OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE ERA: Danny Wuerffel, Florida
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE ERA: Deion Sanders, Florida State
Deion Sanders trash-talked.
He loved the limelight.
He loved to talk.
Danny Wuerffel prayed.
He shied away from attention.
He was quiet and reserved.
Personality-wise, Sanders and Wuerffel were polar opposites. Yet on the field each set records and led his team to national prominence. Sanders and Wuerffel had little in common, but they shared greatness.
When the versatile Sanders arrived in Tallahassee, FSU was the state's third-best team behind Miami and Florida. With his help, the Seminoles became a power.
Sanders was the face of the program.
He was flashy on the field and off. He rubbed many the wrong way with his I'm-good-and-I-know-it attitude, but anybody who watched him play came away incredibly impressed and somewhat in awe of his abilities.
He could cover any receiver.
And when he got his hands on the ball, something exciting usually happened.
Wuerffel had different gifts.
He wasn't particularly fast and his arm strength wasn't considered top-notch. But Wuerffel was unflappable and rarely missed an open receiver.
When he threw, he looked like a shot putter because he cocked the ball near his ear. It wasn't pretty, but was it ever effective.
Wuerffel played for four Southeastern Conference championship squads and twice reached the national championship game. During his senior season he won the Heisman Trophy and led the Gators to their first national title.
