Jackson State University head football coach Deion sanders will continue to do all he can for HBCU talent to be scouted, even if it ruffles some feathers. Get the story from Adam Wells at Bleacher Report below.
Jackson State head football coach Deion Sanders is unhappy with those NFL scouts who didn’t attend a pro day in Mississippi for HBCU football players.
Speaking to NFL Network after Monday’s event (h/t Khari Thompson of the Mississippi Clarion Ledger), Sanders called out the 10 teams that didn’t have scouts present.
“You 10 that’s missing, if I catch you at Mississippi State or Ole Miss it’s going to be a problem, that’s all I’m going to say. That’s all I’m saying, it’s going to be a problem. Our kids are that good, you should have shown up too,” he said.
Sanders announced last month that Jackson State was going to be hosting a pro day for players from several HBCU programs, including the Tigers, Mississippi Valley State and Alcorn State.
“I’ve heard from the NFL,” Sanders said. “Not only are they sending a plethora of scouts, but they’re sending the NFL cameras as well, because our kids deserve the same thing as the Power Fives.”
Thompson noted Jackson State linebacker James Houston IV, who finished second in FCS with 16.5 sacks last season, gained valuable exposure from Monday’s pro day after not being invited to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis earlier this month.
There has been a significant push to get draft-eligible players from HBCU schools more access to NFL scouts leading up to the 2022.
The Black College Football Hall of Fame adopted the HBCU Legacy Bowl that was played Feb. 19 in Mobile, Alabama. The Legacy Bowl is an all-star game in the same vein as the Senior Bowl except it only features athletes from HBCUs.
These efforts came after no HBCU players were selected in the 2021 NFL draft. For comparison, there were four HBCU players selected in the 2019 draft, including Tytus Howard in the first round (No. 23 overall) by the Houston Texans.
