EXCLUSIVE: Playing Under Falcons Ex Deion Sanders a 'Great Experience'

Former Atlanta Falcons star Deion Sanders' Hall of Fame career on the gridiron paved the way for his step into the coaching industry - but what's it like playing for him during a full college football season?

Deion Sanders' NFL career largely speaks for itself.

Drafted No. 5 overall by the Atlanta Falcons in 1989, Sanders finished his career with eight Pro Bowl's and All-Pro's apiece while winning the 1994 Defensive Player of the Year en route to being a first ballot Hall of Famer in 2011.

One of football's greatest defensive backs, Sanders emerged as an icon while also starring as a baseball player - including a three-year stretch for the Braves that overlapped with his time as a Falcon.

But now, at 55 years old, Sanders is well into the next phase of his life: helping the next generation of young athletes.

Their take on it? Positive.

"It was a great experience," Jackson State receiver and 2023 NFL Draft prospect Dallas Daniels told Sports Illustrated's Falcon Report at the East-West Shrine Bowl.

In Sept. 2020, Sanders was hired by Jackson State, one of the nation's largest HBCU's - and much like he did on the field, had an instant impact.

The Tigers went 4-8 in the year before Sanders' arrival but experienced an instant turnaround, winning going 4-3 in the COVID-shortened 2020 season.

Over the following two campaigns, Jackson State won its first two Southwestern Athletic Conference championships since 2007 while Sanders earned coach of the year honors in each, ultimately finishing with a 27-6 record on the sidelines.

And perhaps most importantly, Sanders positively affected his players, per Daniels.

"He's more of a player-led coach, so he let us be ourselves," Daniels said. "He never wanted us to be someone we're not. We were ourselves around him, he was himself around us."

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Daniels, who's viewed as a Day 3 prospect in April's draft, isn't the lone departure from Jackson State - Sanders headlined a wave of Tigers that left for Colorado University, with the list including his son, Shedeur, and former five-star recruit Travis Hunter.

Both Hunter and the younger Sanders were two of the highest-rated players to enter the transfer portal but followed "Primetime" to Boulder ... and Daniels believes both will ultimately follow his past footsteps and become professionals, as well.

"Travis is a freak athlete," Daniels said. "He's probably the only young freshman I've seen come in and do what he can do on that type of level.

"And Sheuder, he's a lights-out quarterback - from the accuracy, from the brain, knowing how to read defenses. When I got in there with him, me and him just built that chemistry."

Naturally, the star-studded trio's exit from Jackson State and the HBCU landscape turned heads, not all in a positive light.

But Daniels, who formed close relationships with all three, felt the opposite - especially for the elder Sanders, now set to earn $5.9 million annually over the next five years.

"I ain't really have a bad reaction," Daniels said. "We came off a winning season, so I wasn't really too mad. It was my last season playing, so it was like he had to do what's best for him, he had to take care of his family, so I respect him for that."

And with that, Sanders left - but certainly made an imprint on HBCU football.

Hampton receiver Jadakis Bonds, another player likely to be on an NFL roster this summer, brought up Sanders impromptu when discussing Ed Reed and the ability to "shine a light on HBCUs."

Reed, a Hall of Fame defensive back like Sanders, was hired by Bethune-Cookman, another HBCU, but ultimately saw his tenure end after just 25 days due to negative remarks surrounding the university's resources.

Daniels, like Bonds, pointed to the lack of resources some HBCUs have, and said he feels Bethune-Cookman should've held onto Reed ... because he saw firsthand the impact that someone of that stature can have on a program.

"(Reed) was going to bring a lot to Bethune-Cookman," Daniels said. "Him being a Hall of Famer, he was going to get the recruits they wanted and bring in more money, just like Coach Prime did at Jackson State."

And ultimately, that's how Sanders' time in Jackson will be remembered - at least for Daniels.

Of course, just like his playing days, the on-field success speaks volumes about Sanders' abilities ... but the eyes he drew to HBCU football, and the money and recruits brought in helped transcend the landscape.

Thus, while for some, Sanders' exit from Jackson State may leave a sour taste, others will leave with "a great experience" ... which speaks volumes to the goals being accomplished behind the scenes.

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You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft

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