Coach Prime Déjà Vu: Wester's punt-return in preseason mirrors iconic Sanders TD

It took LaJohntay Wester just two touches in his preseason debut to make a splash play and potentially solidify his spot on the Baltimore Ravens roster. Wester had a solid, 17-yard return on his first chance. But it was nothing compared to what he had in store for an encore.

Wester fielded his second punt-return on Thursday night deep in Baltimore territory, made three defenders miss, and raced 87 yards to the endzone for an electric touchdown.

In its own right, Wester's return was a spectacular play and a signal that he will probably make the Ravens' roster and be their punt returner in 2025. But the play gets even more incredible when you turn back the clock and take a look at an iconic punt return by Deion Sanders, Wester's head coach last season at Colorado.

You might have watched Wester's return last night and felt a little bit of déjà vu. Taylor Sadusky made a video showing you exactly why.

LaJohntay Wester's punt-return TD looked eerily similar to one by Deion Sanders

I mean, that's scary, right? They both make the catch, start off east-west, with Sanders going right and Wester running left, before abruptly stopping on a dime, making a juke, and then exploding up the middle of the field. They both then cut to the right and race down the sidelines to score the touchdown.

The Coach Prime punt-return touchdown took place on a bit more of a national stage than Wester's. That return was from a 1998 Monday Night Football matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. Sanders is one of the most prolific return men in NFL history. He took six punts back for touchdowns over his professional career.

Wester certainly seems to have picked something up from his college head coach in the one year he was at Colorado. He's always been a game-breaker as a punt returner, but his moves are even more refined now. He was the 2023 AAC Special Teams Player of the Year at Florida Atlantic before he transferred to Colorado last season for his final season of eligibility.

Wester can also give a tip of his cap to legendary return man Devin Hester, who is the best returner in NFL history and a Pro Football Hall of Famer. Hester visited practice at Colorado last year, and gave some tips to Wester as a returner:

Things like that are what make it so enticing to play for Coach Prime. You never know who is going to stop by practice and drop some knowledge. Wester certainly took advantage of that knowledge to make a big splash in his NFL debut.