Deion Sanders helped put an HBCU school on the map. As head coach of the Jackson State football program, Sanders’ squad lost just six games over three seasons. That included two perfect seasons in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Additionally, Jackson went 12-1 in the 2022 season, only losing in the postseason Celebration Bowl.
Sanders left Jackson State at the end of the 2022 season to take the vacant job at Colorado. He brought many of his star players with him and has transformed the program there. He has put Colorado back on the map, even if the program is seeing massive player turnover. The school’s spring game sold out for the first time ever. One the flip side, 20 players entered the portal right after the game. It’s a wild time in Colorado. However, Sanders was not happy with the treatment HBCUs got at the 2023 NFL Draft. He took to Twitter to force his frustrations.
Sanders Calls Out 31 NFL Teams
HBCUs are often overlooked on draft day. Just 12 players from such schools were picked between 2016 and 2021. Four went in the 2022 draft. Furthermore, that number dropped to just one over the course of the 2023 draft. The lone HBCU representative in 2023 was Jackson State cornerback and kick returner, Isaiah Bolden. Bolden was selected 245th overall by the New England Patriots, just 14 picks before the end of the draft. Additionally, it’s worth mentioning that he was a Coach Prime alum.
Posting to Twitter, Sanders made his thoughts on the lack of HBCU rep very clear. “So proud is you @isaiahbolden23 You deserved to be drafted much higher but I’m truly proud of u. I know how much u want this. I’m ashamed of the 31 other @nfl teams that couldn’t find draft value in ALL of the talented HBCU players & we had 3 more draft worthy players at JSU.” However, Sanders’ comments met a lot of backlash from white people who somehow interpreted Sanders’ comments as a call for affirmative action. HBCUs have long had to deal with being viewed as the “second-tier” in both educational standards and sporting prowess. However, it’s an unfair perception and one that Sanders is putting on blast.
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