After months of trading barbs on social media and various talk shows, the pair of NFL legends, Deion Sanders and Asante Samuel, have finally sat down with one another to settle their differences through a mature yet expletive-filled discussion. While their initial disagreement circled around the effectiveness of the T-Step technique, the lack of direct communication gave their relationship the appearance of being fractured and hostile.
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Thankfully, cooler heads have prevailed. The two Super Bowl champions elected to share more laughs than insults throughout their hour-long discussion, leading to a rather wholesome resolution to their initial quarrels.
However, the former New England Patriot did feel the need to make Coach Prime aware of what he believes to be the lesser-known statistics of his career. After Samuel showcased the fact that he recorded one interception for every five times he was targeted, Sanders was compelled to clarify his previous statements.
“I ain’t arguing that you wasn’t a dog. I wanted you to go with the cat… We wasn’t with the PFF and all that back then, we were with our naked eyes… It’s like, when our kid’s train, they put the thing on their chest that gives them numbers, I can look at him right now and tell he’s tired. Don’t give me that, I don’t need all that… I would never argue that you wasn’t that. I was just made that you didn’t travel, dog.”
For Samuel, the entire debacle proved to be as much about him not receiving his due recognition as anything else. Despite having collected a wealth of accolades throughout his 11 years in the NFL, the four-time pro bowler was adamant that the football community had failed to give him his flowers.
Believing that other players were receiving the credit that he should have been given, Samuel referenced the hype surrounding the Seattle Seahawks’ former DB, Richard Sherman.
“I just think I’m balling and I should be getting the credit, but in the meantime, everybody else is getting the credit. Now, you take a person like Richard Sherman, right. He didn’t really travel that much. He played the same style. He probably traveled some, but he’s gets his credit because he talked. I remember after the Atlanta game, he was going after Revis and I’m looking at him like, who is this guy? He was vocal.”
While Samuel certainly made a valid point, Coach Prime jokingly quipped back, noting “Now you want to retire and become vocal?” Thankfully, Samuel was able to see the humor in Prime’s statement.
For all of the perceived animosity that existed between the two greats, their decision to talk things out like adults will hopefully stand as an example of how to properly resolve any potential conflict. Rather than dropping a one-sided message on social media, understand that there are multiple perspectives that are worth considering.
If two of the most testosterone-filled athletes to ever grace a gridiron can resolve their issues in a dignified manner, then there’s no excuse for the rest of us not being able to do the same.
