"Make sure you are the best teammate to the other guys" - Alex Rodriguez shared Deion Sanders’ advice after inking massive deal with Rangers
Alex Rodriguez and Deion Sanders are two powerhouse names in the world of sports. Both have seen a ton of success both during their playing careers and long after.
Rodriguez became a 14-time All-Star on the field while having his hand in various business ventures following retirement, like ownership in the Minnesota Timberwolves. Sanders was an eight-time NFL Pro Bowler who spent nine years in the big leagues. After retirement, he turned to coaching college football.
In a recent episode of his Bloomberg podcast, "The Deal," the topic focused on the success of Coach Prime. Rodriguez reminisced when Deion Sanders gave him advice that he would never forget. (Quote starts at the 39-minute mark)
"You'll take care of the baseball, but just make sure you are the best teammate in that clubhouse to those 24 other guys, and I never forgot that," Rodriguez said.
A-Rod then turned to Constance Schwartz-Morini, who works as Coach Prime's adviser and business associate. He asked her what makes Sanders so special.
"His faith," Schwartz-Morini said. "And why I say that is because it's that faith that makes him want to lift everyone up around him. For a lot of the critics, they're not listening to what he's saying. They might hear it, but they're not listening."
Sanders is one of the most-talked-about college coaches right now, circulating hype around the University of Colorado's football team.
Deion Sanders gave Alex Rodriguez a lesson he would never forget
Team sports can be tough. All players on the field have to be at their best in order to guarantee success. Deion Sanders, spending a lot of time on the football field and baseball field (as well as with the Florida State track and field team), knew that better than most people. To him, one cannot be successful in sports without relying on one's teammates.
In baseball, you can have all eight hitters having the best games of their lives, but that does not matter if the pitcher cannot get the ball over the plate. No matter how good you are individually, you shine as your team does.
Alex Rodriguez took that advice and became a force for the New York Yankees, helping them win their most recent World Series title in 2009. Outside of that, A-Rod was a three-time AL MVP, two-time Gold Glove Award winner and 10-time Silver Slugger Award winner.