SWAC Football

Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders, who currently serves as head coach at Jackson State, urged people to demand respect after he abruptly exited his press conference at SWAC Media Day on Tuesday because he was unhappy reporters referred to him by his first name on two occasions.

Sanders posted a "morning word" about respect Wednesday on Twitter:

The 53-year-old former NFL superstar said reporters weren't treating him the same way they would Alabama's Nick Saban because of the first-name usage.

"You don't call Nick Saban, 'Nick.' Don't call me Deion," Sanders told reporters. "If you call Nick, Nick, you'll get cussed out on the spot, so don't do that to me. Treat me like Nick."

Several reporters responded noting that wasn't the case and provided examples of Saban answering questions that began with people calling him Nick.

Amid the backlash Tuesday, Sanders posted a response on Twitter saying he had a "great time" at the press conference and "never left."

"Stop allowing folks you don't have a relationship with to convince you otherwise about someone you do have a relationship with. I've been [100 symbol] with you since '85 and I ain't gon' stop now that I'm COACH PRIME," he wrote.

Sanders went by the nickname "Prime Time" during his playing days, which also included time as a two-sport athlete in both the NFL and MLB.

The Florida native is entering his second year leading the Jackson State program. The Tigers posted a 4-3 record during his first season, which included a forfeit win over Alcorn State amid an abbreviated campaign because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jackson State is scheduled to kick off the 2021 season Sept. 5 against Florida A&M at Hard Rock Stadium.

Jackson State football head coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders walked out of SWAC Media Day on Tuesday after being referred to by his first name twice, per Langston Newsome of the Clarion-Ledger.

"You don't call [Alabama head coach Nick Saban], 'Nick.' Don't call me Deion," Sanders reportedly told Nick Suss of the Clarion-Ledger. 

"If you call Nick [Saban], Nick, you'll get cussed out on the spot, so don't do that to me," Sanders added. "Treat me like Nick."

Sanders is entering his second year coaching Jackson State. He led the team to a 4-3 overall record (3-2 SWAC) last year.

Suss provided a few remarks in response, per Newsome:

When I interview people, I call them by their first name. Whether it's someone I've been working with for years or someone I'm talking to for the first time. This is true of the coaches and players on the Ole Miss beat, the coaches and players at Mississippi State and Southern Miss when I help out covering their teams and, as recently as January, even Sanders, too." 

Sanders later had a few words about what went down:

In regards to Sanders' comments about Saban, multiple media members provided responses on Twitter, including Chase Goodbread of NFL.com and Barrett Sallee of CBS Sports:

Sanders had other notable comments outside of the aforementioned remarks. In particular, he mentioned the need for HBCU football teams to receive more media exposure, referencing (in part) how few players have been drafted. The Undefeated provided his comments:

Sanders has previously said on social media that HBCU players were being "neglected" and "rejected" while also writing that they were "more than qualified to be drafted."

Hall of Famer Deion Sanders acknowledged he was "suicidal" while going through a divorce with his first wife and losing custody of his two children, Deion Jr. and Deiondra.

During an appearance on I Am Athlete, Sanders said (1:08:19 mark) he "had everything" in terms of being a marketable two-sport star at the top of his game. However, he added that "my babies had been taken from me," which put a strain on his mental health.

The 53-year-old recounted how he had gotten into a car crash in Cincinnati and implied he had purposefully driven his vehicle off the road.

Sanders previously addressed the matter in his autobiography, Power, Money & Sex: How Success Almost Ruined My Life, which was published in 1999.

"I was going through the trials and tribulations of life," he wrote (via The Undefeated's Kelley D. Evans). "I was pretty much running on fumes. I was empty, no peace, no joy. Losing hope with the progression of everything."

Through his agent, he was connected to a pastor from Columbus, Ohio, who helped him find a better balance in life through "spiritual help."

"I gave my life to the Lord in a condo all alone in Cincinnati, Ohio, while I was playing baseball," Sanders said on the show. "I went through a roller coaster of emotions. I was at the bottom of, to me, what life was."

Sanders also discussed the importance of athletes, especially male athletes, talking about their mental health issues and checking in on each other.

Earlier this month, the Pro Football Hall of Fame launched its Hall of Fame Behavioral Health program. The effort is intended to provide the necessary resources to current and former players and their families to help address issues tied to mental and behavioral health and substance abuse.

Harvard's Football Players Health Study released the results of a study in 2019 that found players who reported a higher frequency of concussion-related symptoms when they suited up "were significantly more likely to report having cognitive impairment1, depression, and anxiety later in life."

The likelihood of a player suffering from depression later in life also rose nine percent for every five seasons he spent in the NFL.

