Deion Sanders is a cultural icon as much as he’s a football icon. Athlete turned rapper, turned TV personality, turned coach, Deion has been successful at whatever he’s tried so far in his life. He was even successful in two professional sports as he played in Major League Baseball from 1989-1995, and 1997 and 2001. Simply possessing the same cool that Ken Griffey Jr had, Deion was must see TV, whether you loved or hated him.
Sanders also played basketball in high school, and later on almost joined the Atlanta Hawks partially as a publicity stunt, but also partially because he was that good of an athlete. At Florida State, Sanders focused on baseball and football, with track being a side project. Won the Jim Thorpe award as the best defensive back in 1988 the same time he had a 0.331 batting average playing baseball. Did not win a National Title but was part of the gem ‘Seminole Rap’. If you’re looking for a worse Super Bowl Shuffle, go check it out. It’s hilarious in hindsight.
Drafted previously by the Yankees as a hopeful that football wouldn’t work out, like John Elway prior, Sanders started in 1989 in pro baseball. He proceeded to hit a home run and record a touchdown in the NFL in the same week. He’s the only person ever to do that. He was released in 1990 when the Yankees felt his play wasn’t what it should be with football taking up too much of his time. As a football guy, I’m glad he felt that way.
Playing for the Falcons, Sanders was simply generational talent at cornerback. All Pro in 1991-1993, teams simply did not throw his way. When they did, they risked it being a touchdown going the other way. Playing a technique of letting the receiver get open by a hair, and closing the gap when the ball was thrown, he was terrifying for the quarterback. Imagine watching film, knowing the guy is open, and you can’t complete the pass because his natural athleticism would lead to a play your coach wants to bench you for.
Signed by the Braves in 1991, partly out of proximity for the Falcons, and partly because he did have amazing speed to steal bases and run out ground balls for hits, Sanders contributed to the 1991 and 1992 World Series teams. Was only on the 1992 World Series roster however due a contract clause with the Falcons. Did play regular season games in 1991 however.
Joined the 49ers for 1994 and had one of the most dominant seasons a cornerback has ever had. Putting a superstar like Deion on a really good 49ers team meant teams couldn’t just avoid him like they did in Atlanta with mediocre players around him. One of the must watch TV games that year was game against the Falcons in Atlanta. During the game he got a pick-six where he high stepped and mocked the Falcons sideline from midfield. After locking down Michael Irvin in the NFC title game, the Niners went on to dominate the Chargers in the Super Bowl.
Only signing a one-year contract meant Deion was free to sign with the Cowboys in 1995. This was the same basic team that didn’t need him to win the title in 1992 or 1993. With Deion, they went to win the Super Bowl again in 1995. When Michael Irvin was injured to start 1996, Deion became the league’s first two-way player since Chuck Bednarik playing receiver and cornerback. While he lacked polish, you could tell Deion was the best athlete on the field playing offense. Just big enough with elite speed and footwork, he was a threat to score whenever he got the ball. End arounds weren’t a staple of offenses in the mid-90’s, but Deion’s natural talent meant it became one when he was out there. He was also one of the greatest of all-time at returning punts and kickoffs, albeit used sparingly as that’s an easier position to find than cornerback. Basically, if it was a meaningful game, he’d return kicks.
Post 1994, Deion had issues with the Braves front office, and was a bit player in baseball due to his football value, contract, and baseball guys wanting full time work from a non-superstar baseball player. Again, as a football guy, we really appreciate this lack of foresight to not have an attraction on the field to wear him out for football.
Released in 2000, due to the salary cap reasons along with the Cowboys general decline, Sanders signed with Washington. Frankly, they were not good, Deion had enough money, and he retired for a few years. He came back at age 37, wearing number 37 due to that, to play with his friend Ray Lewis and the Baltimore Ravens. While still good himself, the Ravens did not make the playoffs and he retired again after two more seasons
As far as cards, Deion has some top-tier stuff as well.
1989 Topps
1989 Topps
Sanders has minor-league cards from 1989, but his main baseball rookie is 1989 Topps. Featuring a portrait shot in his Yankees apparel, the card is not overly valuable, but a reminder that he was good enough to play multiple pro sports. Has 1989 Fleer and Donruss baseball rookies as well, but Topps is preferred. It’s junk wax era, if you want them ungraded, go look in the dollar bin at shows. The Topps Tiffany version is around $50-75 in mint shape.
Sanders has minor-league cards from 1989, but his main baseball rookie is 1989 Topps. Featuring a portrait shot in his Yankees apparel, the card is not overly valuable, but a reminder that he was good enough to play multiple pro sports. Has 1989 Fleer and Donruss baseball rookies as well, but Topps is preferred. It’s junk wax era, if you want them ungraded, go look in the dollar bin at shows. The Topps Tiffany version is around $50-75 in mint shape.
1989 Score
The main football rookie for Deion is 1989 Score. Iconic in its own right for having rookies in the set for the first time featured, 1989 Score is a set that will be written about in the future. The Personal Finance Dad, or Sports Card Dad, should be happy about that. Hi Dustin! Showing a picture with a hat on and jerry curl haircut, Deion has a well-recognized card. It’s the junk wax era, but gem mint copies of the card command a good premium due to conditional scarcity. He also has Pro Set and Topps rookies in football, but even in PSA 10 a $100 bill might get you change back.
1992 Pro Lines Profiles
The first Sanders autograph cards come in 1992 Pro Line Profiles with six signed cards in the set. The early 90’s Pro Line stuff is faked frequently, so make sure the autograph looks good. There is an embossed corner to show the authentication, but it’s early 90’s technology, and fakers found their way around it easier than today. It’s a great way to spend around $100 if you can find an authenticated one as his normal autographs are around the same.
1992 Upper Deck SP3
Released in Upper Deck series two packs, his 1992 SP3 card features an image of him morphing from football to baseball. Similar to the 1990 Score Bo Jackson, the card is a great way to spend a couple dollars for the history of what the player was.
1997 Metal Precious Metal Gems
Deion’s 1997 Metal Precious Metal Gems typically averages $4,000-5,000 for decent graded copies. Set collectors, player collectors, and team collectors all want PMG’s. Not just a Deion card, it’s a great set for card collectors in general.
1998 Upper Deck Game Jersey GM12
Deion’s first jersey card comes in 1998 Upper Deck as case hits. This card features a 49ers jersey. Normal one-color jerseys are around $10-20, while this one goes for $50-100 just off the rarity of late 90’s Upper Deck. Two color patches tend to be $30-50 while three tend to be slightly more. Premium products like National Treasures or Flawless can bump those numbers too.
There are many great ways to collect Deion Sanders, or any player who played throughout the 1990’s. Playoff has some rare stuff that’s awesome. Pacific is barely remembered today due to them folding, but trying to get the Cramer’s Choice cards is fun. Topps and Bowman Refractors are a fun way to collect. There’s many other player runs or sets to collect during the era. I personally have a patch card for every team he played for in the NFL. Go chase every case hit or higher odds for Deion if your budget allows.
Deion Sanders will remain an all-time great forever. Cornerbacks may get better. The rules of the game may allow defenses to have more of an advantage going forward. But the combination of must-see TV, Hall of Fame level greatness, an electric personality, and ability to resonate outside of sports will mean he will be collected in 2023, 2033, and 2133. It’s going to be impossible to collect every Sanders card, but finding your lane can be super satisfying.
