Deion Sanders

Pro Football Hall of Famer and Jackson State head football coach Deion Sanders opened up about his recent hospitalization in a YouTube video titled "Lord I Thank Ya..." 

Sanders missed Jackson State's last three games after undergoing foot surgery and was released from the hospital Wednesday after experiencing complications from the procedure. 

Good morning and God bless! @GoJSUTigersFB @GoJSUTigers @SMAC @barstoolsports pic.twitter.com/ojrLjcFFtV

— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) November 10, 2021

"Lord, I thank you. I see you hear me say that, and you don’t know where that comes from," Sanders said in the video (h/t USA Today's Khari Thompson). "It’s a wheelchair right here, and I’m in that chair. Nevertheless, I say, Lord, I thank you. I can’t walk on my own, and people have to help me get in and out of everything, but I say, Lord, I thank you. It’s hard to even make it to the bathroom by myself without the assistance of others, but Lord, I thank you."

He added: "You have no idea what I've dealt with. ... You have no idea what the voices I've heard, you have no idea the pain I felt, you have no idea what I'm going through, and still Lord, I thank you. I hear you."

Sanders returned to Jackson State practices this week, but it's unknown if he'll coach Saturday's game against the Southern Jaguars. The Tigers went 3-0 under interim coach Gary Harrell, who said if Sanders doesn't return this weekend, he could return next week against Alcorn State. 

Sanders, 54, was announced as Jackson State's head coach in September 2020. The Tigers are 12-4 in his two seasons at the helm. However, his time with the team could come to an end soon. He interviewed for TCU's vacant head coaching job on Monday, per Drew Davison of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, and is "squarely in the mix" for the position. 

SMU's Sonny Dykes, Louisiana's Billy Napier, Iowa State's Matt Campbell, and Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott are also reportedly being considered for the TCU vacancy.  

If TCU running back Zach Evans has any sway with the athletic department, Deion Sanders will be the school's next head football coach. 

The sophomore tweeted very matter-of-factly that he wants the Horned Frogs to hire the Pro Football Hall of Famer:

We want @DeionSanders .

— Zach Evans (@Runzekerun01) November 12, 2021

Evans' comment comes after Drew Davison of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported on Tuesday that Sanders is "squarely in the mix" for the TCU job after an "impressive" first interview with the school's selection committee. 

TCU athletic director Jeremiah Donati announced on Sunday a parting of ways with Gary Patterson. Assistant coach Jerry Kill will take over as head coach on an interim basis for the rest of the season. 

The 61-year-old Patterson was in his 22nd season with the program. He finished 181-79 with six conference titles, including a Big 12 championship in 2014, in 260 games as TCU head coach. 

Sanders is in his second season as head coach at Jackson State. Primetime has led the Tigers to a 12-4 record overall, including an 8-1 mark through nine games this season. 

TCU was off to a 3-5 start under Patterson. The program is on track for its fourth losing season since 2013. 

Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders has been released from the hospital after suffering complications from foot surgery. 

The Jackson State head football coach updated his status in an Instagram post on Wednesday: "As you know there have been some complications following my foot surgery, but it brings me such joy to tell you that I'm now out of the hospital and on my path that we started TOGETHER."

He added: "I promise you I'm going to be smart and continue to adhere to my wonderful team of doctors orders. ... Don't be surprised when you see me back on the field in a new whip."

Sanders, who has been at the Mississippi university since September 2020, announced on Sept. 22 that he underwent a procedure to fix an issue with his toe that stems from when he was playing football.

The six-time first-team All-Pro was able to coach Jackson State's next three games, but the school announced prior to its Oct. 23 matchup with Bethune-Cookman that Sanders had been advised by his doctors to rest. 

Running backs coach Gary Harrell took his place and continued to oversee the Tigers against Mississippi Valley State and Texas Southern. 

It's unclear at this point if Sanders will be back for the Tigers on Saturday when they travel to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to take on Southern University. 

Jackson State currently leads the SWAC's East Division with a 6-0 conference record. The FCS program is 7-1 overall and can clinch a berth in the SWAC Championship Game with a win or a loss by second-place Florida A&M (7-2, 5-1) in either of the final two regular-season games. 

