Deion Sanders' Cowboys Career: Looking at Neon Deion's electric stint as a dual-threat player in Dallas
Many Hall of Famers have suited up for the Dallas Cowboys, and Deion Sanders is one of those stars. The shut-down cornerback spent five seasons with the franchise, teaming up with fellow stars Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin.
Sanders, who also played Major League Baseball for four different teams, didn't begin his professional football career in Dallas, of course. The 1989 NFL first-round pick played his first five seasons with the Atlanta Falcons and a year with the San Francisco 49ers.
Neon Deion Sanders lands in Dallas
Deion Sanders was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year and helped the 49ers win a Super Bowl during the 1994 season. He then signed a seven-year, $35 million deal with the Cowboys in Week 2 of the 1995 campaign. He didn't make his debut until Week 9, though, due to arthroscopic surgery. In that game, the Cowboys beat Sanders' former team, the Falcons, 28-13.
Cornerback Deion Sanders played for the Dallas Cowboys from 1995-1999. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011. http://t.co/7HRjUIQQcC
Sanders finished the '95 season with 26 tackles and two interceptions in nine games. Meanwhile, Dallas posted the best record in the NFC (12-4).
The Cowboys went on to win the Super Bowl that year, knocking off the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-17. It was the team's third Super Bowl victory in three years and Sanders' second in a row.
During the 1996 campaign, he recorded two interceptions and 33 tackles. He also contributed a great deal as a wide receiver, producing a career-high 36 catches for 475 yards and a touchdown. The Cowboys went 10-6 and lost to the Carolina Panthers in the divisional round.
In 1997, Sanders had a total of two interceptions and 33 tackles for the second consecutive year. He posted a career-best 407 yards off punt returns as well. The struggling 6-10 Cowboys finished with their first losing record since 1990 and failed to qualify for the postseason.
The following year, 'Neon Deion' picked up 375 yards and two touchdowns as a punt returner. During a Week 3 Monday Night win over the New York Giants, he recorded a 55-yard catch as well as an interception for 71 yards and a touchdown.
He also recorded 100 punt return yards, including one for 59 yards and a touchdown. Dallas bounced back with a 10-6 record but fell to the Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card round.
Deion Sanders, #Cowboys
vs #Giants 1998
1 Catch | 55 Yards
1 INT for 71 Yards | 1 TD
100 Punt Return Yards | 1 TD https://t.co/wjfsaREF3Y
Deion Sanders played one more season with the Cowboys before being released in June 2000. He later had stints with the Washington Redskins and the Baltimore Ravens before retiring for good after the 2005 season.