The stunt that Eli Manning pulled back in 2004 might not have been the first of its kind if Deion Sanders was drafted by the Detroit Lions back.

Currently, the internet is on fire after he recently disclosed his intention for his sons to pull an Eli Manning if certain teams draft them. And with so many opinions rising in response to his statements, he’s also taken back down the memory lane.

Believe it or not, Coach Prime himself was a subject in one of the greatest moments in NFL draft history. And it seemed like the opportune time to bring out his past after he cemented his views on Shedeur Sanders’ NFL future, drawing a critical backlash. According to what the Buffs HC disclosed, it looks like he would allow his son to opt out of a situation he was lucky not to experience.

Steve Kim compares Coach Prime’s current revelation of Shedeur Sanders’ future with his past

Deion Sanders is trying to write the destiny of Shedeur Sanders in an attempt to position him, Travis Hunter, and Shilo Sanders into teams that he has faith in. This has sparked debate among football analysts, including Steve Kim, who appeared in a YouTube episode on Jason Whitlock to talk about it. In response to Coach Prime’s NFL draft conundrum regarding his sons, he dug out his past, where he underwent a somewhat similar scenario during his own draft as the top 5 picks.

Steve Kim recounted a conversation between Coach Prime and journalist Andrea Kramer who asked him about how he would’ve reacted if Detroit picked him. Kim retold the incident speaking in their words, “‘Well Deion, I know that Detroit was interested. What if Detroit would have taken you?’ And Deion said, ‘No, no, no, no. I would’ve asked for so much they would had to put me on layaway.’” This happened during the 1989 NFL Draft.

Deion Sanders ‘Eli’ situation that nearly happened in 1989

In the 1989 NFL Draft, the Lions held the third pick, while the Atlanta Falcons held the fifth pick. The Lions had the liberty to choose between the top players entering the draft. These players included Derrick Thomas, Barry Sanders, and Deion Sanders, who all became future Hall of Famers, where they ultimately picked Barry Sanders.

But the complication was that there had been rumors about Deion Sanders posing a holdout or changing his sports career and transitioning to MLB full-time if he was drafted by Detroit. He later confirmed these rumors after the Lions picked Barry Sanders, saying, “I was kind of scared; I thought Detroit was going to take me. I would’ve asked for so much money they would’ve had to put me on layaway.” Deion Sanders was ultimately picked by the Falcons and was later inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor. But it almost sounds like a similar history is about to repeat itself for his kids if they get drafted by teams he doesn’t like.