Deion Sanders Achieves the Unthinkable in 4 Years With Falcons as NFL Releases Atlanta’s Mount Rushmore Ft. Matt Ryan

There’s something about Deion Sanders that screams “timeless”. His rise to fame and his performance on the field never fail to showcase his charisma. There is hardly anyone in the NFL realm who doesn’t know Prime Time. However, while his accomplishments and confidence as the Colorado Buffaloes’ coach span out over the young NFL fans, his iconic Deion Shuffle touchdown celebration is still buried deep in the hearts of veteran football fans.

Acknowledging the illustrious presence of Deion Sanders, the NFL gave a massive tribute to the coach which came as a bolt from the blue since it featured the former CB’s success with his first team, the Atlanta Falcons. Despite spending just four seasons with the ‘Dirty Birds,’ Sanders managed to etch his name in the Falcon’s history and joined Atlanta’s Mount Rushmore.

Deion Sanders carved in the Falcons’ history through a special edition

The NFL Throwback released a video titled Every Team’s Mount Rushmore: A Great Lesson in the History of the Sport. As the four glorious names of the Falcons were announced, it was no surprise to witness the Super Bowl LI runner-up Matt Ryan, the 7 x Pro Bowl WR Julio Jones, and the 4x Pro Bowler Michael Vick on the list. However, it was yet again the 2x Super Bowl winner, Deion Sanders who changed the history of the sport and found himself on the top of Mt. Rushmore with Vick, Jones, and Ryan.

The four legends began their journey with the Atlanta Falcons. The oldest trailblazer of them all is Deion Sanders. Nobody could catch Prime Time; nobody could outrun him, and it was damn near impossible for him to not hit the shuffle every time he scored. If the CB saw the ball coming his way, it wouldn’t take him long to snatch the ball and run for a touchdown either, as evident from the short clip the NFL played in Sanders’ honor.

“His first-ever touch resulted in a touchdown. Sanders notched 24 picks and scored 10 total touchdowns,” pointed out the NFL Throwback. The prolific CB helped the Falcons reach the playoffs in 1991 and got the 2x All-Pro bestowed upon him. But the stalwart didn’t really show his full potential till the ’93 season when he started tackling other players, recording a total of 27 tackles in his last year with the Falcons.

It was really “Prime Time” when Deion Sanders took over the field. The only thing the crowd could do was ride the shockwaves that came out of Deion Sanders’ electric and dynamic plays. Sportsmanship aside, people love his extravagant demeanor to this day. Surprisingly though, it was not just the Falcons camp where Sanders dominated for four years, with the Cowboys as well, Sanders played for quite some time.

However, his tenure with Dallas did not see him make the Mt. Rushmore for the Cowboys, despite a Super Bowl to his name with them. What he did in the first 4 years of his rookie contract with the Atlanta team was somehow more impactful than his star-studded career with the America’s team. While Sanders has had an impactful run with the Falcons, there were other note-worthy players inducted by the NFL as the team’s Mt. Rushmore and other honorable mentions.

The complete Mount Rushrome of Atlanta Falcons and other impactful players

Starting the list, we have Julio Jones. As the narrator mentioned “arguably the greatest player in franchise history” Jones dominated the Falcons for a decade. Not only did he make the First Team All-Pro selection two times but he was also chosen for the Pro Bowl seven times. Additionally, the former wide receiver impressively held the leading position for NFL receiving yards in 2015 and 2018.

Julio was indeed a gifted playmaker with 300 yards in a single game. Matt Ryan as NFL Throwback claimed is “the most impactful.” Consistently among the top 10 passers in the league over his 14-year Falcon career, he bagged 2016 NFL MVP, NFL offensive rookie of the year, 4x Pro Bowl Selection, 2016 NFL passer rating leader, and more. “No quarterback in team history has more passing yards, touchdowns, or wins.”

Michael Vick, next on the list, “retired as the greatest running QB in the league.” His time with the Falcons witnessed them buzzing with energy as he became the first quarterback with 1000 rushing yards in a season. Additionally, he won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award and amassed 4x Pro Bowl selections.

While not as the faces of the Falcons’ Mount Rushmore, these two individuals also received the due credit for electrifying the Atlanta city and creating influencing the coming generations. It is Mike Kenn and Claude Humphrey.

“The man the Falcons count on the most for the big play is number 87, Claude Humphrey. He was named the Falcon of the Year by his teammate,” that is how more often than not the 1968 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year was introduced. Humphrey has 5x First-team All-Pro selections and 6x Pro Bowl selections to his name. Meanwhile, Mike Kenn started in 251 career games, the fifth highest by any offensive lineman, and made 5x Pro Bowls during his 17-year long Falcons tenure. 

Deion Sanders, Mike Kenn, and Claude Humphrey have also been included in the Atlanta Falcons Ring of Honor, Ryan is scheduled to join the esteemed list in 2024. Meanwhile, Sanders and Humphrey are also inducted into the Atlanta Falcons Hall of Fame.