FORT MYERS — Nothing surprises Earnest Brown anymore. Not after spending the past 20 years as one of Deion Sanders’ closest friends.

So when Sanders, 33, announced Friday that he would not play with the Washington Redskins — or with any other NFL team — this season, Brown took the news in stride.

But on Saturday, Brown said he also wouldn’t be surprised if Sanders made a “Prime Time”-style comeback next year with another team.

“My personal opinion, I see him sitting out a year,” said Brown, who befriended Sanders in 1981 after coaching him on a youth basketball team in their native Fort Myers. “I know the man too well. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him come back. He’ll take a year off, and he’ll be bored. You can only do so much fishing.” PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED: The following articles appeared in The News-Press on July 28, 2001. Deion decides it's prime time to end his storied NFL career

Two-sport star delivered thrills even as youngster

Sanders took his talent and ran to greatness

Fishing, Brown said, is exactly what Sanders will do now that he’s out of the NFL.

“He’s going to be happy,” said Brown, who talks to Sanders about once a month. “He’ll be in a boat. People don’t realize his passion for fishing. It’s unbelievable.”

At the time, Brown was 20 and Sanders was 13.

“His mom would drop him off, and I would take him home,” said Brown, who formed friendships with several of the players he coached. “We just made friends. They were like little brothers to me. Where I went, they went. Things progressed.”

Brown, who now coaches the North Fort Myers High School boys basketball team, said that one time he made good use of Sanders’ athletic talent. Shorthanded in an adult flag football league, Brown asked Sanders, then a freshman at North Fort Myers, to play.

“He scored maybe five or six touchdowns,” Brown said. “He was so good, the other team complained about him. They made him quit, and we had to forfeit the game.

“The only reason he played was because we were short one player. We kind of wanted to see how good he was.”

Brown said he last talked to Sanders three weeks ago. Brown said Sanders did not indicate his professional future during their conversation. Then again, Brown didn’t ask.

“We just ask how we’re doing, that’s all,” Brown said. “If I were to guess, he will play football next year. Baseball? I don’t know where his head is with baseball.”

Sanders began the season with the Cincinnati Reds but was released after hitting .173 in 32 games. He cleaned out his locker for a Toronto Blue Jays minor league team on Thursday.

“That wasn’t part of the plan,” Brown said of being released by the Reds. “They had Ken Griffey (Jr.) and Michael Tucker. He had big obstacles to climb. Baseball is one of those things where you have to play year-round.”