Deion Sanders is Beyond 'HBCU Culture Vultures' Understanding

Coach Prime's success and eventual decisions are beyond mainstream media's comprehension.

Sept. 21, 2020, wasn't chronicled with cover stories, featured in popular American daily newspapers and elite sports writer's columns — Deion Sanders' ascension into college football as a head coach received ridicule and skepticism.  

The 'HBCU culture vultures' squawked in their chat rooms, but for the most part, sat, remained silent, and waited from afar.

They were ready to pounce and denounce, but now they are fawning with flattery and praise.

Deion Sanders is HBCU football.  Due to his and Jackson State's on-field success and bold messages for HBCUs, the interest from his one-time mockers has led to writing glossy cover stories and in-depth interviews.

Jackson State Tigers head coach Deion Sanders watches on during warm ups as Alabama State Hornets takes on Jackson State Tigers at ASU Stadium in Montgomery, Ala., on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022.  Credit: © Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK

SANDERS' GIFT OF KNOWING HIMSELF, HIS BRAND

Sanders has masterfully navigated the negativity, reversed its intent, and crafted a grass-roots marketing effort to rival any multi-million advertising agency on Madison Avenue.  At one point, media wanted nothing to do with Coach Prime — until Travis Hunter.

Recruiting a highly-touted recruit named Travis Hunter was debunked and publicly accosted by Power 5 coaches and conservative media darlings — yet, secretly, they were impressed and anxious about his next move. 

HBCUs competing for five-star recruits wasn't acceptable, to them.  Their hope is for Coach Prime to move beyond HBCU football and receive a Power 5 position in 2023.

"He's sparked concern among Power 5 programs that HBCUs are an alternative for young (predominantly black) players, skeptical of the usual football factories. And, damn, is Sanders quotable," Jon Wertheim wrote about Sanders and his '60 Minutes' feature.

THE TABLES HAVE TURNED

Today, those same naysayers want to understand, promote, and praise the Deion Sanders brand and those closest to him. Shedeur is a Heisman candidate and has closed lucrative NIL deals for his financial portfolio. Amid Sanders' recent acclaim and coaching notoriety, the "culture vultures" are here.

Black College Experience's Keisha Kelley tweeted, "Everyone isn't for HBCU. Stop giving access to culture vultures." Access comes through winning. Sanders isn't a "15-minutes of fame" media darling, nor the "flavor of the month" club winner — he's Coach Prime baby! 

He is a brand and will continue to be such.

Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders is seen during an NCAA college football game against Mississippi Valley State in Jackson, Miss., Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022. Tcl Jsu Vs Ms Valley244 Credit:© Hannah Mattix/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK

COACH PRIME'S DEEP RESPONSIBILITY

As a youngster, I often heard my mentor Mr. Harris say, "With success comes great responsibility."  Responsibility is not shallow, it runs deep.

Giving access to supporters and those "culture vultures" is a part of the game. Deuce McAllister, former New Orleans Saints legend and current sports broadcaster, alluded to Sanders' responsibility during the Jackson State versus Bethune-Cookman contest. I'm paraphrasing — He doesn't need the money [to leave for a Power 5 coaching position]; he has a responsibility to his assistant coaches and others who can thrive from his decision.

A Jackson State insider told me, "Coach Sanders genuinely cares for his coaches. His decision will be because it helps to elevate their lives and families."

HBCUs — like Jackson State — cannot offer Sanders and his assistants their actual monetary value as a Power 5 could. They are at JSU because they believe in Sanders and what the program is doing for his young player. So, "if he leaves, it's for them."

Jackson State football coach Deion Sanders addresses questions during a panel discussion at Prime Time Takeover, a part of Sanders' birthday celebration this weekend at the Sheraton Refuge Hotel & Golf course in Flowood, Miss., Friday, Aug. 5, 2022. Tcl Hat Deion Sanders

Here's what Coach Prime told Jon Wertheim in the interview regarding a Power 5 approaching him:

CP: Yes, I'm gonna have to entertain it. Straight up. I'd be a fool not to. Let me tell you somethin'. I'm askin' the Lord — when I pause, I'm not lost for words. I'm tryin' to figure out how I'm gonna say it to you —This is my biggest concern: I have a few people on the staff that has been with me for the last 20 years from when we started with youth football. I got a few people on the staff that has coached in professional football. Few people that matriculated from high school and some that were already in college. I think my highest compensated coach may be [earning] $125,000; somethin' like that.

JW: $125,000?

CP: Yeah. Am I a blessing to him? Or am I holdin' him back? I really have to consider those things because these are my guys. The bible says thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. These guys give me comfort, man. I wouldn't be who I am without these men. And I gotta make sure I'm doin' what's best for them at all times.

JW: You'll have the opportunity to take your guys with you—

CP: That's what it's about. It's not about me. Because whatever they give me, it's not gonna change my lifestyle. But it's gonna change theirs … It's gonna change the whole trajectory of their families. So, I really gotta consider that.

That's enormous pressure and responsibility, but for Deion Sanders, it's about helping others. 

The HBCU culture understands him — most times. They may not all agree with him — sometimes. But at all times, HBCU sports fans and opponents can respect the responsibility to help others influenced by your decisions. 

That's the missing element from his mainstream media coverage. They cannot comprehend and interpret the responsibility.  It's inherent in our culture — and, HBCU culture.

No matter what the "culture vultures" may perceive, HBCU football is only a medium for many coaches and young players. After hours of film, training, practices, losses, and triumphs, life will still go on. 

Whatever his coaches and players choose as career paths, Coach Prime will always desire for them to have a life filled with abundant prosperity. That HBCU cultural mission and responsibility has existed for over a century and it won't easily fade away.

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