Deion Sanders misses the NFL for missing HBCUs in the draft

Jackson State coach Dion Sanders believes the NFL needs to do a better job of identifying talent coming from historic black colleges and universities.

Sanders said yesterday on Jackson State Pro Day that while he was happy to see the 22 teams represented, he wasn’t happy with the 10 NFL teams that didn’t send scouts to see their players. Sanders also said that last year’s draft, which was not drafted for a single player draft by HBCU, is not acceptable.

It won’t happen again. It won’t happen again. I know we’ve got an excuse for pandemic year, but it won’t happen again. “My wish is that 7-10 players are drafted this year, then we’ll try to double down,” Sanders told the NFL Network. That, and then the sky will be the limit.”

Sanders said he wants more appearances for the HBCUs, and said the Jackson State spring game will be televised this year. He also said he wants HBCU players — not just Jackson State players, but players from other HBCUs — to attend the draft.

“I need at least four of our schools and their representative coaches, to get the player they think is recruitable, we have to bring them to the draft. Because I want the kids to see it, I want them to feel it, I want them to touch it, I want them to witness it live, so they can witness it live,” Sanders said. From saying, “I can do it.” “NFL Network, come on, make it happen.”

Sanders has done an excellent job at Jackson State, winning the SWAC Coach of the Year award last year and then astonishing the college football recruitment world by persuading Travis Hunter, considered by some to be the best single player in this year’s hiring class, to decline Florida State’s attendance at Jackson State. Now Sanders has bigger plans for how he will spark interest in his program and other HBCU programs.