Sportsperson of the Year 2023: Deion Sanders

Links to all of our Sportsperson of the Year coverage, including the main feature written by Pat Forde and sidebars from LeBron James, Jerry Rice and Sanders’s manager Constance Schwartz-Morini.

Colorado football coach Deion Sanders has been named Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year for 2023. Below are links to each story related to the announcement.

Deion Sanders Is SI’s 2023 Sportsperson of the Year

Sanders has quickly become ingratiated in Boulder’s community while bringing Colorado’s football program into a new, exciting era :: Jeffery A. Salter/Sports Illustrated; Makeup by Beth Walker for BW Makeup; Hair for Deion Sanders by Dermonico Townsend; Styling by Casey Trudeau. On Deion Sanders: Top, pants and hat by Nike x CU; Sunglasses by Blenders x Coach Prime; Watch by Cartier. On Constance Schwartz-Morini: Sweater by A+O x Basquiat; Skirt by Alice and Olivia; Shoes by Chanel; Bracelet by Cartier; On Sam MoriniI: Sweatshirt and pants by Cherry LA

In less than a year, Coach Prime has not only transformed a moribund Colorado football program. He’s also breathed fresh life into the campus and transformed a community.

Order the SI 2023 Sportsperson of the Year issue here.

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Deion Sanders Is an Inspiration for Every Athlete—Including LeBron James

LeBron James, center, sits on bleachers with his arms around his kids: Bryce James, left, and Bronny James, right :: Jeffery A. Salter/Sports Illustrated

Three-time Sportsperson of the Year LeBron James shares how Sanders has affected him inside and outside of athletics.

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Deion Sanders Was Jerry Rice’s Hated Rival—and Invaluable Teammate

Sanders, left, and Rice won a Super Bowl together during their lone season as teammates on the San Francisco 49ers :: NewsBase/AP

The NFL’s all-time receiving leader explains how Sanders motivated him as an opponent, and later as a teammate and friend.

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Deion Sanders’s Best Skill Isn’t Related to Sports—It’s About Building Relationships

Constance Schwartz-Morini, Sanders’s manager, has known him for nearly 30 years :: Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated

Coach Prime’s longtime manager has seen how the Hall of Famer can connect with just about anyone, and how he’s made the most of that ability.

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Gallery: Every SI Sportsperson of the Year, From 1954 to 2023

From left to right, top to bottom: Peyton Manning, Muhammad Ali, Serena Williams, Arthur Ashe, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, John Wooden and Billie Jean King, Sandy Koufax, Bill Russell, Roger Bannister

From Deion Sanders to Roger Bannister, here is every winner of Sportsperson of the Year—including Muhammad Ali, Arthur Ashe, Michael Jordan, Billie Jean King and more.