Sanders led JSU to a 4-3 record this spring in his first season as head coach. Its eight wins in 2021 is the most by the program in a single season since 2013 (8-4).    

Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders reportedly remains a candidate to fill the vacancy at TCU, according to Drew Davison of the Star-Telegram:

"I’m not saying he is going to get the job, not saying he’s the leading candidate at this point, but he is in the mix." The latest on Deion Sanders and TCU's vacancy ... https://t.co/W1vvNinYli

— Drew Davison (@drewdavison) November 9, 2021

TCU is looking for a new head coach after parting ways with Gary Patterson last month. Jerry Kill has served as interim coach for the 4-5 squad.

Sanders is in his second season as head coach at Jackson State, leading the squad to an 8-1 record to start the 2021 campaign. 

A foot injury has kept Sanders off the sidelines, but his recruiting prowess has been especially notable for the FCS squad.

Jackson State had the No. 55 recruiting class in the country in 2021, per 247Sports, just two spots behind TCU. The class included Sanders' son, Shedeur Sanders, a 4-star prospect who has thrived for the HBCU program.

The quarterback has 2,414 passing yards with 23 touchdowns and three interceptions in nine games this season.

Deion Sanders' ability to turn Jackson State into an immediate winner could lead to more high-profile jobs. The former Hall of Fame player also has experience within Texas as a head coach at Trinity Christian School.

It could be a fit for TCU, which is looking to reestablish itself as a power in the Big 12 and nationally.

The Horned Frogs had 11 seasons with at least 10 wins under Patterson since 2002, but the team has struggled lately with just an 18-17 record from 2018-20.    

The TCU Horned Frogs football team has reportedly identified a handful of candidates to replace head coach Gary Patterson, who mutually agreed to part ways with the team on Sunday.

According to Chris Hummer of 247Sports, TCU is attempting to arrange interviews with Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders, Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott and Nevada head coach Jay Norvell.

Drew Davison of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that TCU is also interested in Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.

"Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore has emerged as a candidate of interest for TCU in its head-coaching vacancy, a source confirmed Wednesday," Davison wrote. "Horned Frog Blitz publisher Jeremy Clark first reported of TCU's interest in Moore, and a source confirmed that 'there is some interest.'"

Hummer also noted that Moore's representatives have reached out to TCU.

Sanders' connection to the Dallas-Fort Worth area makes him an intriguing candidate. He starred for the Cowboys during his Hall-of-Fame playing career for five years and coached at Texas high schools before accepting the Jackson State job.

The Tigers are 7-1 under Sanders this season after going 4-3 in the spring. Sanders' status as a strong recruiter also boosts his chances. Jackson State had the No. 55 recruiting class in the nation in 2021, according to 247Sports.

Moore, 33, is a rising star in the NFL coaching ranks. He played his final three years in the league with the Cowboys from 2015-17 and immediately joined Dallas' staff as quarterbacks coach in 2018. He transitioned to offensive coordinator in 2019.

Under Moore's leadership, the Cowboys have the top-ranked offense in the NFL with an average of 454.9 yards per game. Dallas also had the No. 1 offense in Moore's first year as O-coordinator but fell off last year when quarterback Dak Prescott suffered a season-ending ankle injury.

TCU and Patterson parted ways after 22 seasons. He's the winningest coach in program history with a record of 181-79 but declined the option to continue to lead the team for the rest of the season. Special assistant Jerry Kill was promoted to interim head coach.

Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders, who currently serves as head coach at Jackson State, urged people to demand respect after he abruptly exited his press conference at SWAC Media Day on Tuesday because he was unhappy reporters referred to him by his first name on two occasions.

Sanders posted a "morning word" about respect Wednesday on Twitter:

Morning Word, COACH PRIME pic.twitter.com/kB9eQX2s5M

— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) July 21, 2021

The 53-year-old former NFL superstar said reporters weren't treating him the same way they would Alabama's Nick Saban because of the first-name usage.

"You don't call Nick Saban, 'Nick.' Don't call me Deion," Sanders told reporters. "If you call Nick, Nick, you'll get cussed out on the spot, so don't do that to me. Treat me like Nick."

Several reporters responded noting that wasn't the case and provided examples of Saban answering questions that began with people calling him Nick.

