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OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- It's Prime Time showtime. Deion Sanders is prepared to end his retirement and join the Baltimore Ravens.


The seven-time Pro Bowl defensive back arrived Tuesday in Baltimore to take a physical. If he passes, Sanders will sign a one-year contract laden with incentives and work toward playing in the Ravens' season opener Sept. 12 against the Cleveland Browns.

The Ravens have called a 12:30 p.m. ET news conference Wednesday to introduce Sanders if he passes the medical tests. If that's the case, he's also expected to practice with the team that morning.


Sanders, 37, played cornerback in his prime but will be used as a fifth defensive back in Baltimore.


"This game is not all that complicated. We're going to try to ingrain him as quickly as we can," Ravens coach Brian Billick said Tuesday morning. "We have to make sure we know where he's at physically. He's here plenty early enough to have an impact."


Sanders' experience will be invaluable to a defensive unit that will look to him for guidance. During his days with the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys -- when he was known as "Prime Time" -- Sanders was one of the best cover cornerbacks in the NFL.


"To have him come here is an honor," Ravens cornerback Chris McAlister said. "There's so much that you can learn from a Deion Sanders; he's the type of guy that can take a young DB and make him grow up mentally, and prepare him for situations he otherwise wouldn't get without having the experience himself."


Said Billick: "What a resource. I can't imagine our younger players or our guys that have not had a lot of playing time aren't going to hang on every word that this guy has to offer."


Sanders has not played since the 2000 season, which he spent with the Washington Redskins. He retired on the eve of the team's training camp in 2001, but the Ravens are convinced he still has enough talent to contribute to their bid to defend the AFC North title and advance to the Super Bowl.


"Based on people we've talked to, opinions we trust, I'm sure there's no question he's going to be able to compete. At the level he competed before? There's very few of us that can do things as well as we did before. At 50, I can attest to that," Billick said. "But what he will bring to the table for us will be substantial."


Sanders will be used sparingly at first, but that will change if he proves to be effective.


"Everybody's made a big deal of his role here. Nickel is a beginning point; you've got to start someplace," Billick said. "But we'll expand it as we deem necessary."


Sanders began his comeback bid after talking with Baltimore middle linebacker Ray Lewis and safety Corey Fuller, both of whom he considers close friends.



"This man has everything. He has money, he has rings, he has fame, he has all of that," Lewis said. "But the simple mathematics of it all is he's just coming back to have fun and play football with his friends."



Billick is convinced that the flamboyant Sanders will work within the framework of the team and make the Ravens a better club.



"This is not about the money," Billick said. "This is about a man who has a passion for a game, has a relationship with players who have a part of this, and we're a byproduct of this. We're going to gain from this."

redskincity wrote:I hope he does well.

hailskins666 wrote:

redskincity wrote:I hope he does well.

i don't. i hope he gets punked every other play.

skinsfaninroanoke wrote:I hope he goes to tackle someone for the first time in the year (probably in the 15th game) and gets carted off the friggin field for the raping he performed on our favorite team...

hailskins666 wrote:

redskincity wrote:I hope he does well.

i don't. i hope he gets punked every other play.

I wish Deion good luck, And hope he plays well, I just want to watch and see how he gets along with Ray Lewis now theres two big egos on that team.

Texas Hog wrote:although I couldn't agree more with the "raping" comment....I can't see peion making a tackle on anyone....he avoids tackles like the tuna avoids weight watchers

General Failure wrote:He should tuck his chubby back into his shorts. Yeech.

Welcome to Tackling 101

By Ted Kluck
Special to Page 2

Why a Prime Time Guide to Tackling?


Deion Sanders, or Prime Time, is a first-ballot Hall of Famer and is widely regarded as the best cornerback to ever play the game. Impressive credentials, made more impressive by the fact that Sanders rarely if ever made actual contact with another player in a scenario defensive coordinators like to call tackling.


What is Tackling?


The act of stopping an opposing player carrying the ball, especially by forcing the opponent to the ground, as in football or Rugby.


So, let's take a look at some of the traditional tackling methods in sports today ... for Deion's sake.

I think Alan Grant and Gambit are related because he wrote:Stop hating on Prime Time

By Alan Grant
Special to Page 2

If you don't like Deion Sanders, then you don't like football. Can't put it to you any more simply than that.


Actually, I can.


If you don't appreciate Deion Sanders the baller, then chances are you're one of those people who lives by this ethos: I love sports, but I hate athletes.

I know what I'm supposed to say here. I'm supposed to say that it's a disgrace for Sanders to play again, that he should stay retired because a comeback would tarnish his accomplishments, right? But I don't feel that way. I like having Deion around because it not only gives me something to talk about, it gives me someone I like to watch.

And I'm certain he can still compete. Now, when he pulls a hamstring or strains a groin -- and he most likely will -- then Deion detractors, and there are many, will have sufficient fodder for their negative dialogue. But I don't care.