Deion Sanders played for five teams during his Hall of Fame career, but he was originally selected out of Florida State by the Atlanta Falcons with the fifth overall pick in the 1989 NFL Draft.
During his rookie year, Sanders would immediately prove to be a star, recording five interceptions. He’d go on to play 70 games for the Falcons from 1989-1993 — the most Sanders played for any team during his 14 seasons in the league.
Late Thursday evening, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Sanders had emerged as a prime candidate for Florida State’s head coaching job.
Not every great player is cut out to get into coaching, but Sanders isn’t completely new to the idea. He has been coaching at the top high school level for a few years, and became the offensive coordinator at Trinity Christian-Cedar Hill high school in Texas to coach his two sons back in 2017.
Sanders isn’t just some former player trying to get a job at his alma mater, either. He is a former larger-than-life athlete whose charisma made him must-see television going all the way back to his Florida State playing days.
More importantly, he knows the life of a top-level recruit, and has the kind of name recognition alone that will draw blue-chip prospects to FSU.
Is Sanders qualified enough?
The man known as “Prime Time” was one of the most revolutionary players to ever step onto a football field. Mind you, Sanders did this playing mostly at cornerback — one of the most intellectually challenging positions in the game.
He finished his NFL career with 53 interceptions and 22 all-purpose touchdowns in the regular season, becoming a difference-maker on offense, defense and special teams.
Frankly, it’s hard to think of someone more qualified for the job of a modern college football coach. Recruiting would almost certainly be a strong suit for Sanders, plus his football acumen has proven to be extremely high given everything he’s accomplished.
My biggest question regarding the hiring of Sanders as head coach is: What are you waiting for, Florida State?