Amid the backlash Tuesday, Sanders posted a response on Twitter saying he had a "great time" at the press conference and "never left."

"Stop allowing folks you don't have a relationship with to convince you otherwise about someone you do have a relationship with. I've been [100 symbol] with you since '85 and I ain't gon' stop now that I'm COACH PRIME," he wrote.

Sanders went by the nickname "Prime Time" during his playing days, which also included time as a two-sport athlete in both the NFL and MLB.

The Florida native is entering his second year leading the Jackson State program. The Tigers posted a 4-3 record during his first season, which included a forfeit win over Alcorn State amid an abbreviated campaign because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jackson State is scheduled to kick off the 2021 season Sept. 5 against Florida A&M at Hard Rock Stadium.

Jackson State football head coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders walked out of SWAC Media Day on Tuesday after being referred to by his first name twice, per Langston Newsome of the Clarion-Ledger.

"You don't call [Alabama head coach Nick Saban], 'Nick.' Don't call me Deion," Sanders reportedly told Nick Suss of the Clarion-Ledger. 

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

Sanders is entering his second year coaching Jackson State. He led the team to a 4-3 overall record (3-2 SWAC) last year.

Suss provided a few remarks in response, per Newsome:

When I interview people, I call them by their first name. 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." 

Sanders later had a few words about what went down:

Never walked out of media day. I prolonged my time to answer another question & the person thought it was cute to address me the way he did so I dropped the call & went to the next outlet. Please don’t allow a fool to fool u because then nobody would truly know who the fool is. https://t.co/csbTRNgJvd

— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) July 20, 2021

In regards to Sanders' comments about Saban, multiple media members provided responses on Twitter, including Chase Goodbread of NFL.com and Barrett Sallee of CBS Sports:

JSU coach Deion Sanders walks out of SWAC media day after being addressed as Deion.
"If you call Nick (Saban), Nick, you'll get cussed out on the spot, so don't do that to me"
I covered Saban for 6 years. He was called Nick many times. He never said a wordhttps://t.co/nwrRIoRzTx

— Chase Goodbread (@ChaseGoodbread) July 20, 2021

I don’t think that I’ve called him anything other than “Nick.” He hasn’t cussed me out.

Yet. https://t.co/fWA2mtG39F

— Barrett Sallee 🇺🇸 (@BarrettSallee) July 20, 2021

Sanders had other notable comments outside of the aforementioned remarks. In particular, he mentioned the need for HBCU football teams to receive more media exposure, referencing (in part) how few players have been drafted. The Undefeated provided his comments:

Deion Sanders wants to know why the media doesn't give HBCU football more coverage. #CoachPrime pic.twitter.com/v7JBsB5wCh

— Andscape (@andscape) July 20, 2021

Sanders has previously said on social media that HBCU players were being "neglected" and "rejected" while also writing that they were "more than qualified to be drafted."

Hall of Famer Deion Sanders acknowledged he was "suicidal" while going through a divorce with his first wife and losing custody of his two children, Deion Jr. and Deiondra.

During an appearance on I Am Athlete, Sanders said (1:08:19 mark) he "had everything" in terms of being a marketable two-sport star at the top of his game. However, he added that "my babies had been taken from me," which put a strain on his mental health.

The 53-year-old recounted how he had gotten into a car crash in Cincinnati and implied he had purposefully driven his vehicle off the road.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUmmLo9omE8

Sanders previously addressed the matter in his autobiography, Power, Money & Sex: How Success Almost Ruined My Life, which was published in 1999.

"I was going through the trials and tribulations of life," he wrote (via The Undefeated's Kelley D. Evans). "I was pretty much running on fumes. I was empty, no peace, no joy. Losing hope with the progression of everything."

Through his agent, he was connected to a pastor from Columbus, Ohio, who helped him find a better balance in life through "spiritual help."

"I gave my life to the Lord in a condo all alone in Cincinnati, Ohio, while I was playing baseball," Sanders said on the show. "I went through a roller coaster of emotions. I was at the bottom of, to me, what life was."

Sanders also discussed the importance of athletes, especially male athletes, talking about their mental health issues and checking in on each other.

