While he was at Jackson State, Deion Sanders spent time advocating for HBCU players to be picked in the NFL.
Unfortunately, only one HBCU player was taken in the three days of the 2023 NFL Draft. That was Isaiah Bolden, a cornerback that came to play for Deion Sanders at Jackson State. He was picked by the New England Patriots in the seventh round, 145th overall.
Deion Sanders took the time to congratulate his player on Saturday night, but he made sure to point the finger at the NFL as well via Twitter.
“I’m ashamed of the 31 other NFL teams that couldn’t find draft value in ALL of the talented HBCU players & we had 3 more draft worthy players at JSU.”
Jackson State did have three other players that agreed to terms with NFL teams pretty much immediately after the NFL Draft on Saturday. Linebacker Aubrey Miller Jr. is headed to the Miami Dolphins. Defensive back De’Jahn Warren is headed to the Chicago Bears. Wide receiver Dallas Daniels will get a shot to make it with the Denver Broncos.
A host of other HBCU talent was signed almost immediately after the draft, including Florida A&M linebacker Isaiah Land (Dallas Cowboys) and wide receiver Xavier Smith (Los Angeles Rams). Still, coming off a year where four players were drafted from HBCUs in 2022, it was a big let down for fans and followers of HBCU football.
Keep up with the full list of HBCU players who have signed free agent deals here.