Sawyer accepted an athletic scholarship to attend Florida State University, where he played for the Florida State Seminoles football team from 1990 to 1993. He was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American at defensive back as a senior in 1993, and was a member of the Seminoles' team that defeated the Nebraska Cornhuskers 18–16 in the Orange Bowl to win the Bowl Coalition national championship.[3]
Professional career
The Cincinnati Bengals selected Sawyer in the fourth round (104th pick overall) of the 1994 NFL Draft.[4] He played for the Bengals from 1994 to 1998.[1] He played in 60 regular season games for the Bengals, mostly as a backup at cornerback, but also as a punt and kickoff returner.[5] In his five seasons in Cincinnati, he returned 54 punts for 507 yards and a touchdown, and 15 kickoffs for 305 yards.[5] As a defensive back, he compiled 163 tackles and 11 interceptions for 163 return yards and a touchdown.[5] He also played one NFL season as a backup for the New York Jets in 1999.[1]