Before becoming college football’s “Coach Prime,” Deion Sanders spent 14 years as an NFL star. In 1992, during his final season with the Falcons, he penned a lifelong deal with Nike for just $250,000. After a year, when he was with the 49ers, Nike released his first signature shoe, the Air Diamond Turf. It was designed for both football and baseball, inspired by Sanders’ rare two-sport stardom. Even 32 years later, the shoe still carries weight.

At a February 3 Pro Bowl event at San Francisco’s Moscone Center, former 49ers QB and Sanders teammate Steve Young paused to honor Coach Prime’s iconic partnership with Nike.

“Bro, these look like retro. Oh, these are the Deion Sanders,” Young said. “Look at the 21. They’re diamond turfs. It looks like something we wore back in the day. They’ve done some things that make them amazingly more. Like softer, quicker, and lighter. But this feels really like old school to me. Way to go, Deion, man.”

Even though they wore the same jersey for just one season, the Steve Young–Deion Sanders bond runs deeper than the timeline suggests. And yes, those shiny shoes are part of it. That only season together completed about as perfectly as possible, with the 49ers snagging a 49–26 win over the Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX. Both players were central to that title run.

Young captured his second NFL MVP that year and topped it off with a Super Bowl MVP after throwing a record six touchdown passes in the championship game. Sanders was just as dominant on the other side of the ball. In 1994, he won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award, snagging six interceptions and taking three back for touchdowns.

While the original Diamond Turf debuted in 1993, Deion mainly rocked the Nike Air Diamond Turf 2 during that championship season in San Francisco. Fast forward to now, and Nike is still showing love. The brand continues to retro the Diamond Turf in 49ers-inspired colorways. The fresh “Prime Red” Diamond Turf 2 is set to drop on February 7, 2026. Yeah, right during Super Bowl weekend.

Steve Young honoring Deion recently wasn’t the first time, either. Back in September 2025, on The Dan Patrick Show, Young spoke about Sanders coming to San Francisco. He recalled Deion having an oath to be an “amazing teammate” who’d always be ready. It’s something Young says he perfectly completed. Young has often raved about Sanders as a rare player who “defied your eye,” admitting that even as a quarterback, he struggled to read Deion’s speed and movement.

And the connection keeps rolling. These days, Young is helping coach the next generation, literally. As he takes on AFC duties at the Pro Bowl, Shedeur Sanders is representing the conference. Yeah, that part’s pretty wild too.

Shedeur Sanders gets a vote of confidence from Young

This season, Shedeur Sanders didn’t fire up the stat sheet in his first year. But what he did earn was a Pro Bowl selection, fueled by massive fan support. The real reason? He was filling in for Drake Maye, who’s busy preparing for the Super Bowl. Still, the moment got a little extra fun when AFC coach Steve Young gave the young QB a proper stamp of approval before the big game.

“Slinging it with Shedeur 🏈,” Steve Young captioned the Instagram Reel showing him and Shedeur on the practice field.

In the clip, Shedeur even playfully shoved the 49ers legend, a lighthearted moment that perfectly captured the buzz around him as Pro Bowl week got underway. Furthermore, Young made sure he cleared all the doubts over Shedeur. Despite critics pointing to Sanders’ average production, the Hall of Famer showed complete support for the rookie quarterback.

And Shedeur didn’t shy away from thanking the fans who helped get him there.

“Thank you, God. I’m beyond excited and extremely grateful for all the love and support from the coaches, players, and fans,” Sanders said in a statement. “This wouldn’t be possible without the support behind me. Still plenty of work to do.”