Channing Crowder made a statement in 2021 that he had to admit was wrong in 2022.
The former University of Florida star and NFL made his apology to Deion Sanders and HBCUs after stating that a top recruit wouldn’t pick an HBCU over a Power Five school. Here’s what Crowder told Sanders when the Jackson State coach appeared on “I Am Athlete” last May:
“I’ll tell you now, I’m not against HBCU’s, I’m not a hater or whatever,” Crowder said. “But Prime I went to Florida. What Florida can give a kid with the dorms, with the training tables, with the exposure, with the 100,000 people in the game…y’all cannot compete with the teams that’s got so much resources, those Power-Five Prime, you cannot compete with those power-Five schools.”
Of course, that was before Sanders convinced Travis Hunter, the top prospect in the 2022 class according to 247Sports, to flip from Florida State to JSU. That happened in December during national signing day.
Channing Crowder has since left “I Am Athlete” along with former Jacksonville Jaguars running back Fred Taylor to start a new show called “The Pivot.” That’s where he made his proclamation.
“I want to apologize because I said that, I did, and it was very strong,” Crowder said “I said there’s not going to be a top recruit that chooses and HBCU over a Power-5 school and I want to apologize to Deion because he did pull him. As Deion he did pull Travis Hunter to an HBCU.”
Crowder interjected a measure of doubt.
“I do have a but,” Crowder said following his apology. “I just don’t know if Deion is going to be there (long enough) for Travis Hunter to graduate.”
That remains to be seen. But the fact that Crowder had to “pivot” his views on what was possible for HBCUs in less than a year was poetic justice.