Not everyone gets the chance to grace the cover of the coveted Sports Illustrated, even if they’re quite popular. But for Coach Prime Deion Sanders who turned the Colorado Buffaloes around this year, it’s a different story. 34 years later, see how he reacts to his first SI cover when he was a player at the Atlanta Falcons. 

For Coach Prime, a lot of things have a double meaning, such as the message that a magazine cover can impart to its viewers. Even while he was entering his first season as a Falcons cornerback at 22, he was already an inspiration, especially to the kids back in his hometown. Discover the hidden message behind Deion Sanders’ first SI cover. 

Deion Sanders breaks down the message of his debut SI cover

In a recent Instagram post by SI, Deion Sanders brings back old memories by digging up his old SI magazine covers, beginning with his first one in 1989. He donned a black hat, black glasses, black leather jacket, and extravagant jewelry as he peeked at the camera with a hearty smile when he was Atlanta’s Neon Deion Sanders. Coach Prime said of the cover, “That was my first one. It was huge and as you can see, I’m trying to keep it 100.“

According to Coach Prime, his first cover featuring his gangster look with big chains and jewelry extends a message to the kids back in Atlanta. He said, “You can have all this stuff as the drug dealers did. But you didn’t have to sell no dope. It was really a message going on with this cover.” 

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Deion Sanders has appeared on the cover of SI a total of seven times, including the most recent SI’s 2023 Sportsperson of the Year. He covered five times as a player and two times as a coach at Jackson and Colorado. According to SI Editor-in-Chief Stephen Cannella, “Deion Sanders dominated the sports conversation in 2023 as a transformative figure not just in Colorado, but for the entire realm of college sports. On and off the field, he represents a new model for the modern college coach.“

It takes the best of the best to get a chance to cover SI and Coach Prime Deion Sanders has executed it perfectly, and not just once. The inspiration that he set for his fans by transforming Colorado in various aspects this season is truly remarkable. Do you think he deserves to be named the SI’s 2023 Sportsperson of the Year?

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