The NFL Hall of Fame ceremony received a prime time makeover. Deion Sanders, along with Shannon Sharpe, Richard Dent, Chris Hanburger, Les Ricther and Ed Sabol, was inducted into the prestigious class on Aug. 6.
One of the most explosive athletes to ever play in the NFL, Sanders revolutionized the defensive back position. Sanders recently sat down with rolling out magazine to discuss his induction into the Hall of Fame. –amir shaw
When did you first hear that you were selected to be in the NFL Hall of Fame?
I was at a football game with my peewee squad. It was exciting, more so for my mother than myself. I thought about the sacrifices she made and the misfortunes that she dealt with. I was thankful that my mother got a chance to experience it. I’m also thankful I was able to bring the flamboyance to the position of cornerback. But there were a lot of people who helped along the way. To be able to go against the best wide receivers in the game was a blessing.
You were criticized by the media for playing for the Atlanta Falcons and the Atlanta Braves in the same day. Why do you think it caused such an uproar?
People criticize what they don’t understand. To catch flack was upsetting. I felt as if I was doing an honorable thing for both teams.
My football contract started in August. My baseball contract ended in July. Me going to play baseball for the Braves was a bonus for that team. But I couldn’t leave the Falcons secondary against Dan Marino without me. I wasn’t trying to absorb media. I was doing something that I felt could help both teams and it got misconstrued.
Do you think that today’s athletes are less vocal about social issues than the athletes in the past?
It depends on how you matured and how you grew up. I grew up a Muhammad Ali fan. The only picture of an athlete in my home is that of Muhammad Ali. The caption on the photo says, “All I did was stand for what I believed.” That’s powerful. A lot of people are sitting because they want to be popular. The players today want to be liked and loved. You can’t be loved and take a stand. Someone is going to dislike you. When you’re living for the appreciation of others, you’re not living for God. You are living for people.
