In less than three years, coach Deion Sanders has had an impact on the Jackson State football program that makes it feel like he’s been there much longer.
His accomplishments at JSU have been bigger than just football. He’s thrust the school that produced Walter Payton, Lem Barney, Robert Brazile, and Jackie Slater back into the national spotlight. And he’s transformed the conversation around HBCU athletics in short order.
Jackson State had a stretch from 2014 until Sanders’ arrival in 2020 when it didn’t have any winning seasons.
Now, following a program-record 11-win season and a string of other accomplishments that led to Sanders being named FCS coach of the Year, the prospect of Jackson State becoming the first HBCU to play at the FBS level doesn’t seem so far-fetched.