ATLANTA, GA – Shedeur Sanders is now clearly planted in Colorado with the rest of his family, but Saturday night the rising junior quarterback got a chance to become a part of HBCU history.
The former Jackson State quarterback was in Atlanta on June 10, accepting the award for the Deacon Jones Trophy, given to the top offensive player in HBCU football. He didn’t give an acceptance speech, but he did talk to HBCU Gameday about the award as well as his future.
“It was very exciting,” Sanders told HBCU Gameday. “I couldn’t just do it by myself out there, I did with the team. So it’s an award for the team, not just for me.”
Indeed, Sanders was a part of a Jackson State program that went 12-1 in 2022. It won a second-straight SWAC title and made it back to the Celebration Bowl once again, falling in an overtime thriller to MEAC champion North Carolina Central. Sanders threw for 3,720 yards and 40 touchdowns with just six interceptions while leading JSU to a 12-1 record. Sanders completed over 70 percent of his passes en route to being named the SWAC Offensive Player of the Year and repeating as HBCU Gameday/Protect Your Skull FCS Offensive Player of The Year.
Of course, Shedeur Sanders is long gone from Jackson State, following his father Deion Sanders to Colorado. But he says his time at Jackson State meant a lot to him.
“Jackson State prepared me for everything. It prepared me for life, trials and tribulation, honestly. It was just my ground level and I’m growing from there year after-year. I love Jackson State, I’m excited that I went to school there. But now we’re at Colorado.”
Sanders’ brother, Shilo, was the latest to join the rest of the family in Colorado. He graduated from Jackson State last month and will spend his grad transfer season playing for his father and with his brother.
“We never really left each other. I talked to him almost every other day. Now he’s just here with us in person. It’s the same thing. It’s a relationship. It’s not just on the field, it’s off the field – everything. It’s a real family. Regardless of wherever we’re at – around the world – we still talk to each other all time time.”