Deion Sanders responds to rant from Alabama State Head Coach
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Jackson State pulled out a 26-12 victory over Alabama State on the road to advance to 5-0 on Saturday. The game was close until the fourth quarter when the Tigers put it away with a touchdown.
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Following the contest, Sanders and Alabama State head coach Eddie Robinson Jr. met at midfield for the traditional postgame handshake. Sanders tried to embrace Robinson Jr., who pushed away his arm and walked towards the locker room.
"My exact words was, 'Hey man, you had them ready to play. Good game,'" Sanders said according to The Tuscaloosa News. "Shook hands and tried to embrace and he pushed off. That was it."
Robinson Jr. blasted Sanders during his press conference after the game, alleging that the Florida State legend and multi-sport star turned college coach was disrespectful to his team on Saturday and throughout the week. He went on to say that Sanders "ain't SWAC" while listing off other key figures in the conference.
"Me being up front, I thought it was a lot of disrespect the whole week. So, we not going to be disrespectful the whole week in the media," Robinson Jr. said after the game. We [Robinson Jr. and Sanders] didn't talk in the pregame, I was out there the whole time at the 50-yard line. He walked through our whole huddle in our end zone and came the long way around to get to his side of the field in pregame. I thought that wasn't classy at all."
"I hope he comes back next year, I pray he don't get a Power-5 job so we can play them next year in Jackson. And I pray, they put us for their damn homecoming."
To say the least, Sanders was not pleased when he learned of Robinson Jr.'s full comments. He took particular offense to the comment Robinson Jr. made about Sanders not being SWAC.
"I'm not one to come back the next day and you going to pick up the phone and you going to apologize and we straight," Sanders said after the game. "No, not whatsoever. You meant that mess. And one of the comments that kind of disturbed me out of all the comments, that I'm not SWAC. Who is? I got time today. Who is SWAC if I ain't SWAC? Who is SWAC if I ain't SWAC?"
In the days leading up to the game, Sanders seemed to take displeasure in the fact that Jackson State was Alabama State's homecoming opponent. At the time, he said the Hornets were "going to make some money" with the Tigers coming to town.
“Jackson State travels deep, with all of the fanfare and love,” Sanders said. “… We are like [Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey] circus but the black version of it. You’re [Alabama State] going to make some money but what comes along with money."
Following Jackson State's win, Sanders stated that he thought he did his job as a salesman for the contest, considering the game sold out.
"I heard him also spew out comments about what did I say leading up to the week," Sanders said. "I was a darn good salesman leading up to the week. Did we sell the game out? Did we sell the game out, yes or no? Had they ever been sold out here? So I thought I did my job. I thought I should be applauded, really."
Along with the comments, Robinson Jr. wasn't happy that Sanders didn't greet him prior to the game along with walking through Alabama State's warmups. According to Sanders, Jackson State had to expedite preparations for the game due to arriving late because of unexpected traffic.
"It could be a plethora of things," Sanders said. "I think he thought he was going to get a win. I don't know why he would've ever thought that. ... Secondly he said that I didn't come to greet him in the center of the field. I don't know if you understand but we got here very late. So that expedited our whole process of preparation. So then we were in like, 'let's go get it (mode)."
It appears we'll have to wait until 2023 for the next chapter of this brewing rivalry, unless Sanders is hired by a P5 program.
Jackson State plays on the road for the second consecutive week on Saturday when the Tigers travel to Bethune-Cookman.
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