Deion Sanders, a Pro Football Hall of Famer and current Colorado Buffaloes football coach, has been and continues to be a lightning rod in the sports world.
Sanders was a standout in professional baseball and football in the 1990s. He was dubbed "Prime Time" and was noted for his extreme self-assurance and swagger.
When he was in MLB clubhouses, though, Sanders' larger-than-life presence did not always eclipse his teammates.
Some of his former teammates commented about how supportive Sanders was and how much they enjoyed playing with him.
Former Cincinnati Reds pitcher Rick Reed recalls Sanders standing up for him after he had been shunned for breaking ranks during the mid-90s players' strike.
"You know what? You have no idea what that man has gone through or is going through. So how can you sit here and pass judgment on him?"
Sanders stated in a team meeting in the version of the tale that Reed received. Jim Bowden, the Reds' general manager at the time,
summoned a team meeting and later confirmed that version of events. According to The Athletic's Bowden, "I've never had a player in any clubhouse who cared more about winning
and his teammates than Deion." "He did more to help other players both on and off the field than anyone else I'd ever had."
Although Reed and Sanders never officially played together, the two-time Super Bowl champion had an impact on the former Reds pitcher.