Jackson State head football coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders joined I Am Athlete with Brandon Marshall, Chad Johnson, Fred Taylor and Channing Crowder and discussed how he plans on competing with Power 5 schools on the recruiting trail (21:45 mark).

"You bring in a conduit for change," he said. "... First of all, I don't want to level [the playing field], I want to have the advantage. "

Sanders pointed to his own experience, suggesting he is the best option to guide players through the upcoming name, image and likeness changes that are on the horizon because he played professional baseball while playing football at Florida State.

He was also a Hall of Fame NFL player for the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Washington and Baltimore Ravens and played in MLB for the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants.

"If you're into the glamour and glitz, I want you to go over there [to a Power 5 school] where you want to go," he said. "But if you're into the real, if you're into the genuine, if you're into 'let's build this thing and let's get up out of this mess and never look back,' you need to ride with me."

Sanders also noted that people and players made certain programs into NFL factories, and the same can happen at Jackson State and other historically Black colleges and universities.

He considers himself a key asset in working to change the perceptions around programs at HBCUs.

"I gotta get it like that. I gotta make sure we're on the tube so you can be exposed," Sanders said. "Kids now, they wanna be on the 'gram, they wanna be seen, they wanna be known, they want followers. Cool, I can make that happen. But not only that, I'm gonna coach you and prepare you like you've never been prepared before."

Jackson State announced Sanders as its head coach in September 2020 and went 4-3 in his first season that was pushed back to spring because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It starts the 2021 campaign on Sept. 5 against Florida A&M.

While Sanders is not yet competing with the likes of Alabama and Ohio State on the recruiting trail, the Tigers' landed the No. 70 overall 2021 class with four 4-star commits, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

That was better than Illinois, Texas Tech, Purdue, Arizona, South Carolina and Oregon State.

Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk is in conversations with Southern University to be its next head football coach, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Rapoport added that the two sides "have mutual interest" but that "nothing is done."

Faulk, a seven-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro who won the Associated Press' 2000 NFL MVP award, is one of the most decorated offensive players in football history.

The former San Diego State star played from 1994 to 2005 with the Indianapolis Colts and St. Louis Rams, winning two NFC titles and one Super Bowl.

Faulk worked as an NFL Network analyst in his post-playing career from 2015 to 2017.

In December 2017, former NFL Network wardrobe stylist Jami Cantor sued the network and said that she was "subjected to ongoing and continuing sexual harassment by current and former on-air talent," per TMZ Sports. That talent included Faulk, who was suspended as the result of the investigation and did not return to work for the network. NFL Network reached a settlement with Cantor, and the case was dropped.

Faulk would not be the first ex-NFL star to become a head coach at a historically Black college or university should he reach an agreement with Southern. Pro Football Hall of Famer and former defensive back/returner Deion Sanders now leads the Jackson State program. JSU went 4-3 under Sanders this year.

Southern is in the market for a new head coach after Dawson Odums resigned to take the Norfolk State job on April 20. His successor has big shoes to fill, as Odums went 63-35 overall and 53-17 in the SWAC, including the 2013 SWAC Football Championship.

Last year's Southern team went 5-1, including a win over Grambling State in the 47th annual Bayou Classic.

Deion Sanders will finish his first season as Jackson State's head football coach with a 4-3 record. 

Per Rashad Milligan of the Mississippi Clarion Ledger, the Tigers' final game against Prairie View A&M scheduled for Saturday was canceled because of COVID-19 protocols and contact tracing within Jackson State's program.  

This marks the third time during the spring season that Jackson State had a game impacted by COVID-19 protocols. 

The Tigers-Panthers game was originally scheduled for March 28 but was postponed for COVID-19 issues within the Prairie View A&M program. 

The first time Jackson State had to adjust its schedule for health and safety protocols was for a Feb. 27 game against Mississippi Valley State.

Sanders was hired by Jackson State in September. The Pro Football Hall of Famer was brought in to turn around a program that posted six consecutive seasons without a winning record from 2014 to '19. 

The Tigers started 3-0 under Sanders before losing their next three games. Their final win was a forfeit victory over Alcorn State, which opted out of the spring season.   

Jackson State finished third in the SWAC East standings, behind Alabama A&M and Alabama State.  

Count former Dallas Cowboys teammate Troy Aikman among those who are impressed with Deion Sanders' work as the Jackson State head coach.

Jarrett Bell of USA Today shared some of Aikman's comments:

He's kind of an old soul that is so relatable to today’s athlete.

It's a wonderful combination. I'm trying to think who else might be like that, to have been away from the game for as long as he has been, but is still very relevant as a player with this generation. Can you think of anybody?

If I'm relevant, it's because they see me as a broadcaster. They know I played, but they don't relate to me as a player as much. When it comes to Deion, you've still got kids doing the 'Prime Time' dance when they get to the end zone.

