"The guy you were playing against was not as good.": $50 mill worth Deion Sanders spills the tea about practice sessions with Jerry Rice

Deion Sanders is one of the best defensive players in the history of the NFL.

Now the coach of the Colorado Buffaloes, Sanders, who has a net worth of $45 million, spent 14 seasons in the NFL, playing for the likes of the Atlanta Falcons and Dallas Cowboys.

While in the NFL, his main rival was wide receiver Jerry Rice, who spent the majority of his career with the San Francisco 49ers. But for one season, they were teammates with the 49ers.

Recently, Sanders went on the "Corporate Competitor Podcast" to promote his new book and spoke about his experience of training with Rice.

“Nobody got to see me practice with Jerry Rice. That's iron sharpening iron. You got to go into the game confident knowing that the guy you were playing against was not as good as the guy you practiced with."

The phrase “iron sharpens iron” refers to the idea that to improve as a player, one needs to be surrounded by and train with the best.

In Sanders's case, he developed as a cornerback in 1994 by practicing with one of the league's best wide receivers, who happened to be his main rival for many seasons.

For Rice, this enabled him to further his development, now with the knowledge that he would not have to face Deion Sanders on the field.

Rice told Sports Illustrated about his season with Sanders:

“As I knew from facing him, he was that shut-down corner. Now, it was time to work together. We had different approaches to the game, but we both had the same goal: to win a Super Bowl.”

Did these sessions pay off? How did Sanders and Rice fare during the 1994 season?

Deion Sanders and Jerry Rice in 1994

Deion Sanders and Jerry Rice had a successful 1994 season for the 49ers.

San Francisco won the NFC West with a league-best 13-3 record and then easily defeated the San Diego Chargers 49-26 in Super Bowl XXIX.

In the Super Bowl, Rice scored three touchdowns, while Sanders intercepted the ball in the end zone, to cap off strong individual seasons for both of them.

Deion Sanders recorded 36 tackles and six interceptions for a career-high 303 yards, including three pick-6 touchdowns. Rice had 1,732 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns.

Sanders departed for Dallas at the end of the season, but the effect on each other could still be felt.

Both men had more success in 1995, with Sanders winning his second Super Bowl with the Cowboys.

For one season, the two rivals were teammates and dominated the NFL. They both pushed together for greatness, which they achieved.