Re: Baltimore's Big Bro <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Baltimore's Big BroBy Chad SteeleFebruary 24, 2006Family.No word brings more emotions to the mind of football legend Deion Sanders, one of the greatest entertainers not only in NFL history, but sports history.Sanders recently checked in with Baltimoreravens.com and reflected about his time with the team."Thank you. I just want to say thank you to the fans of Baltimore for accepting me as family," whispered Sanders. "I feel disappointed that we, as a team, were not able to provide the great fans of Baltimore the championship-quality team that they deserve, but I could not have envisioned two better years in Charm City."After what he described as a "bittersweet" season in Washington, Sanders welcomed the opportunity to finish his career on his terms, just up I-95."I always felt like a visitor in Washington," lamented Sanders. "It seemed that the fans couldn't forget the accomplishments I had against them. I really never played a home game in DC."Asked why he chose to end his three-year retirement and play for the Ravens, Sanders, otherwise known as "Prime Time," harkened back to the importance he places on relationships."My close relationships with Ray Lewis and Corey Fuller drew me to the Ravens the first time in 2004. But it was the relationships that I formed with the other players and coaches in the locker room, and our fans, that made me want to come back the second time."Over the course of the past two seasons, the moniker of "Prime Time" gave way to "Big Bro" at the Ravens' training facility at 1 Winning Drive. "Big Bro" is a nickname Lewis began calling Sanders a few years ago. The name caught on in the locker room, and anytime someone needed to talk to Sanders, "Big Bro" was there.As a 14-year NFL veteran, eight-time Pro Bowl performer, two-time Super Bowl champion and NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1994), Sanders brings tons to the table.On a team mixed with fellow, future Hall of Fame players, and young, talented superstars, Sanders has a few things he can share with everyone: professionalism, his world-class work ethic and a glimpse of how to be a man.At one point or another, Sanders impacted every Ravens player in the locker room and taught something to each of his teammates in his 24 months with the Ravens. Sanders became a fixture in the Ravens' training facility; coaching younger players, watching endless hours of game tape, and lending a friendly ear, whenever needed."There isn't a better example of what a professional could and should be," explained linebacker Lewis, who has been to the Pro Bowl 7 times and been named Defensive Player of the Year twice (2000 and 2003). "Not only was Deion Sanders one of the best to ever play the game, and the standard to which all defensive backs are held, but he was also a true friend. It doesn't matter if you are a Hall of Fame athlete, or a young person trying to make ends meet, Deion would always have a smile and words of encouragement for you. He will truly be missed in Baltimore."Playing with his teammates, and for the fans, is what pushed Deion throughout his career. He has been described using the three "E's," - Exciting, Electrifying and Exhilarating, which only scratches the surface of what one of the premier athletes of his generation displayed.Of his 53 career interceptions, Sanders returned eight for touchdowns, ranking him fourth in NFL history, behind only Rod Woodson (12), Ken Houston and Aeneas Williams (9). He also holds the league record with 18 career touchdowns scored on returns (8 interceptions, 6 punt returns, 3 kickoff returns and 1 fumble recovery).Sanders remains the only athlete in professional sports history to play in both a World Series (with the Atlanta Braves in 1992) and a Super Bowl (with San Francisco in 1994 and Dallas in 1995).Sanders also made sports history in his first NFL game against St. Louis on September 9, 1989. On that day, he exploded for a 68-yard touchdown on only his second NFL punt return. That touchdown established him as the only athlete in modern history to score an NFL touchdown and hit a major league home run in the same week, having blasted a home run for the Yankees five days earlier.Asked about his favorite moment during his professional career, Sanders quietly said, "Being able to retire my mother when I first got into the NFL. She worked so hard to put me in a position to succeed, and once I did, I needed to give back to her."That is what Deion Sanders is about.When he was a young, brash athlete, he created an alter ego named "Prime Time," which gave him world-wide notoriety. Now, as he winds down his Hall of Fame career, it is not "Prime Time" that people in Baltimore will remember. Fans will remember the fun-loving, consummate professional "Big Bro" he matured into. "I consider my teammates and the fans of Baltimore my family," Sanders said. It was a wonderful place on and off the field for my final chapter."And what a book of history and highlights it has been.</div>
