Should Deion Sanders Go Into the Hall of Fame as a Cowboy?

Deion Sanders played for the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins and Baltimore Ravens. Why, then, does it feel like it's a no-brainer that he goes into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a Dallas Cowboy? He's - perhaps reluctantly - ours, right? Former Cowboys Bill Bates, Charles Haley,...

By Richie Whitt

September 14, 2010

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Deion Sanders played for the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins and Baltimore Ravens. Why, then, does it feel like it's a no-brainer that he goes into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a Dallas Cowboy?

He's - perhaps reluctantly - ours, right?

Former Cowboys Bill Bates, Charles Haley, Jimmy Johnson, Ed "Too Tall" Jones, Herschel Walker and Darren Woodson are among the Hall of Fame's preliminary list of 113 candidates. Haley has a shot, but Sanders is a first-ballot guarantee.

"Prime Time" was drafted by and flourished with the Falcons, but won his two Super Bowls in Dallas. He is the only player to have played in a Super Bowl and a World Series, which he did with the Braves. He was the 1994 NFL Defensive Player of the Year and was an eight-time Pro Bowl selection.

His best moment?

Sanders, who once played in an NFL game and Major League Baseball game in the same day, returned a punt and an interception for a touchdown and caught a pass in Dallas' 31-7 Monday Night Football win over the Giants in New York.

I know he played well here and lives here (in Prosper), but something still kinda rubs me the wrong way about Deion being a Cowboy. You?

Richie Whitt has been a columnist, reporter, broadcaster and blogger covering Dallas' sports scene for more than 40 years. He wrote the Observer's sports column 2005-2011 and has reported sports on TV, radio and online. You can read his latest work a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/bears/author/richie-whitt">SI.com.

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