These days, Deion Sanders looms large on the college football sidelines as the magnetic head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes. But before “Coach Prime” became a phenomenon, “Prime Time” was already a legend in the NFL. And while his résumé spans stints with multiple teams, it’s his years with the Dallas Cowboys that still shine brightest in the public memory. Sanders has never hidden his affection for the Cowboys—or for Jerry Jones, the larger-than-life owner who, at a pivotal moment, pulled him out of what he’s described as a personal low after leaving San Francisco.

On the New Heights show with the Kelce brothers, Deion Sanders praised Jerry Jones as the best owner, saying it’s the media that criticizes him, not actual players. He spoke glowingly about the team camaraderie, the fan experience, and the striking difference between the business-like vibe of San Fran and the joy of winning in Dallas. That, Sanders hinted, still sticks with him today. When Sanders reflected on how he even made the leap to Dallas, the details sounded like a scene from a football movie.

Only because he respected Jones and his wanting new challenges, he explored Dallas, “Jerry Jones wants me to go there. Let me go there and see if we can beat San Fran. Now it’s like I needed challenges in my life and, you know, I called Mike. We Florida boys over here.’ Emmitt, Mike, Big Nate. You know? Okay, so it was unbelievable, man.” That was the recruitment pitch straight from the heart of the locker room.

And once he landed in Dallas, it was electric. Deion Sanders joined after Jones had already lifted two Lombardi Trophies, bringing his own Super Bowl pedigree from the 49ers with him. Together, they added another title to the Cowboys’ dynasty. But it wasn’t just about the wins. Sanders explained what separated Jones from every other owner.

“Jerry Jones will go down and should go down in history as arguably the best owner that ever owned a football franchise because you hear media talk about Jerry. You’ve never heard a player talk about Jerry Jones in a negative fashion because he is unbelievable. I had the luxury to play for Eddie DeBartolo, who was unbelievable,” Sanders said. “Some other ones, Steve Bisciotti, later on in life, but let me tell you something, man. The Cowboys, you’re talking about America’s Team, and when you travel and when you go places, it’s probably like it is, right now, it’s probably the same way as you were with Philly at the end. Philly fans are crazy. They’ll kill you, shank you. It was unbelievable, man. It really was. It was an experience — we were too young and dumb to really know the level of it.”

That experience left a mark, one that continues to fuel speculation about Sanders one day returning to the NFL sidelines. His connection to Jones is deep, and his name even came up as a possibility to replace Mike McCarthy as Cowboys’ head coach last season. That rumor never materialized, but it showed how much credibility Sanders carries in league circles.

For Prime, those old Dallas ties run deeper than nostalgia; they remain a window into how locker room chemistry and ownership leadership shape success.

Deion Sanders upsets Jerry

Sanders, of course, didn’t stop with Dallas in his storytelling. He even admitted his favorite stop as a player wasn’t with the Cowboys or 49ers but the Atlanta Falcons. “Atlanta was my favorite team. We had so much fun, man. I mean, we got our butts kicked. We went to a playoff. We had so much fun. I think we had a team meeting in Magic City every Friday night. It was crazy. We had so much fun. Shout out to Magic,” Sanders said. That’s what he is: Neon Deion, honest, funny, and unafraid to celebrate the chaos of his early years.

But the Cowboys? That was different. “The Dallas Cowboys were different. San Francisco it was business. It was like business, and I love that it was like business. Then, you got to Dallas and they won like you did in San Fran, but you had fun winning. You enjoyed all your teammates and the laughter and the banter that went on.”

That’s what separates his time under Jerry Jones from the rest. A combination of winning and joy that few organizations ever manage.