When Deion Sanders was in third grade, he says he would often skip school and scavenge for scraps from local baseball games to make some quick money.
At a news conference Tuesday, the Colorado State football head coach and NFL Hall of Famer noticed a reporter wearing a Kansas City Royals hat and told an anecdote about acquiring baseball memorabilia as a child. .
“When I was in third grade, I was hustling the ball. I used to skip school and bring my little socks with me. I would hit everyone running when I hit a home run ball, and I would get the ball. I would sell them during games.'' That was my job, so I always made sure to bring the best ball to the teacher. ” Sanders said.
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Colorado head coach Deion Sanders speaks at Big 12 NCAA college football media day in Las Vegas, Wednesday, July 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Lucas Pelletier)
Sanders was born and raised in Fort Myers, Florida by her mother, Connie Sanders, and her husband, Willie Knight. Sanders also started playing baseball at the age of 8, but that didn't stop him from pursuing an entrepreneurial spirit. Sanders specifically chose to collect collectibles from Royals spring training games in Fort Myers.
Sanders said Royals greats George Brett and Amos Ortiz were his biggest role models at the time.
“When they came out of the clubhouse, I would sit there and get autographs and beg for cracked bats. The cracked bats were like $10 or $15,” Sanders said. said. “I hit a good home run ball.” [batting practice] It was about $3.50. ”
Sanders said he will also help clean the batting cages and keep some of the cleaned balls to take home and sell.
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July 10, 2024. Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders speaks to the media at Big 12 Media Day at Allegiant Stadium. (Candace Ward-USA TODAY Sports)
“That was my effort,” Sanders reiterated.
Then, after a stellar high school career as a baseball and football player at North Fort Myers High School, Sanders was drafted by the Royals. However, advice from the late Royals manager Dick Howser led to his decision to decline the offer and play at Florida State.
“He was the one who said, 'I hear you're a pretty good football player. I'd go to college and then I'd draft you again,'” Sanders recalled. “That’s why I went to play soccer, because they offered me a lot of money.”
Sanders went on to become a unanimous two-time All-American at Florida State, fifth overall in the 1989 NFL Draft, played in eight Pro Bowls, won two Super Bowls, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989. fulfilled. 2011.
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Deion Sanders walks on the field during warmups before the Colorado-Oregon game. (Ben Lonergan/Register Guard/USA TODAY NETWORK)
But Sanders also fulfilled his dream of playing in the major leagues. Sanders had a nine-year part-time baseball career, playing 641 games for four teams in left field and center field. However, he ended up playing for the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, and San Francisco Giants instead of playing for the Royals. Sanders finished his MLB career with a .263 batting average, 39 home runs, 168 RBIs, and 186 stolen bases.
His net worth is estimated at $45 million as of 2024, so he doesn't need to sell any more baseball scraps.
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