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At Florida State University, Sanders was a leader on defense, winning the Jim Thorpe Award for best defensive player and earning All-America honors three times. He was a star on the baseball and track teams as well.
His accomplishments led to his being drafted fifth overall in the in the 1989 draft by the Atlanta Falcons. At the same time, he had signed a major league contract with the New York Yankees. Sanders was able to balance both sports, playing for the Falcons after the baseball season finished. His big year came in 1992, when he was the NFL kickoff return leader and the National League triples leader for the Braves.
In 1994, he signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the San Francisco 49ers and helped them win the Super Bowl. The following year, Sanders signed with the Dallas Cowboys to play at 3 positions: wide receiver, punt returner, and cornerback. He became the league’s first two-way starter in 30 years. In 1997, Sanders played baseball for the Cincinnati Reds, then hung up his cleats for good to concentrate on football. That year, he became the NFL all-time leader in interception returns for touchdowns, with 14. In 1999, Sanders signed a five-year, $51 million extension with the Cowboys, one of the richest contracts in the league. Sanders played for the Washington Redskins in 2000 before retiring for the first time. He later came back to play two seasons for the Baltimore Ravens before retiring for good. Read More
