AFLAC Partners with Coach Deion "Prime" Sanders for HBCUs

Aflac announced its new partnership with football Hall of Famer Jackson State University's head coach Deion "Prime" Sanders.

Aflac announced its new partnership with football Hall of Famer Jackson State University's head coach Deion "Prime" Sanders. The supplemental insurance provider had already enlisted the University of Alabama head coach Nick Saban as one of their spokesmen for the past few years. Sanders teams with Aflac in its commitment to support Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

Coach Deion "Prime" Sanders, Jackston State University; Credit: AFLAC

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AFLAC'S STRATEGY FOR COACH DEION SANDERS

Aflac's Chief Brand and Marketing Officer Shannon Watkins shared with me the company's strategy for partnering with Coach Prime and HBCUs. " We are really excited about this opportunity. We get to extend what college football looks like with this partnership. When you think about what has historically been done, it's been a pretty monolithic view of the college football experience. By bringing in Coach Saban and Coach Sanders, we're celebrating the entire football experience for fans across the country and really helping to stand in those gaps and close the gaps, and that's where Aflac comes in," stated Watkins. 

The football legends and star power of Deion Sanders and Nick Saban merge two genres in college football - the FBS and HBCU. According to Aflac, the coaches will have a series of commercials with the Aflac Duck. 

Deion Sanders made a name for himself in college and the NFL as one of the most charismatic and entertaining athletes in the 90s and 2000s. He successfully played football and baseball within the same week for the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta Braves organizations.  

Most pundits consider Deion Sanders as the best cornerback in National Football League history. Sanders' reach and connection with younger amateur and professional athletes are remarkable since he had played a meaningful NFL game since the 2004 season.  

While working for the NFL Network as an analyst, he took note and exception for the lack of invitations extended to HBCU athletes at the league's sponsored NFL Scouting Combines. Sanders publicly mentioned starting an HBCU Combine. In the process, Jackson State University contacted Sanders to become a candidate for its vacant head coaching position and hired him.  

His advocacy for HBCU programs and student-athletes has created a buzz with major networks like ESPN. In the SWAC Conference's spring session, ESPN regularly featured Coach Sanders and JSU games on its Saturday programming. The booming viewership and interest led ESPN to schedule broadcasts for more HBCU games in the Fall.

Watkins mentioned Aflac entered a partnership with ESPN's College GameDay and Disney. "The reason we were so excited about partnering with ESPN is that they have extended their programming and reach to cover HBCUs. So, this weekend we will be a part of their programming for Week zero, which is the MEAC/SWAC Challenge" between N.C. Central and Alcorn State in Atlanta, GA, on Saturday, Aug. 28.

Aflac's $1M donation to the Morehouse College School of Medicine will be directed to research the fight against the opioid crisis. Also, Aflac has "given over $154 million to support the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders," like sickle cell anemia, declared Watkins.

Deion Sanders, Nick Saban, and Aflac Duck Credit: Aflac

SANDERS AND SABAN COMMERCIALS

"Throughout the series, the two coaches humorously talk about how Aflac has paid billions to policyholders in benefits that help cover the expenses that health insurance doesn't cover, while Coach Prime, in his trademark colorful style, wonders how he can get one of those coveted Aflackets – the distinctive blue Aflac jacket worn by Coach Saban in Aflac commercials."

"The first spot "Ready for Prime Time," will debut Aug. 28 during the game between Hawaii and UCLA, airing at 3:30 p.m. EDT, with the second spot, "What it Takes," airing Sept. 4, both on ESPN. The third spot, "Jacket Fitting," premieres later in the year as conference championship games approach." 

Shannon Watkins, Aflac Chief Brand and Marketing Officer  Credit: AFLAC

ANNOUNCEMENT FROM AFLAC

Here's the official announcement from AFLAC on their commitment to HBCUs and minority communities of color.

A Shared Focus on Football, HBCUs and Communities of Color

Aflac's partnership with Coach Prime begins this football season and features fan inspiration, messages about being prepared for the unexpected, and collaborative efforts to support communities of color both on and off the field.

Football
Beyond Aflac's consistent donations to HBCU-focused college football events like the Tuskegee-Morehouse Football Classic and the annual Fountain City Classic game, Aflac will also provide a $75,000 donation to the Jackson State University Athletic Department for professional development and be a supporting partner of Deion Sanders' Football Camp.

HBCUs
Aflac has a 20-plus-year history of financially supporting HBCUs and their alumni, including a $1 million commitment to Morehouse School of Medicine.

Communities of Color
In February, Aflac announced a $1.5 billion strategic partnership with SoundPoint Capital Management, which includes a $500 million commitment to Opportunity Zones, designed to spur economic development and job creation in distressed communities. In 2020, Aflac invested $25 million in the Black Economic Development Fund, whose primary objective is to support Black-led financial institutions and anchor institutions and business transactions to strengthen the Black community in rural and urban communities, with an ultimate goal of helping close the racial wealth gap. In addition, since 1997, the company has contributed more than $25 million to minority organizations, including the NAACP, the Urban League, and historically Black fraternities and sororities.

"By partnering with Coach Prime, we will shine a bright spotlight on the rich legacy of HBCU football and the role these amazing colleges and universities play in the lives of so many promising students on and off the field," Aflac Chief Brand and Marketing Officer Shannon Watkins said. "Coach Prime's commitment to HBCUs aligns perfectly with Aflac's desire to help close health and wealth gaps for communities of color. We want to do our part to ensure all communities have equal opportunities to thrive and succeed."

In the coming months, Aflac will continue to engage fans with sports-centric experiences and integrations during key college football matchups, including the Cricket MEAC/SWAC Challenge Kickoff Saturday, Aug. 28, and the Cricket Celebration Bowl Saturday, Dec. 18. Get to know Aflac at Aflac.com. 

About Aflac Incorporated
Aflac Incorporated (NYSE: AFL) is a Fortune 500 company helping provide protection to more than 50 million people through its subsidiaries in Japan and the U.S., where it is a leading supplemental insurer, by paying cash fast when policyholders get sick or injured. For more than six decades, insurance policies of Aflac Incorporated's subsidiaries have given policyholders the opportunity to focus on recovery, not financial stress.

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READ MORE HBCU SPORTS NEWS:

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• HBCU Conference Commissioners Will Participate in 'NFL x HBCU 2021 Open House'
• AFLAC Partners with Deion Sanders for HBCUs