During his athletic career, Deion Sanders took the meaning of a dual-threat athlete to another level. Sanders wasn’t a dual-threat in the sense that he could play both offense and defense, but that he was a monster in two different sports.
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His stint as both a professional baseball and football player is one for the history books. He played at an elite level in both sports and was so dedicated to his dual-sport hustle that he once even gave up $500,000 for it.
In 1992, the year Sanders attempted to play a football and baseball game on the same day, he was offered two separate deals from sports apparel brands. Nike and British Knights wanted him on their side. While Nike was offering him $250,000, the British Knights offered him a whopping $750,000!
And yet, Sanders decided to stick with Nike, despite the $500k loss.
But why? It might’ve had something to do with his desire to continue to play both games.
According to Tyler Webb, Nike’s contract apparently had a stipulation that would tremendously increase the amount of his contract if Sanders continued to play both games.
They took his aspirations to be a dual-sport star seriously and were instrumental in helping him on the fateful day when he attempted to play for both the Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Falcons on the same day.
Nike perhaps had its own motives behind the rallying of Deion’s double sports aspirations. Nike famously capitalized on Bo Jackson, another dual-sport phenom, with the “Bo Knows” campaign, which helped crack open the nascent cross-training market.
So, when Jackson’s football career came to a close, and Deion was making waves as the next big dual-sport phenom, of course, they came calling.
Prime Time’s bet on Nike also proved to be a master business move, as the company tore up his initial contract after six months and made him a seven-figure deal, including royalties!
It’s likely that the decision to stick with Nike had always been a business move, as an established Nike brand got him much more recognition and exposure than the upstart British Knights ever could.
The partnership was also a roaring success and lasted for a long, long time. However, in 2017, things soured between the brand and the athlete, and Sanders vowed to never work with the company again.
The Nike Air Diamond Turf to make a comeback?
The Nike Air Diamond Turf was the reason the explosive partnership between the brand and the coach came to an end in 2017. According to reports, Sanders felt he wasn’t adequately compensated for his part in the collaboration. But now, the two have mended fences and are bringing back the iconic shoes.
Scheduled for a spring 2025 launch, the Nike Air Diamond Turf will return in its original “Atlanta Falcons” colorway. First released in 1993, this shoe was designed to match the colors of the team where Deion Sanders began his NFL career.
Worn by him during his remarkable career as a dual-sport athlete in the NFL and MLB, the Nike Air Diamond Turf stands out as one of the brand’s most beloved retro training sneakers.
Its design embodies the essence of 1990s Nike cross-training footwear, featuring a wide midfoot strap and vibrant colors. The strap brings an added touch of stability to the shoe for the dynamic athletes and the vibrant colors are a blast from the past for those reminiscing about the good ol’ days.
