On more than one instance, Deion Sanders has proclaimed “Why not us? Why not Jackson State?” during Sanders’ barnstorming, 18-month run atop the Tigers’ football program.
And Sanders has elevated the profile and spotlight on Historically Black Colleges and Universities arguably to unprecedented levels, with a blend of his bold, no-holds-barred commentary and his prolific recruiting work. Both were then backed up by a record-setting campaign last fall for the Tigers, who won the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship and advanced to the Celebration Bowl, where they were defeated by South Carolina State.
Most recently, Sanders publicly called out NFL teams – 10 of them – for not attending a joint pro day for multiple Mississippi college programs, Alcorn State and Jackson State among them, that JSU hosted.
On Wednesday, as Sanders continued his unprecedented impact, he unveiled all new locker room and team facilities to several members of the Tigers’ football team.
Though the entire facility is not yet completed, Sanders showed on video where the Tigers will have their new locker rooms, barber chairs, team meeting room, training room and more amenities for the program, whose facilities had lagged badly behind prior to Sanders’ arrival.
“Us … we did this,” Sanders told his players.
He then role-played from a seat in the players’ new team meeting room.
“Coach Prime,” Sanders asked himself. “I got a question. ‘How do I get to the pros?’
“You work, man!”.