Tag: Deion Sanders

Deion Sanders addressed what he told Todd Gurley about wearing No. 21 with the Falcons

He’s not mad.

Shortly after the Atlanta Falcons signed running back Todd Gurley, there was speculation about what number he would choose with Atlanta.

The No. 30 that Gurley wore with the Rams was taken by Qadree Ollison as a tribute to his brother who was killed in a 2017 shooting. So, Gurley wasn’t going to make a push for that number. And NFL rules didn’t allow Gurley to go back to the No. 3 that he wore with the Georgia Bulldogs.

So, he turned to the famed No. 21, which was Deion Sanders’ old number and newly vacant after Desmond Trufant’s departure. The only problem was that Sanders apparently didn’t want Gurley to wear the number.

In an Atlanta radio interview, Gurley said of the number, “Prime was hating on me. He told me don’t wear it.” Despite Sanders’ request, Gurley chose No. 21.

But it’s evidently all good with Sanders. The former Falcons star tweeted on Sunday that he was actually joking with Gurley when they discussed the number.

Sanders said that he was sure that Gurley would represent the number well.

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Deion Sanders didn’t want Todd Gurley wearing No. 21 for Falcons, later says it was just a joke

Former Georgia football RB Todd Gurley says Deion Sanders did not want him wearing No. 21 for the Atlanta Falcons.

After being drafted by Atlanta, Deion “Prime Time” Sanders played cornerback for the Falcons from 1989-1993 wearing the No. 21 jersey.

Prime Time recently commented on the Falcons new jerseys and according to Sanders, no one should be wearing No. 21 in Atlanta, even recently signed Todd Gurley.

“Only thing I don’t like about the Falcons uniforms is I really do think they need to take No. 21 and put it up in the rafters and leave it alone,” Sanders said. “Leave it alone!”

While Sanders comments didn’t keep Gurley from choosing to wear No. 21, the former Georgia running back did hear a few words from Deion on the matter.

 “Prime was hatin’ on me. He told me don’t wear it,” Gurley told 92.3 The Game in Atlanta. “If I was Prime, I wouldn’t want nobody be wearing my number either.”

Deion spent time with the San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins and Baltimore Ravens so does he really deserve that No. 21 in Atlanta retired in his name?

Don’t get me wrong, Sanders is one of the greatest Falcons of all-time and the NFL Hall of Famer deserves his accolades, but he may be reaching a bit.

After the news got out, Prime took to Twitter to say it was just a joke and that Gurley will “represent it (the number) right.”

I think if Sanders had his way every team in the NFL would have the No. 21 in the rafters.

Todd Gurley ignores Deion Sanders’ request, will wear No. 21 with the Falcons

“Prime was hating on me. He told me don’t wear it.”

New Falcons running back Todd Gurley will wear No. 21 this season, and in doing so, taking up the number worn by a one-time Falcons great, Deion Sanders.

While some might wonder if it’s a tribute, Gurley actually gave an interview and said that he’s wearing the number against the wishes of Sanders, who he says told him not to wear the number in Atlanta.

“Prime was hating on me. He told me don’t wear it,” Gurley said in an interview with 92.9 The Game in Atlanta. “If I was Prime, I wouldn’t want nobody wearing my number either.”

While I understand where Sanders is coming from, his number hasn’t been retired by the Falcons. As long as his number isn’t retired, that thing is up for grabs. The Falcons have never retired a player’s number, as per team tradition, so Sanders is just going to have to deal.

As to why Gurley is wearing No. 21 now? Unclear. He’s never worn it in college or the pros, instead wearing No. 30 in Los Angeles with the Rams and No. 3 in college at Georgia. My theory is that 2+1=3, so he’s wearing 21. I have absolutely no proof of that. Just a guess.

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10 of the most notable NFL players who also played in the MLB

Since the 1920s, close to 70 athletes have played for both leagues. And, for various reasons, these are 10 of the most notable.

