Former Falcons CB Deion Sanders, freshly appalled at his ranking in the NFL Network's 100 greatest players list, will be added to the Atlanta Falcons' Ring of Honor at halftime of this year's Falcons-Ravens Thursday nighter on Nov. 11. While it will be jarring and bizarre to see Prime Time's number in the rafters alongside old-school long-time Falcons like Claude Humphrey, Jessie Tuggle, and Tommy Nobis, this is merited. Though he was only a part of the franchise for a handful of seasons, he's still the best football player to ever wear red and black. And not just the Atlanta Falcons' red and black. #shotsfired
Though he left the team on terrible terms, and came back a year later as a member of the despised San Francisco 49ers to run back a pick six while mocking the entire Falcons sideline (and slap Andre Rison), much of the Falcons fanbase still approves of Prime. Many are too young to remember his more old-guy-infuriating moments, and the ones who do remember them likely approve, as everybody likes things that make old guys mad.
In a statement shared by D. Led, Sanders said:
When I was dreaming as a kid, I couldn’t often times share those dreams because I thought they were so out of the box. Never would people think that a kid from Ft. Myers, Florida, who was small in stature, but big on confidence, would ever have his name recognized in a stadium in the only place he played in which he called home. I want to thank Falcons Owner Arthur Blank and the organization (ironically 21 years later from the year I was drafted) for making my dreams come true.
Prime is also up for Hall of Fame honors next year alongside Marshall Faulk, Jerome Bettis, and others. Over the summer The Falcoholic took a hard look at Deion's Falcons credentials, and a few weeks ago we looked at where Sanders stood among his contemporaries, and we (meaning I) do not agree with our (meaning Troy's) assessment. Hall of Fame ceremonies go down next August, and that is going to be one hell of an induction speech.