ATLANTA – It was inevitable that Deion Sanders would be asked prior to the Celebration Bowl how he could balance coaching Jackson State and Colorado.
And, inevitably, Deion Sanders had the answer.
“We have some people in place to make sure we’re keeping the main thing, the main thing. But that starts with me. I have to be single minded and I show my kids not only that, I show my coaches and their family members that I’m single-minded when it comes to this. I know it may not be comfortable to see a guy Colorado apparel and see him in the Jackson State apparel, but it is what it is.”
And how are the Jackson State players handling it?
“This is something that we got across and our kids are very keen and very smart,” Sanders said. “And if you know how much we pour into them before we even make it to the field, you would understand how we are.”
Sanders is coaching his SWAC Champion Jackson State squad against MEAC Champion North Carolina Central on Saturday. He says Colorado had no objection to him trying to complete a perfect 13-0 season.
“It wasn’t a reaction. It wasn’t even a conversation,” Sanders said. I think they knew how I felt and they knew my heart and they knew – ‘You got to finish. You got to finish…’ I think they admire finishing what you started. It’s very admirable. And Rick, never even brought it up to me. We never even discussed because… we knew what time it was in that regard that we were going to finish what we started.”
Jackson State assistant T.C. Taylor was elevated to head coach earlier this week. But Sanders was clear: For at least one more game – it’s still Prime Time.
“Everybody know what time it is, man. You know what time it is. Come on. I’m not…I’m not just hanging around, just biding time, just watching my sons. No, no, I still do what I do. And we do it – we do really well. So I’m going to try to guide the ship and right the ship and win the ship.”