Colorado coach Deion Sanders might see an old rival on the sidelines when the Buffaloes meet No. 5 USC on Saturday.
Jerry Rice – whose son Brenden is a wide receiver for the Trojans – could match up against Deion's son Shilo, who is questionable after suffering an injury in last week's loss to No. 9 Oregon.
Either way, the rivalry between cornerback Deion Sanders and wide receiver Jerry Rice – two of the greatest NFL players at their positions – is worth revisiting. They met 10 times on the field during their careers – and it was GOAT vs. GOAT material on the field.
A look back at that head-to-head rivalry in 1990s.
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Deion Sanders vs. Jerry Rice: GOAT vs. GOAT?
Sanders was an eight-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time Super Bowl champion during a 14-year career that stretched from 1989 to 2005. Sanders had 53 career interceptions – including multiple interceptions in every season he played. He also had nine interception returns for touchdowns.
Rice is the NFL's all-time leader in receiving yards (22,895), receiving touchdowns (197) and total touchdowns (208). Rice was a 13-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time Super Bowl champion with the San Francisco 49ers. He played 20 seasons from 1985-94.
Both players are members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame who were selected to the NFL All-100 team in 2019.
Deion Sanders vs. Jerry Rice head-to-head stats
Sanders and Rice met 10 times, including eight matchups when Sanders was with the Falcons and two more when he was with the Cowboys (1995-96). Rice played for the 49ers in all 10 games.
Their teams split those 10 games. The 49ers went 4-4 vs. the Falcons and 1-1 vs. the Cowboys.
Rice had 60 catches for 1,051 yards and 10 TDs in 10 games where Sanders was on the other team. Sanders had four interceptions in 10 matchups against Rice's teams. He also had one kickoff return for a touchdown.
Deion Sanders vs. Jerry Rice game logs
| DATE | SCORE | RICE | SANDERS |
| Nov. 12, 1989 | SF 45, ATL 3 | 3-81, 2 TDs | 3 tackles, 49 return yards |
| Dec. 3, 1989 | SF 23, ATL 10 | 3-32 | 1 tackle 75 return yds, INT |
| Sept. 23, 1990 | ATL 19, SF 13 | 8-171, TD | 2 tackles, 36 return yards |
| Oct. 14, 1990 | SF 45, ATL 35 | 13-225, 5 TDs | 4 tackles, 110 return yards |
| Oct. 13, 1991 | ATL 39, SF 34 | 7-138, TD | 3 tackles, 100-yard KO TD |
| Nov. 3, 1991 | ATL 17, SF 14 | 6-44 | 3 tackles, 2 PBU, INT |
| Nov. 9, 1992 | SF 41, ATL 3 | 4-45, TD | 3 tackles, 95 return yards |
| Dec. 11, 1993 | ATL 27, SF 24 | 6-105 | 5 tackles, 2 INTs, 3 PBU |
| Nov. 12, 1995 | SF 38, DAL 20 | 5-161, TD | 2 tackles |
| Nov. 10, 1996 | DAL 20, SF 17 | 5-49 | 1 tackle, 2 PBU |
Deion Sanders vs. Jerry Rice best matchups
Sanders' best game was on Dec. 12, 1993, when the Falcons rallied for a 27-24 victory against the 49ers. Rice had six catches for 105 yards, but Sanders had two interceptions – including one on the goal line on a pass intended for Rice. He also had the game-clinching interception with 28 seconds remaining.
Rice's best game was on Oct. 4, 1990, when he hauled in 13 catches for 225 yards and five TDs in a 45-35 victory against the Falcons. Rice's most memorable game, however, was when he had five catches for 161 yards and a TD from Elvis Grbac in a 38-20 victory against the Cowboys on Nov. 12, 1995.
Did Deion Sanders and Jerry Rice win a Super Bowl together?
Rice and Sanders played together for one season in San Francisco in 1994. Did they get along with the 49ers? "Not very well," as former 49ers running back Ricky Watters said it in "A Football Life" interview.
That didn't diminish the results on the field. Rice led the NFL with 1,499 receiving yards. Sanders had six interceptions, including three returns for TDs, and earned 1994 NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors that season. San Francisco beat the Dallas Cowboys 38-28 in the NFC championship game and crushed the San Diego Chargers 49-26 in Super Bowl XXIX. Rice had 10 catches for 149 yards and three TDs. Sanders had three tackles and an interception. He would leave to play with the Dallas Cowboys the following season.
Deion Sanders vs. Jerry Rice: A rivalry renewed
The NFL has recognized that rivalry multiple times since Sanders and Rice retired. Rice and Sanders were honorary captains of the 2014 Pro Bowl, and Team Rice won the game 22-21.
The NFL 100 Super Bowl commercial also featured a sequence where Montana targets Rice, only to be intercepted by Sanders. That was another homage to one of the best head-to-head rivalries on the field.
Rice's son Brenden transferred from Colorado to USC after the 2021 season. He has 12 catches for 257 yards and five TDs this season. Shilo Sanders followed Deion from Jackson State this season. He has 26 tackles and an interception return for a touchdown for the Buffaloes this season.
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