Current Colorado head coach Deion Sanders was one of the best athletes of all time. Sanders did everything on a football field and also enjoyed some success on the baseball diamond.
His football career was much more impressive than his baseball career, but it seems his baseball career actually surprisingly helped him.
Sanders had a hilarious admission when speaking with Travis and Jason Kelce on the “New Heights” podcast, talking about when the New York Yankees drafted him.
How Yankees helped pay Deion Sanders scholarship
After being selected by the Yankees, Sanders was allowed to accept money, way before NIL deals were allowed. Considering this wasn’t an NIL deal and was still under the rules as legal money for Sanders, it wasn’t a problem.
However, because of that, it allowed him to be a walk-on at Florida State his senior year and enjoy different benefits than he’s ever had.
“I think I may have been the first ever NIL deal,” Sanders said. “Because my junior year I didn’t play baseball at Florida State but I got drafted by the Yankees. So, I accepted professional cash, which allowed me to be a walk-on coming back my senior year of football.”
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Sanders went on to add that because of the money he received from the Yankees, he felt like he was the hottest thing on campus.
He already was, considering the success he found on the football field for Florida State, but it’s funny to hear him say that some extra money from the Yankees played a part in that.
“So, since I accepted money from the pros, I was a walk-on. The Yankees paid my scholarship but you couldn’t tell me nothing on campus. You couldn’t tell me nothing,” Sanders laughed.
