Everybody is talking about Deion Sanders and Colorado after the TCU win, which came just in time for the debut of Shannon Sharpe with Stephen A Smith on ‘First Take.’
Smith, a Winston-Salem State University alumnus, addressed the criticism that Sanders received from both HBCU supporters as well as the college football world as a whole.
“Here’s the thing that I think is important for everybody to know about Deion, who came from Jackson State, he was at an HBCU. You had fools – I mean people – from HBCUs really degrading and denigrating him. And I’m like, wait a minute – the profile that he brings to HBCUs – if you’re at an HBCU, because of what he’s achieving, think about the opportunities that’s going to open up.”
Smith took note of Shedeur Sanders bringing up the fact that he was doubted because he started his career at an HBCU.
“Shedeur puts on an absolute show, 510 yards passing, the kid was absolutely spectacular,” Smith said. You had people doubting him – what’s the first thing he was doing in the post game interview? Bringing up HBCUs. Because he’s talking about the lack of a profile and notoriety, that you have given the HBCUs. Both you and I – products of HBCUs – we’ve definitely appreciated that.”
Smith addressed criticism of Deion Sanders for dropping so many Colorado players after coming in from Jackson State.
“If you’re losing like that and you’re that porous in a Power Five conference – you got to make changes,” Smith said. “And if you’re Prime, coming from an HBCU, you can’t wait. You can’t grow incrementally, you can’t scratch and claw and nip-and-tuck and go a step at a time. You gotta leapfrog. That’s what he’s done, and I applaud Prime Time Deion Sanders.”
Shannon Sharpe agreed and made sure to double down on the fact that people doubted the Sanders family because of where they built their college football resume.
“What did they say? ‘Oh Shedeur is putting up those numbers, but look at the level of competition that he’s putting it up against?” Sharpe said. “Yeah, Deion Sanders is coaching, but look at the level of coaches he’s coaching against.”