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

The NFL’s all-time receiving leader shares how SI’s Sportsperson of the Year motivated him as an opponent, and later as a teammate and friend.

There was a time when I hated Deion Sanders. To be clear: It wasn’t Deion the man. It was Deion the competitor. Deion the opponent.

After he came into the NFL with the Falcons we went at each other twice a year for five seasons as rivals in the NFC West. I couldn’t sleep the night before when I knew he’d be covering me. If Deion was on the opposite side, you knew it was going down the next day.

Sanders was named to the Pro Bowl in four of his five seasons with the Cowboys, and was named to the All-Pro First Team three times in Dallas :: Focus on Sport/Getty Images

Deion was one of the fastest defensive backs I ever faced. Before every play I had to come to the line with a plan. I’d have to double-move, maybe triple-move, off the line to get some separation from him. I knew it would be tough. But it also motivated me. I hope it motivated him, too. As a competitor, you want to go against the best to test yourself.

Order the SI 2023 Sportsperson of the Year issue here.

In 1994, Deion moved from Atlanta to the 49ers: After all those years on opposite sides, we were teammates. In San Francisco we had been to the NFC championship game two years in a row—Deion was the missing piece we needed to get back to championship level. As I knew from facing him, he was that shut-down corner. Now it was time to work together. We had different approaches to the game, but we both had the same goal: to win a Super Bowl. And we did that.

Sanders, left, was named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year and finished third in MVP voting in his lone season with Rice, right, and the 49ers :: NewsBase/AP

You find a way to work together because it’s about teamwork. That is what we did. After that Super Bowl year in San Francisco, Deion moved to the Cowboys, and we went back to being rivals. After we were done playing, the respect we had for each other on the field and the passion we shared for competing developed into friendship. I played my college football at Mississippi Valley State University, so it was inspiring to see the job Deion did at Jackson State. I wanted to represent HBCUs the right way; that was so important for me. I know it was for him, too.

I’m not surprised Deion has found success as a coach. That’s just who he is. A motivator. A leader. A teacher. That’s what it takes to be a great coach. I just feel bad for the teams he’s coaching against. I know how they feel the night before the game.