The MLB’s Opening Day ceremonies would have kicked off today, had the sports world not been suspended indefinitely without play due to the coronavirus pandemic. One of the greatest moments in sports, the first day of baseball always produces a wave of nostalgia for the players and fans, an ageless stretch from the young to the old.

The trashcan jokes alone would have made this year’s festivities memorable, but alas, there will be no crack of the bat, no soothing PA announcements, no flyovers, and no snark at the Astros’ expense. All that is left—other than the enjoyable reruns of yesteryear—is list of NFL players who also played in the MLB.

Some history: Both leagues have interwoven throughout the decades, beginning in the 1920s when several MLB players joined teams in the newly formed NFL. (Before the ’20s, star baseball players, like Christy Mathewson, played both but the NFL was not yet official.)

Since then, close to 70 athletes have played for the MLB and NFL. And, for a few interesting reasons, these are 10 of the most notable.

Let’s play ball!

Jim Thorpe

(Photo by National Baseball Hall of Fame Library/MLB via Getty Images)

Thorpe was the original do-it-all athlete, which included gold medals and even pro basketball. He played major league baseball for the New York Giants, Cincinnati Reds, and Boston Braves. During those years, Thorpe also played football. He began his career with the Canton Bulldogs, which was part of the inaugural 1920 NFL season, and then played for (and coached) a handful of teams after that. Surrounded by the fame of his heroics at the Olympics, Thorpe was a major draw for both sports, though football would turn out to be his more decorated. No other two-sport star has played for more NFL teams (six) than Thorpe.

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Julian Edelman to Tampa Bay would make sense

With Tom Brady now officially a Buccaneers, should Tampa Bay try and make a move for Pats WR Julian Edelman?

In the latest round of what-if scenarios, New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman’s name has come up, and it’s not completely out-of-the-blue. For the last six seasons, Edelman has been Tom Brady’s favorite target, with 530 catches, 5,793 yards and 32 TDs during that span.

Tuesday, Deion Sanders tweeted asking for the Patriots to trade Edelman to the Buccaneers, comparing the duo to peanut butter and jelly. To add fuel to the fire, Edelman liked the tweet, which has since been removed. Naturally, a screenshot was taken before Edelman removed his stamp of approval, because that’s how the internet works these days.

Reports surfaced that Brady wants to play with Antonio Brown, and while that may be true, it seems unlikely that comes to fruition, as reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. With so many names tied to the Buccaneers as of late, why not add Edelman to the mix?

Yes, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have superstar wide receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans already on the roster, and don’t have a need to bring in Edelman. However, if you’ve followed Brady at all during his career, he likes familiarity with his targets, and his go-to receiver had 100 receptions last season.

If general manager Jason Licht wants to keep his new quarterback happy, he might want to — at the very least — see if the Patriots are open to a trade and what it would take.

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NFL players react to Darius Slay getting traded to the Eagles

NFL players react on Twitter to Darius Slay getting traded to Eagles

Darius Slay is now a member of the Philadelphia Eagles and one of the highest-paid players at his position after being traded by the Detroit Lions.

drafted by then Lions-head coach Jim Schwartz back in 2013, Slay has rounded into one of the best shutdown corners in the NFL and the Eagles finally have a guy who can win one on one battles with the best.

Slay allowed only three touchdowns on 93 targets last season, according to Pro Football Reference and he’s been to three straight Pro Bowl.

Defensive backs from around the league, including Deion Sanders weighed-in on the Eagles newest acquisition.

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29 NFL free-agent signings that resulted in epic failure

Deion Sanders, Larry Csonka and Orlando Pace were among free-agent signings that did not work out for new teams.

Free agency is like game of risk and reward. In some cases, the investment doesn’t pan out.

Matt Flynn

Getty Images

The Seattle Seahawks signed Matt Flynn to a three-year, $26 million deal in 2012. Flynn wasn’t able to beat out rookie Russell Wilson and the rest is history. Flynn was traded to the Oakland Raiders a year later and Wilson remains under center in Seattle.

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