“Coach Prime” is reportedly signing a five year, $54 million deal.
In 2004, Baltimore Ravens legend Ray Lewis, along with cornerback Corey Fuller and a friend to Deion Sanders named Joe Zorovich, convinced Prime Time to come out of retirement and play for one more team in the NFL. Across the 2004 and 2005 seasons, Neon Deion played in 26 games for the Ravens, starting six, recording ten passes defended and five interceptions.
He even had one pick-six while wearing that Ravens No. 37 jersey (denoting his age at the time that he signed his two-year deal) before hanging up his cleats for good. His playing days over, Deion found a second act in life as a commentator, pop culture figure, and prolific product pitchman. (Seriously, watch any college football game, and you’ll see that seemingly every third or fourth ad features Sanders.)
However, it’s actually the collegiate football coaching ranks where Deion Sanders is enjoying a very successful second act in life.
The University of Colorado announced a contract extension for “Coach Prime” on Friday.
“Coach Prime has revolutionized college football and in doing so, has restored CU football to our rightful place as a national power,” said University of Colorado Athletic Director Rick George, via a press release.
“This extension not only recognizes Coach’s incredible accomplishments transforming our program on and off the field, it keeps him in Boulder to compete for conference and national championships in the years to come.”
According to multiple reports, Sanders will sign a deal that will pay him $54 million over five years, or about nine million per year, making him one of the highest-paid coaches in college football. According to Ft. Worth Star-Telegram Dallas Cowboys beat reporter Nick Harris, the worth of the entire contract exceeds the total amount earned by Prime Time over the course of his entire NFL and MLB playing career.
That is quite remarkable when you consider how Sanders went to eight Pro Bowls with five different teams and won an NFL Defensive Player of the Year award during his time in the league. The new deal, which will make him among the highest paid in college football, will inevitably draw a lot of criticism, and understandably so.
In his two years at Colorado, Sanders has an overall record of just 13-12, 8-10 in conference play. The school however, will point to the economic impact of the football program, due to all the overly excessive media attention that Coach Prime receives.