Former Cowboys Star Deion Sanders Walks Out Of SWAC Football Media Day

Former NFL legend and current Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders walked out early from a media day event. Here's why:

Grant Afseth | Jul 20, 2021

FRISCO - Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback and now Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders made an early exit at the SWAC Media Day event in Birmingham, Ala.

Sanders took offense to a reporter referring to him by 'Deion' as he viewed it as a sign of disrespect. After it occurred for a second time, the second-year head coach had enough and left.

When explaining his decision to leave the event early, Sanders explained why he took offense -- explaining how they would not do the same if interviewing Alabama head coach Nick Saban.

"You don't call Nick Saban, 'Nick.' Don't call me Deion," Sanders said in response to Nick Suss, who covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger.

"If you call Nick (Saban), Nick, you'll get cussed out on the spot, so don't do that to me. Treat me like Nick."

Suss made it clear that he refers to everyone that he interviews by their first name, whether they are a coach or player.

"When I interview people, I call them by their first name," Suss said. "Whether it's someone I've been working with for years or someone I'm talking to for the first time. This is true of the coaches and players on the Ole Miss beat, the coaches and players at Mississippi State and Southern Miss when I help out covering their teams and, as recently as January, even Sanders, too."

Suss even referred to Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin, along with Nick Saban himself, by their first names to which no issue was raised as Sanders had claimed would occur.

Published Jul 20, 2021

GRANT AFSETH