Earlier this month, the Pro Football Hall of Fame launched its Hall of Fame Behavioral Health program. The effort is intended to provide the necessary resources to current and former players and their families to help address issues tied to mental and behavioral health and substance abuse.

Harvard's Football Players Health Study released the results of a study in 2019 that found players who reported a higher frequency of concussion-related symptoms when they suited up "were significantly more likely to report having cognitive impairment1, depression, and anxiety later in life."

The likelihood of a player suffering from depression later in life also rose nine percent for every five seasons he spent in the NFL.

Jackson State head football coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders joined I Am Athlete with Brandon Marshall, Chad Johnson, Fred Taylor and Channing Crowder and discussed how he plans on competing with Power 5 schools on the recruiting trail (21:45 mark).

"You bring in a conduit for change," he said. "... First of all, I don't want to level [the playing field], I want to have the advantage. "

Sanders pointed to his own experience, suggesting he is the best option to guide players through the upcoming name, image and likeness changes that are on the horizon because he played professional baseball while playing football at Florida State.

He was also a Hall of Fame NFL player for the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Washington and Baltimore Ravens and played in MLB for the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants.

"If you're into the glamour and glitz, I want you to go over there [to a Power 5 school] where you want to go," he said. "But if you're into the real, if you're into the genuine, if you're into 'let's build this thing and let's get up out of this mess and never look back,' you need to ride with me."

Sanders also noted that people and players made certain programs into NFL factories, and the same can happen at Jackson State and other historically Black colleges and universities.

He considers himself a key asset in working to change the perceptions around programs at HBCUs.

"I gotta get it like that. I gotta make sure we're on the tube so you can be exposed," Sanders said. "Kids now, they wanna be on the 'gram, they wanna be seen, they wanna be known, they want followers. Cool, I can make that happen. But not only that, I'm gonna coach you and prepare you like you've never been prepared before."

Jackson State announced Sanders as its head coach in September 2020 and went 4-3 in his first season that was pushed back to spring because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It starts the 2021 campaign on Sept. 5 against Florida A&M.

While Sanders is not yet competing with the likes of Alabama and Ohio State on the recruiting trail, the Tigers' landed the No. 70 overall 2021 class with four 4-star commits, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

That was better than Illinois, Texas Tech, Purdue, Arizona, South Carolina and Oregon State.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders voiced his displeasure at seeing zero players selected from historically Black colleges and universities during the 2021 NFL draft. 

In a post on Instagram, Sanders had this to say when none of the 259 players drafted this year were from HBCUs:

"And we have the Audacity to Hate on one another while our kids are being NEGLECTED & REJECTED. I witnessed a multitude of kids that we played against that were more than qualified to be drafted. My prayers are that This won’t EVER happen again. Get yo knife out my back and fight with me not against me!"

Once the draft concluded, the Undefeated did note that several HBCU players agreed to deals with teams as undrafted free agents:

Although zero HBCU players were drafted in the NFL this year, some have signed with teams as UDFAs:

Mac McCain, NC A&T - Broncos
Bryan Mills, North Carolina Central - Seahawks
David Moore, Grambling - Panthers
Calvin Ashley, FAMU - Bucs
Kion Smith, Fayetteville State - Falcons pic.twitter.com/KAqyendDn8

— Andscape (@andscape) May 3, 2021

Sanders just finished his first season as head coach at Jackson State, an HBCU that plays in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. 

When the Tigers announced his hiring in September, Sanders said one of the reasons he took the job was to bring greater attention to HBCU athletes. 

"This amazing HBCU has always enjoyed a high level of commitment academically and athletically," Sanders said. "It's my desire to continue this storied tradition and history of JSU and prayerfully bring more national recognition to the athletes, the university, the Sonic Boom of the South, and HBCUs in general."

Offensive tackle Lachavious Simmons from Tennessee State was the only player from an HBCU drafted last year. The Chicago Bears selected him No. 227 overall in the seventh round. 

There are increased efforts to give HBCU football players exposure to NFL scouts before the draft.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes announced a multiyear partnership with the HBCU Legacy Bowl in March. The game will feature around 100 draft-eligible prospects playing a showcase game at Tulane's Yulman Stadium every February beginning in 2022.