Deion Sanders Confirms 'Yes I Will' Coach Jackson State in Celebration Bowl
On Tuesday, Deion Sanders returned to Jackson in preparation for the 2022 Celebration Bowl game on Dec. 17. Jackson State's VP of Sports Media, Rob Jay, and Coach Prime had a hilarious one-on-one interview produced by THEE PREGAME SHOW.
Rob Jay and Deion Sanders interview at Jackson State on Dec. 4, 2022. Credit: THEE PREGAME SHOW
Rob Jay asked, "you will coach this next game?" "Yes, I will. And I'm happy." Sanders responded. "I would have no other way. I wouldn't allow anyone to tell me. I couldn't finish with my team. We've got to finish."
Sanders refers to the Tigers finishing with dominance and returning to the Celebration Bowl with unfinished business after falling 31-10 to South Carolina State in the 2021 Celebration Bowl.
Last season, the heavily favored Jackson State Tigers may have overlooked longtime HBCU head coach Buddy Pough's team. A strong defense, off-scheduled offensive plays, and a passionate Bulldog team defied the odds to upset the Tigers and claim the HBCU Football National Championship title - another reason for Jackson State to finish and dominate.
Jackson State has a formidable foe in North Carolina Central. Head coach Trei Oliver's Eagles won a share of the MEAC crown with the Howard Bison.
Campbell and South Carolina State created the only two blemishes for the 9-2 NCCU team.
Also, in the interview, Coach Prime amusingly confirmed Shedeur Sanders would be his quarterback in the bowl contest.
Coach Sanders shared his views on selecting the next head coach of Jackson state. "You either got to go in-house to me with someone who understands the culture and what we created. Not the culture of SWAC, but the culture of what we created here. Or you got to go totally opposite," Sanders noted.
NCCU will battle Jackson State for an 11 AM CT kick-off at the 2022 Celebration Bowl inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA, on Saturday, Dec. 17.