Deion Sanders Weds Model Pilar Biggers In Bahamas

Jet, June 14, 1999

In a private storybook wedding, NFL superstar Deion Sanders recently married beautiful model-actress Pilar Biggers during a double-ring ceremony in Nassau, Bahamas.

With only a small, close circle of the couple's family and friends in attendance, the two exchanged marital vows in a gazebo courtyard cloister of the Ocean Club on Nassau's Paradise Island.

Sanders' Christian mentor, renowned pastor Bishop T.D. Jakes, officiated the intimate ceremony.

The 25-year-old bride wore an elegant, yet simple, white-waisted satin gown, sleeveless with a cut-out back and clean lines.

Biggers was a magnificent sight to behold as she proceeded down 70 steps that cascaded into the plush green island garden which overlooked a breathtaking alabaster lagoon.

The always impeccably dressed Sanders, 31, grinning broadly, wore a white silk and marble satin striped morning suit as he stood at the altar watching his bride make her majestic entrance. The suit was designed by Dave Corbin of Atlanta.

Flaming torches lit the path to the gazebo altar where columns were draped in white tulle netting and exotic flowers tied in gold tassels.

Biggers was escorted down the aisle by her brother, Scottie Biggers, of New York. Her sister, Kandie Biggers, also of New York, served as the maid of honor. She wore an elegant orchid purple dress.

Billy Jones, Sanders' uncle, was his famous nephew's best man.

Sanders' 9-year-old daughter, Deiondra, was the flower girl, while his 5-year-old son, Deion Jr.-nicknamed Bucky after Sanders' late father, Mims "Daddy Buck" Sanders--was the ring bearer.

During the wedding, the couple was serenaded by Steve Lawrence, music minister of Bishop Jakes' Potter's House Church in Dallas, along with Jesse Campbell of Chicago. Inspirational harpist Jeff Majors also provided music at the touching affair.

Those attending the wedding included the bride's parents, Dan and Jeanette Biggers, the groom's mother, Connie Knight, and his grandmother, Hattie Mims.

A small reception in the Ocean Club's Garden of Versailles followed the ceremony.

Biggers, a model with the Ford Agency, has appeared in numerous sports, fitness and fashion magazines. Her career includes editorial, catalog and runway modeling for designers such as Tommy Hilfiger, Guess and Richard Tyler.

Her acting career has included television appearances on "Walker, Texas Ranger," "Veronica's Closet," and "The Pretender." Biggers' most recent work included an appearance in the film The Mod Squad.

This is Sanders' second marriage. In 1998, he was divorced from his first wife, Carolyn, the mother of his two children. This is Biggers' first marriage.

The wedding begins a new chapter in the famed Dallas Cowboys cornerback's life.

An extremely gifted and versatile athlete, Deion Luwynn Sanders has made a name for himself in both protessional football and in baseball.

One of the most talented cornerbacks in the history of the NFL, Sanders has played the last four years with the Cowboys.

He won back-to-back Super Bowls following the 1994 season with San Francisco 49ers and the 1995 campaign with Dallas. Recently Sanders had to sit out because he underwent surgery to correct a severely sprained letf big toe, an injury that bothered him during much of the 1998 Cowboy season.

Along with playing football, Sanders has also played baseball. He has played with the Atlanta Braves and more recently the Cincinnati Reds. He finished the 1997 baseball season ranked second in the National League with 56 stolen bases, but he chose not to play baseball last year.

He is the only man in professional sports history to play in both a World Series (1992) and in the Super Bowl (1994).

Sanders, in addition to thriving as a double-sports athlete, also tried his hand as a rapper. His album, Prime Time, featured the hit song Must Be The Money, which went straight to the top of music charts.

But even with a lucrative two-sports career and a hot music career, the man called "Prime Time" because of his flashy style of dress and attention-grabbing persona still felt that something was missing from his life.

His autobiography, Power, Money & Sex: How Success Almost Ruined My Life, recounts how he struggled with depression, adultery, divorce and attempted suicide. It also deals with how he joined the church a couple of years ago, turning his life over to the Lord and getting baptized by Bishop Jakes.

His 18-month journey of consistent repentance, spiritual growth and ministry outreach to others has crescendoed into a second chance for the rebuilding of his personal life.

"After my divorce, God sent someone into my life who has helped me to see that life really does go on," said Sanders. "Though I met Pilar before I was married, I would never have thought she and I would end up at the altar. After my first marriage failed, I was devastated."

Biggers said, "Deion and I are so thankful for this moment. In the process of seeking God, we found each other. Now we have everything we need to go forward. I am in love with him and he is in love with me. Seeing him happy makes me feel complete. I just love him!"