Atlanta Falcons Throwback Thursday: Deion Sanders first NFL Touchdown
By Randy Gurzi
On this Throwback Thursday we look back to the first touchdown of Deion Sanders Hall of Fame career when he returned a punt 68 yards for the Atlanta Falcons
He was easily the most exciting player to watch in Atlanta Falcons history. Aptly nicknamed “Prime Time,” Deion Sanders was a top-flight cornerback and return man — and even tried his hand at wide out — for the Falcons from 1989 through 1993. He wound up playing in the league for 14 seasons, and the longest stints he had for a single team were the five years he was with the Falcons as well as the five seasons he spent with the Dallas Cowboys.
Many remember him as a sort of assassin for hire as he bounced from Atlanta to the San Francisco 49ers to the Cowboys, the Washington Redskins and finally the Baltimore Ravens. For teams that got to enjoy his talent a little longer — like in Atlanta — he was so much more.
Prime Time was a two sport-stud that played for the Falcons and Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball at the same time. He made highlight plays for both franchises, and on this Throwback Thursday, we look at the very first touchdown of Deion Sanders career — a 68-yard punt return in his very first NFL game (video courtesy of @ATLSportsNate).
It started out as a disaster as Sanders bobbled the ball, and really no human being should have escaped the tacklers that had him cornered. He eluded six potential tackles by members of the Los Angeles Rams defense and then showed his amazing speed once he got into the open field.
Sanders ended his five seasons in Atlanta with ten total touchdowns. He had three as a kickoff returner, two on punt returns, three interceptions taken to the house and added two more as a receiver. It wound up being the most touchdowns he scored for one team in his NFL career and he wound up with 22 total.
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There may never be another player as explosive as Deion Sanders again, and the Atlanta Falcons have to be proud to have him as part of their history.