ATLANTA — Deion Sanders shocked the college football world by leaving FCS Jackson State to accept the head coaching position at the University of Colorado last week.
Now, the man known as "Coach Prime" will lead the Tigers out of the tunnel for one final time before he departs for good.
Press Conference | Cricket Celebration Bowl | North Carolina Central, Jackson State plans for upcoming season
In his time at Jackson State, Sanders revitalized the football program, taking a smaller HBCU and putting them on the proverbial college football map in a profound way. His presence brought national media attention, including a trip from College GameDay on the campus of the Tigers this fall and a feature on the cover of Sports Illustrated a few months earlier in July.
In three seasons as head coach, Sanders went 27-5, including a 12-0 season on the heels of the upcoming Celebration Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the bowl game for historically Black college football programs, on Dec. 17. Sanders will be coaching in the stadium that his old NFL team, the Atlanta Falcons, currently plays in.
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After the 2020 season was cut short for JSU due to COVID-19, Sanders went 11-2 in 2021, but his team lost to South Carolina State in the Celebration Bowl last season.
Before he departs to the Buffaloes and the Pac-12 on a $29.5 million contract, Sanders will have the opportunity to redeem himself and leave on the highest note possible -- an undefeated season and a Celebration Bowl win over N.C. Central.
Sanders delivered on many promises he sought to deliver when he arrived at JSU. He promised the fan base to bring in top-tier talent, which he did when 5-star defensive back Travis Hunter flipped his commitment from Florida State to play for Sanders. Hunter, a Collins High School grad, has been the biggest get for JSU thus far. Sanders also departs the school where his son, Shedeur Sanders, is the starting quarterback and is in the midst of a phenomenal season.
He also promised them exposure at a school that hadn't received much national attention in quite some time, which he came through with by all the aforementioned reasons above.
Fans might complain that he wasn't at Jackson State long enough, but there's no denying the impact he made on this program in just three short years.
North Carolina Central will try and play spoiler to the final hurrah for Sanders, as the Eagles come into next Saturday's game with a 9-2 record. But despite that, they enter the game as heavy 18.5-point underdogs.
A spokesperson with the Celebration Bowl said that Sanders would unlikely be available at Thursday morning's press conference.
