Neon Deion Sanders might have been known as much for his two-sport career as for his dynamic play, but he's going into the NFL Hall of Fame because of what he did on the field. Over 14 seasons playing for the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins and (after a retirement) Baltimore Ravens, the cornerback and kick return specialist notched 53 interceptions for 1,331 return yards and nine touchdowns and was a threat every time he returned a kick. Every time, including his 68-yard touchdown on a punt return in his pro debut.
Deion Sanders: A ‘Neon’ Cornerback And Kick Returner For Five Teams
The ‘neon’ two-sport star truly shined at football, which is why he’s going into the hall.
In all, Sanders returned 212 punts for 2,199 yards and six touchdowns and 155 kickoffs for 3,523 yards and three scores. He also had 784 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 60 catches as a wide receiver. Sanders was an eight-time Pro Bowler, was second in interception return yardage when he retired the second time and was the NFL Defense Player of the Year in 1994.
Sanders also dabbled in baseball as a hobby, with his best season coming in 1992 for Atlanta. Sanders hit .304/.346/.495 and had a league-leading 14 triples despite only playing in 97 games. He was 8-for-15 in the World Series, which was of course a loss for the Braves.
But Sanders is handed to Canton for doing what he did best: playing great football. The rest was flashy enough to earnt he nickname “Neon,” but not why he will be remembered.
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