All-Time All-American Teams Revealed: Did Deion Sanders Make the Cut?

Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders was one of the greatest to do it on the field back in his playing days in both college and the NFL. He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame for being arguably the greatest defensive back of all time.

The AP recently released their All-Time All-American teams for college football. Sanders was named on AP’s All-Time First-team defense as a cornerback.

Deion Sanders Named First-Team All-Time Cornerback

Deion Sanders All Time All American College Football Florida State Seminoles NFL Draft Hall of Fame Colorado Buffaloes Coach — Sep 3, 1988; Miami, FL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Florida State Seminoles cornerback Deion Sanders (2) in action against the Miami Hurricanes at the Orange Bowl. Miami defeated Florida State 31-0. Mandatory Credit: Imagn Images | RVR Photos-Imagn Images

There were two cornerbacks named to AP’s First-team All-Time team; Deion Sanders of the Florida State Seminoles and Charles Woodson of the Michigan Wolverines.

AP dropped it’s ALL-TIME All-American teams 🐐🔥

First-Team Offense:
QB: Tim Tebow
RB: Barry Sanders
WR: Randy Moss, Larry Fitzgerald

First-Team Defense:
DT: Ndamukong Suh
CB: Charles Woodson
S: Ed Reed

Full list here: https://t.co/UyDk7vb7qN

(via AP News) pic.twitter.com/CpQlQ5UrmP
— Bleacher Report CFB (@BR_CFB) August 14, 2025

Deion Sanders played for the Florida State Seminoles from 1985 through 1988 before being selected No. 5 overall in the 1989 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. With the Seminoles, Sanders had 14 interceptions, three of which were retuned for touchdowns.

In addition to being an elite defensive back, Sanders also was Florida State’s return man. He had three punt returns for a touchdown and one kick return for a touchdown in his collegiate career.

Sanders was named a unanimous All-American in 1987 and 1988 and even finished eighth place in 1988 Heisman trophy voting. Sanders has his No. 2 jersey retired at Florida State.

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Charles Woodson Joins Sanders on First-Team

The other cornerback on this All-Time First-team is Charles Woodson. Woodson played 34 games for the Michigan Wolverines from 1995 through 1997 before being selected No. 4 overall in the 1998 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders.

Woodson was an elite defensive back, recevier and return man with the Wolverines. On defense, he had 16 interceptions, three of which were returned for touchdowns. Woodson had another three receiving touchdowns and also a punt return for a touchdown.

In his final season with the Wolverines in 1997, Michigan won the national championship and Woodson won the Heisman trophy. Winning the Heisman is an impressive feat, Woodson is even in more rarified air by doing so primarily as a defensive player.

Both Sanders and Woodson carried their college success over to the NFL. During his NFL Sanders made First-team All-Pro six times, nine Pro Bowls, won the Super Bowl two times, and was named the 1994 NFL Defensive Player of Year. Woodson like Sanders is a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

In Woodson's NFL career from 1998 through 2015, he was a First-team All-Pro four times, a nine-time Pro Bowler, the 1990 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, 2009 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and a Super Bowl winner with the Green Bay Packers in 2010. Sanders and Woodson are the two of the best to ever lace them up.