Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Coach Deion Sanders impresses FSU commits
Every aspiring young football player who ever grew up dreaming of one day playing defensive back hopes to be like one man, especially in Florida. It’s all about Prime Time. So it has been a special week for FSU commits Cyrus Fagan and Stanford Samuels III at this week’s Under Armour All-American practices. They’ve gotten to experience first-hand what Deion Sanders is all about.
“Just getting a chance to get the coaching and criticism from the GOAT [Greatest Of All Time,] from the greatest to play the position ... it’s just an honor,” said Samuels, considered by many to be the top class of 2017 cornerback in the state of Florida.
Fagan and Samuels, two future Seminoles, will show off their skills one last time as high school football players today in the Under Armour All-American Game at Orlando’s Camping World Stadium. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. and admission is free. Tickets for stadium entry can be reserved at TicketMaster.com or picked up at the stadium box office on the game day.
Fagan, one of the top safeties in the 2017 class who is from Daytona Beach Mainland High, echoed Samuels’ sentiments about Sanders.
“It’s a blessing just to be able to work with him,” Fagan said. “He was in our shoes one day and he just went and fulfilled his dreams. He was the Greatest Of All Time, so just to be able to work with him and him tell us what to do is just great.”
Fagan said Sanders, a former FSU All-American who went on to star for the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers, among other teams, in the NFL, didn’t show any favoritism or have extra criticism for the two future Seminoles.
“Nah, he didn’t really talk bad yet. He’s just been telling us the ins and outs of the game,” Fagan said. “I hear him in my ear when I’m at safety because he’s behind us.”
Samuels, who attended Hollywood Flanagan High, said players want to hone their game after the man they call Prime Time or Neon Deion because of his flashy mannerisms and characteristics. The key for Sanders, was that he always backed up all the talk.
“Prime Time was always the guy. I’m pretty sure every corner has looked up to Prime Time, every DB has looked up to Prime Time,” said Samuels.
Fagan and Samuels won’t be the only future Seminoles on display Sunday. Four players committed to FSU are among the more than 90 athletes participating in the contest. Defensive lineman Josh Kaindoh of Bradenton IMG Academy and running back Khalan Laborn of Virginia Beach (Va.) Sullivan also are committed to FSU and playing in the all-star game.