'We need to put on for our city': Deion Sanders on the magnitude of 'College GameDay'
Deion Sanders was driving to the Jackson State football facility when he received the news Sunday morning. ESPN’s "College GameDay" is headed to Jackson for the first time in program history.
It’s another highlight in a long list of victories for Sanders with the Tigers – where winning, especially at home, has felt like a guarantee during his three seasons.
JSU football has new life under Sanders. He delivered the program’s first SWAC championship since 2007 last season and has the undefeated Tigers (7-0, 4-0) are taking center stage nationally ahead of Saturday’s matchup against Southern (5-2, 3-1).
Even Sanders, an NFL Hall of Famer and former NFL Network personality, couldn’t hide his excitement. The Tigers' defense looked dominant in their 22-14 homecoming victory over Campbell in front of 51,596 fans, and now ESPN is coming to town.
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Reality quickly returned for Sanders. This is what happens when you’re taking care of business on the field and building a program into a national brand.
“You’ve got to understand it’s a level of excitement but then there’s a level of expectation,” Sanders said. “I expect stuff like this. I really do. Why not us? Everybody always wears the shirt (with) 'Why not us.' But they don’t really believe what’s on the shirt half the time.
“I really think like that. Why hadn’t you come yet?”
Regardless of Sanders’ expectations for greatness, he still does understand the importance of Saturday’s appearance of “College GameDay” less than two weeks after his appearance on “60 Minutes” and a visit from “Good Morning America” ahead of homecoming.
Sanders is a household name, one that garners national attention with ease. Now, his program has more than enough talent to sustain the hype – including second-year QB Shedeur Sanders, who leads the SWAC in passing yards and passing touchdowns and the nation's No. 1 recruit Travis Hunter.
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Deion Sanders believes the attention is rightly deserved and he’s correct. However, his players haven’t grasped the importance of their performances yet.
“I don’t think our kids understand the magnitude,” Deion Sanders said. “They really don’t. The grown folks do. But I don’t think we as HBCUs understand the magnitude of 'College GameDay' being here. We don’t.”
ESPN rolling out the red carpet for the Tigers isn't just a victory for Jackson State, according to Deion Sanders. It's a huge moment for the city and culture of HBCU football.
“I just hope we as a city and as a school – we always talk about culture – understand the magnitude of what’s about to transpire,” Sanders said. “I hope we do our homework as a city and I’m not just putting this on the students. I mean as a city, to come out and support this GameDay and make sure it is what it normally is and then some on a weekly basis.
“We need to put on for our city for real this weekend. This is huge.”
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Deion Sanders on College GameDay importance for Jackson State football
