Deion Sanders Issues ‘Long Overdue’ Apology to Hometown Fort Myers

NFL: FEB 03 Super Bowl LII - NFL Honors
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – FEBRUARY 03: Deion Sanders poses for photographs on the Red Carpet at NFL Honors during Super Bowl LII week on February 3, 2018, at Northrop at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, MN. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

*Deion Sanders received the key to the city in Fort Myers, Florida, on Saturday, and he used the moment to reconcile with his hometown.

The NFL Hall of Fame cornerback received the honor during a community forum Saturday night at Fort Myers High School. The event was attended by about 150 people, prompting Sanders to issue a heartfelt speech, per USA Today.

“This is long overdue. This is like a reconciliation for me. The reason it hurt so bad was because I don’t give a damn what they say about me in Dallas, Atlanta, San Francisco, New York. I don’t care because it was my job. … When you talk about me, some things I let slide, but you are all family. You only get one shot at calling the place home,” said Sanders.

OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: John Singleton’s Funeral (Private … Family, Friends Only) Set for Monday

David Dorsey of the Fort Myers News-Press noted the reasons for the rocky relationship between the two-time Super Bowl winner/World Series player and the city of Fort Myers. Local police arrested the NFL icon twice—the first in 1988 while he was playing for Florida State, and the second in 1996, per The Bleacher Report.

“Those incidents, among others, have soured Sanders on his hometown,” Dorsey wrote.

But the friction was curbed on Saturday.

“You are indeed a hometown hero,” Fort Myers Mayor Randy Henderson said to Sanders.

“Thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Sanders said. “God was saying reconciliation. This has been reconciliation and a spirit of peace since I got here.”

“I apologize to you as well. You have no idea what you all did to me this particular weekend. The best is yet to come,” he added.

On Sunday, Sanders reportedly hosted his Prime Elite Underclassmen Camp for local athletes at Bishop Verot High School.

Fort Myers Councilwoman Terolyn Watson is hoping the city and Sanders can work together and facilitate the changes the city so desperately needs.

“I think Deion’s main message tonight is the choices you make in life can make a difference,” Watson said. “He’s one of our most successful people. He has a great story. He’s a great role model.”

 

We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!

Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson
Tanya Nolan
Terrell Owens - screenshot
Tyrese Gibson
Pharrell Williams - Depositphotos
2024 Mazda CX-90 - 17 - Original
Dr Tara S Merchant
Kelly Rowland
Chopper - screenshot
The only Christopher we acknowledge is Wallace! ✊ Commemorating the 25th Anniversary since the passing of Frank White, we are excited to announce "The Notorious B.I.G. NFT Collection" is coming soon! ????… IS this all a dream?! ???????? #BeOneOf #Tezos????https://t.co/qCYH5Tepsu pic.twitter.com/iVgLEStBMR— OneOf (@OneOfNFT) March 9, 2022
Cherelle Parker - screenshot
Read More
Aaron Pierre - screenshot
Read More
George W. Bush - Donald Trump (Getty)
Read More
Jimmy Butler & Kaitlin Nowak - screenshot
Read More
Kanye West and Bianca Censori on Grammy Red Carpet - screenshot
Read More
Damon Wayans
Read More
Denzel Washington - Gladiator II
Read More
“Carl Weber’s The Family Business: New Orleans”
Read More
Rymir Satterthwaite - screenshot
Read More
Learjet after crashing - via Grok AI
Read More

POPULAR

Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson
Shannon Sharpe, Chad Johnson Talk Financial Discipline for NFL Players: ‘Do We Really Need All That?’ | WATCH
Tanya Nolan
Tanya Nolan Teams Up with Grammy-Winning Producers for Uplifting Gospel Single ‘Blessings’ | LISTEN Now
Terrell Owens - screenshot
Terrell Owens Blasts NFL and KC Chiefs Over Game Rigging Claims: ‘It’s Blatant and Obvious’ | VIDEO
Tyrese Gibson
Tyrese Gibson Ends Racial Profiling Lawsuit Against Home Depot
Pharrell Williams - Depositphotos
Universal Pictures Pulls the Plug on Pharrell Williams’ Star-studded Musical Adventure ‘Golden’ | VIDEO
2024 Mazda CX-90 - 17 - Original
EUR Car Review Side by Side: 2025 Mazda CX-90 PHEV Premium Plus vs. CX-90 3.3 Turbo S Premium Plus
Dr Tara S Merchant
EUR Commentary By: Dr. Tara S. Merchant: Stop Jumping on the Bandwagon!
Kelly Rowland
Kelly Rowland Admits She Gets 'Spirited' While Cheering for Son's Basketball Games
Chopper - screenshot
Chopper Alleges Diddy's Ex Assistant Fonzworth Bentley Was Known for Stealing | Video
1 2 3 8,547