Sunday, September 1, 1996
Deion Sanders To Play Both Ways For Defending Champs
By MIKE NADEL
AP Sports Writer
(Sept. 1, 1996)
CHICAGO (AP) - Full-time football is back. And the man known as "Prime Time" is the practitioner.
"Deion Sanders will play defense. He'll play offense," Dallas Cowboys coach Barry Switzer said. "I anticipate him starting both ways."
Cornerback is Sanders' natural spot; some say he's the best ever. Wide receiver is his position-in-training.
If he does start at both Monday night, when the Cowboys begin defense of their NFL title against the Chicago Bears, Sanders will become the first full-time, two-way performer since Chuck Bednarik played linebacker and center for Philadelphia from 1949-62.
"One of my goals has been to play receiver," Sanders said. "I love the challenge."
After playing sparingly at receiver last season, when Dallas won its third championship in four years, Sanders was expected to catch more passes in 1996. The plan became a necessity when All-Pro wideout Michael Irvin was suspended five games for violating the league's substance abuse policy.
Sanders' dual role and Irvin's absence are but two of the many story lines in the season opener for the Cowboys - as well as for a Chicago team that has its own postseason aspirations.
The Cowboys have been decimated by injuries. Tight end Jay Novacek, who combined with Irvin for 2,308 receiving yards last year, is out. Several others, including star back Emmitt Smith, will be playing at less than peak efficiency.
Injuries also have burned the Bears. Rashaan Salaam, a 1,000-yard rusher as a rookie last year, will miss the game. Cornerback Donnell Woolford, once almost in Sanders' class as a cover guy, is still bothered by a hip injury that sidelined him the last seven games of 1995.
After going 9-7 and missing the playoffs last season, the Bears have plenty to prove. And there would be no better starting point than a victory over the defending champs before a Monday night TV audience.
The Cowboys, of course, want to prove they're still No. 1. And they might need Prime Time at his best to do it.
"Deion has done well for a guy who really has not played any wide receiver," Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman said. "He's not going to make anyone forget about Michael Irvin, but he gives us the ability to make some big plays downfield."
The Bears say they will be doubly prepared for the flashy Sanders, who is known almost as much for the amount of gold he drapes around his neck as he is for his incredible talent.
"We've watched him on film and it seems he's going to be a good receiver," said Woolford, who likely will line up against Sanders often. "It takes time to learn how to run routes and to have timing with the quarterback. But whenever a person runs that fast, you have to respect him."
Defensively, Sanders is no rookie. His cornerback play helped San Francisco and Dallas win the last two Super Bowls. And despite missing the start of each of the last four seasons because he was playing major-league baseball, Sanders has 32 career interceptions.
"In the time that I've played in the league, he's the best," Chicago quarterback Erik Kramer said. "He's going to take a lot of things away, but there are some things that you have to try to get on him. You can't go into a game shying away from his side of the field."
Switzer won't let Sanders' new duties detract from his old ones because "he's worth seven points a game to our defense." And the coach isn't concerned that Sanders will get too tired.
"Offensively, Deion gets to take some snaps off," Switzer said. "And on defense, if you're running the football and the receiver only takes two steps off the line of scrimmage, Deion doesn't exert any energy. Chicago doesn't air it out 50 times a game. With their style of offense, he might play the whole game."
Sanders, he said, will manage his own number of snaps.
The Bears hope Sanders has been concentrating so much on his offense that he might be a little lackadaisical on defense.
"It's human nature that as soon as you start taking things for granted, that's when you start slipping up a little bit," Kramer said. "But maybe he's got that ability to step right in and go. We'll see."