American professional football and baseball player, one of the few athletes in history to succeed in two professional sports. As a football defensive back and a baseball outfielder, Sanders became known for his flamboyant style and dramatic plays.
Deion Luwynn Sanders was born in Fort Myers, Florida, and educated at Florida State University, where he excelled at football, baseball, and track and field. He played in the minor league system of the New York Yankees baseball organization in the summer of 1988 but returned to Florida State that fall to play his senior season of football.
The Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL) selected Sanders in the first round of the 1989 NFL draft. He continued his professional baseball career as well, and he began playing for the New York Yankees in the 1989 season. In September 1989 he hit a home run for the Yankees and scored a touchdown for the Falcons in the same week. In 1991 Sanders signed with the Atlanta Braves baseball team and began dividing his playing time between the Atlanta football and baseball teams. The Braves traded Sanders to the Cincinnati Reds baseball team in 1994. Sanders also joined the San Francisco 49ers football team in 1994, helping them win the 1995 Super Bowl championship and earning the NFL defensive player of the year award for that season. Sanders was traded from the Reds to the San Francisco Giants baseball team during the 1995 baseball season. In football, he joined the Dallas Cowboys in 1995, helping them win the 1996 Super Bowl.