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Desmond Trufant chooses Deion Sanders' jersey No. 21

The Atlanta Falcons made Desmond Trufant the 22nd overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft on Thursday. The first-rounder from Washington paid homage to another cornerback when selecting his jersey number, choosing No. 21.

It's the same number Hall of Famer and NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders wore as a Falcon.

The number was available because cornerback Christopher Owens signed with the Cleveland Browns in free agency.

"I thought about it," Trufant said, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "That was Deion Sanders' number when he was here. He was a great player. I would just love to follow in a guy's footsteps like that. It's an honor to wear that number and to be here as well."

The Falcons drafted Sanders at No. 5 overall in 1989. He spent five seasons in Atlanta, kicking off a 14-year NFL career. Sanders was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.

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