Deion Sanders shifted the entire scope of college football by taking on head coaching duties at Jackson State University, raising the profile of the HBCU significantly in the process. The former NFL superstar is taking his talents to the University of Colorado but the move has drawn the ire of many, especially from the realm of Black Twitter.
Deion Sanders took the role of head coach at Jackson State University in 2020, raising the profile of the school and attracting top football recruits to the program in the process. His son, Shedeur Sanders, starred in the quarterback role at the school and is reportedly following his father to Colorado.
Sanders was rumored all weekend to be heading out of Jackson State to Colorado and the move was made official on Sunday (Dec. 4). Immediately after the news went wide, Sanders underwent a barrage of criticism in op-ed pieces and across social media. The common refrain among the many comments was a feeling of abandonment and that Sanders’ devotion to H HBCUs was self-serving at best. Also of note, Sanders told players at the press event announcing his arrival that players who were on the fence about leaving should do so.
“It ain’t gonna be no more of a mess that these wonderful fans, the student body, and some of your parents have put up with for probably two decades now. I’m coming, and when I get here, it’s gonna be changed,” Sanders said to players and staff at the conference. “So I want y’all to get ready to go ahead and jump in the portal and do whatever you’re gonna get because if more of you jump in, the more room you make.”
On Twitter, the Deion Sanders discussion is still going and we’ve got plenty of reactions listed out below.
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Photo: Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images / Getty
