Coach Prime Time? Deion Sanders could be FSU’s next coach
Former Atlanta Falcon and Atlanta Brave Deion Sanders is rumored to be among a pool of candidates to become the next head football coach at Florida State University.
Sanders, a Hall of Fame cornerback and currently an NFL Network analyst, is reportedly a candidate to replace the recently fired Willie McTaggart at FSU, which Sanders attended. The rumor was first reported Thursday by the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo.
Sanders was a three-sport athlete at Florida State when the Falcons took him in the fifth round of the 1989 NFL draft.
His first play came against the Los Angeles Rams as a punt returner, and Sanders fumbled the return. However, the play was called back on a penalty, and the Rams had to re-kick.
Sanders again fumbled the ball, but then recovered to run the ball all the way to the end zone for a touchdown, thus setting the groundwork to become one of the most electrifying athletes to ever play in Atlanta.
Sanders would also become Atlanta’s first player to take the field as both a professional football and baseball player during the same season.
Sanders played for four baseball teams over his career: the New York Yankees; Atlanta Braves; Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants. Besides the Falcons, he also played for the San Francisco 49ers; Dallas Cowboys; Washington Redskins and Baltimore Ravens.
Sanders has no professional coaching experience. He played football, baseball and track at Florida State from 1986 through 1988, earning All-American honors in '87 and '88 and the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back in '88. Sanders' No. 2 jersey was retired at Doak Campbell Stadium in 1995.
A two-time Super Bowl champion and six-time first-team All-Pro, Sanders was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011. He is also a member of the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame.
