NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders is among the rare two-sport professional stars.
He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in 1989 but also played for the Braves in the MLB simultaneously. Sanders later won Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers.
So he knows a lot about athleticism, which is why he thinks Michael Jordan isn't the greatest athlete of all-time. That title belongs to Bo Jackson according to Sanders.
"I think an athlete has the ability to do multiple things at a very high level," Sanders said during an appearance on the Dan Patrick Show. "You're forgetting a very profound guy in this conversation, Bo Vincent Jackson."
Jackson introduced the world to the two-sport star. He played for the Los Angeles Raiders and Kansas City Royals in the late 1980s. He was elite in both sports until a hip injury prematurely ended his career in 1991 playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Sanders, who is now the football coach of the Colorado Buffaloes, said Jackson was in a different category than Jordan. He stated it further by including Jordan's attempt to play baseball with the Chicago White Sox after his first retirement in 1993.
"If it wasn't for Bo, there would be no Prime," said Sanders, whose nickname is Primetime and Coach Prime. "So let's start with Bo. I believe Bo [is the best athlete]. The level of today's time, what Bo Jackson displayed was unbelievable. I mean, Jordan is like me, he couldn't hit the curveball and Bo could."
Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Back In The Day Hoops On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com
Follow our coverage on Facebook
X: @BackInTheDayNBA