For many football fans, the name Deion Sanders rings bells throughout the South in a manner that people in other regions of America may never understand. His legendary five-year stint with the Atlanta Falcons (1989-1993) garnered multiple Pro Bowl sections as a cornerback and kickoff/punt return specialist. Many consider him to be the greatest of all time in both facets of NFL football to this very day. The city of Atlanta embraced "Prime Time," his charismatic personality, flashy jewelry, his high-stepping before scoring a touchdown, and his trademark endzone dance. Back then, Atlanta was considered a small market for a professional sports team; the Falcons weren't very competitive, and they were often dominated by their division rivals at the time, the San Fransico 49ers. This is why it struck at the very core of the city's fanbase when he chose to leave the Falcons via free agency for a one-year deal with the San Fransico 49ers. A franchise with deeper pockets and a loaded roster featuring future Hall of Famers such as Steve Young and Jerry Rice. That team would go on to win the Super Bowl in Deion's only year on the roster (1994). Although his #21 jersey hangs in the rafters at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, it took years for Atlanta sports fans to get over the way their hero skipped town. Back then, fans accused Deion of prioritizing money and fame over loyalty. A pattern that would repeat itself when he left the 49ers for their rival (the Dallas Cowboys) the following season.
Deion Sanders was hired as the head of Jackson State just two years ago. The infectious leader brought national attention to the HBCU in Mississippi, along with a slew of talented players and two SWAC championships. He also installed a winning culture based on loyalty, togetherness, and pride in the Black community. The native southerner was loved and embraced by the community, but upon receiving an offer to become the head football coach at the University of Colorado, a Division I school, he chose to accept the position.
"I know y'all been hearing the rumors and everything that's been transparent around about my whereabouts and what I'm going through. I'd like for y'all to hear it from me and not everyone else," said Coach Prime during a farewell speech to his players in the JSU locker room. "It is what it is. In coaching, you get elevated, or you get terminated. Ain't no other way. You get elevated, or you get terminated. There ain't no graveyard for coaches where they die at the place. It don't work like that. They either gonna run you off or you gonna walk off. I've chosen to accept the job elsewhere next year."
Coach Prime's new team, the Colorado Buffaloes, has not won a Bowl game since 2004. Still, they have a respected history and a reputable program that could eventually lead to Coach Prime landing the head coaching job at his alma mater, Florida State. Upon making his announcement on social media, Coach Prime was quick to post videos of himself donning his new team's colors and merchandise. Several celebrities took to his comment section to congratulate him, but there has been some pushback. In a recent appearance on CNN This Morning, Bomani Jones, an on-air personality with ESPN, openly criticized Coach Prime for leaving his students at Jackson State behind after being so vocal about being a pillar of the HBCU community.
“It is what it always is, he did it for Deion, and that's fine if you don't tell us that you are trying to do this for somebody else," Bomani said.
The sports journalist continued: "I wouldn’t have come in the first place and say that God sent me here to fix HBCUs and God decided in the middle of it you were supposed to leave? The thing I’ve said is maybe God wants 10% of five [million] and not 10% of 375 [hundred thousand dollars]. If God can do [the] math, I can understand why it is. He sold a dream and then walked out on the dream. People have the right to be critical of that...this is not in line with what he told us for all these years."
Coach Prime has gone on record to say that several former players at Jackson State, including his son, Shedeur Sanders, will be joining him at the University of Colorado via the transfer portal. Long before making this decision, he was also honest and upfront about his willingness to listen to a potential offer from a university within the Power Five Conferences if they showed an interest in hiring him as their new head coach.
Like his departure from the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys as an NFL player, Coach Prime left Jackson State University after he helped deliver the team a championship. The legacy he leaves behind at JSU should put the football program in a position to remain competitive for years to come.
Source: Sports Illustrated
