. It taught me how to get up, it taught me how to live and play with pain, this game. This game taught me so much about people. It taught me so much about timing. It taught me so much about focus, dedication, submitting one’s self, and sacrifices.”
Does Sanders Own Any Super Bowl Rings?
The Hall of Fame isn’t the only accolade attached to Sanders’ name.
He’s the owner of two championship rings, which came in back-to-back seasons in 1994 and 1995, albeit with two different franchises.
Sanders earned his first ring with the 49ers while playing alongside the very DB group he praised during his HOF speech. He returned three interceptions for touchdowns to lead the NFL and the 49ers finished 13-3 during the regular season. They capped their impressive ’94 with a 49-26 romp of the San Diego Chargers down in Miami.
Then, after signing a $35 million deal for seven years with the Dallas Cowboys, Sanders went on to win his second title in 1995. He and the Cowboys knocked off the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-17, in Tempe, the most recent Super Bowl that Dallas has won.
Now, with college football expanding its playoff system to 12 teams, Sanders will look to take advantage as he leads Colorado for the second straight season amid some skyrocketing expectations for the Buffs.