Aikman attended Jackson State's 53-0 victory over Edward Waters in February, which was Sanders' debut as a coach.

Sanders said the Hall of Fame quarterback being there brought him to tears:

"Deion has his share of critics, as he knows," Aikman said. "I think a lot of people look at what he does, because of his personality and such, that they don't appreciate what it is he's doing. I feel like him going to Jackson State, he's really put himself out there and laid it on the line. So I couldn't be prouder of him."

The two players were teammates on the Cowboys from 1995 through 1999 and won a Super Bowl together.

Jackson State is off to a 3-3 start this season and faces Alcorn State on Saturday.

Deion Sanders didn't find it funny when Alabama State posted a picture of him on the scoreboard during Saturday's 35-28 victory over his Jackson State football team.

After the Hornets sealed the win with a late interception, the scoreboard operator posted this image on the screen:

"Childish," Sanders said during his postgame press conference about the photo. "It is what it is. They know they messed up."

Sanders also noted he was unhappy that Alabama State didn't provide his school any tickets to the game and forced the Tigers to wait until Saturday morning to use their locker room to unpack their gear.

"I'm going to call them out on it," the 53-year-old said. "That's what it was. They tried to respond with a bit of foolishness. We've got to keep it on the field and make it about the kids, make it about the fans. It's not about me."

The Pro Football Hall of Famer is in his first season as Jackson State's head coach. The Tigers won their first three games of the Southwestern Athletic Conference season prior to Saturday's defeat.

Jackson State has a bye this week before hosting Southern on April 3.

In his first major test as a college head coach, Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders led the Jackson State Tigers to a 33-28 road win over the Grambling State Tigers at Eddie Robinson Stadium in Grambling, Louisiana, on Saturday.

Jackson State trailed 28-27 in the fourth quarter, but a touchdown by senior wide receiver Warren Newman put Jackson State on top 33-28 in the fourth, and a late goal-line stand sealed it late.

Grambling looked to be going in for the go-ahead score, but Jackson State linebacker Aubrey Miller forced a fumble, and linebacker Keonte Hampton recovered it with 1:04 remaining in regulation to secure the win.

The win was a huge one for Jackson State, as it marked the Tigers' first victory over Grambling since 2012. It was also Grambling's first home loss against any team since 2015.

Jackson State got on the board first Saturday with a touchdown pass from quarterback Jalon Jones to Corey Reed to seize a 7-0 lead:

While Jackson State fell behind 14-7 after striking first, Coach Prime's team righted the ship and reeled off 20 points in a row to take a 27-14 lead into halftime.

On a 64-yard touchdown pass from Jones to Daylen Baldwin to give Jackson State a 20-14 lead, Sanders could be seen running down the sidelines in excitement:

The exclamation point on a strong first half came with five minutes left when Jackson State running back Tyson Alexander rushed for a 33-yard score:

Things got worrisome for Jackson State in the second half, as Grambling scored two unanswered touchdowns, but the Newman touchdown in the fourth quarter followed by a goal-line stand were enough for Sanders' team to hang on.

It was far from a perfect performance by Jackson State, as the Tigers missed two extra points and a short field goal, but they showed plenty of grit and determination.

Now, Jackson State is 2-0 under Sanders, as it defeated NAIA team Edward Waters 53-0 in his head coaching debut.

Last week's scheduled game against Mississippi Valley State was postponed due to a positive COVID-19 test within the Mississippi Valley State program, but Jackson State didn't miss a beat.

Meanwhile, Grambling is off to a 0-1 start after letting a fourth-quarter lead slip away Saturday afternoon.

Sanders and Jackson State are scheduled to return to the field next Sunday in a makeup game against Mississippi Valley State.  

Deion Sanders wasn't the only member of Dallas Cowboys royalty on hand for Jackson State's 53-0 blowout win over Edward Waters College on Sunday.

Troy Aikman came to support Sanders in the latter's coaching debut with Jackson State.

"My man @troyaikman showed up to Veterans Memorial Stadium to watch some @gojsutigersfb today and brought me to tears that he would come to support me and my dream after a difficult week regarding weather in Texas & Mississippi," the Hall of Fame cornerback wrote on Instagram.

Sanders and Aikman were teammates in Dallas from 1995 through 1999 and won a Super Bowl together during the 1995 campaign.

Sunday wasn't all good news for Sanders, as he told reporters his belongings were stolen from the locker room. However, a school official told Nick Niehaus of WAPT the items were found after the coach's press conference.

Sanders explained the situation on Twitter:

On the field, Jackson State looked ready to answer any questions about whether Sanders will succeed as a head coach.