KC Royals: NFL Stars Drafted by the Royals

Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Back before he was ‘Prime Time’ or ‘Neon Deion’ or any other nickname that he gave himself, Deion Sanders was a legitimate prospect in both baseball and football. While we can easily picture him playing for the Atlanta Braves, and may know that he was drafted by the New York Yankees, his connection with the KC Royals is not as easy to recall.

Back in 1985, Sanders was drafted by the Royals in the sixth round of the 1985 MLB Amateur Draft, but chose to head to college. The Yankees took him in the 30th round in the 1988 draft, and within a year, was in the major leagues. He was later placed on waivers following the 1990 season, signing with the Braves in January 1991. While he never played a full season due to his football career, Sanders led the National League in triples in 1992, and twice finished second in stolen bases. Sanders is also the only person to score a touchdown in the NFL and hit a major league home run in the same week.

An NFL Hall of Fame player, Sanders could be considered one of the best cornerbacks ever to play in the league. He earned eight pro Bowl nods, while being named a member of the All-Pro First Team on six occasions. He ranks second all time with 19 touchdowns scored on either defense or special teams, is fourth with 1,331 career interception yards and is 24th all time with 53 career interceptions. He was truly a special talent as a defensive back.

Deion Sanders may never have played with the KC Royals, but there is a connection to the NFL Hall of Famer. The idea that the Royals outfield could have had both Sanders and Bo Jackson at the same time is certainly interesting to imagine.

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