Deion Sanders announced via his Instagram that he and Jackson State will host a combine that will also feature conference foes Mississippi Valley State and Alcorn State.
It will take place on March 21 on the campus of JSU. Also expected to attend are athletes from Delta State and Mississippi College.
Sanders has questioned the lack of exposure given to HBCUs since he arrived in Jackson in 2020. The 2021 NFL draft produced zero HBCU draft picks, which marks the ninth time since 2000 there have been no players selected from HBCUs.
That number is unacceptable and definitely speaks to a plethora of talented, NFL-level players at HBCUs being overlooked. That streak is expected to end this season, but overall, HBCU players rarely get invited to the NFL combine or to Power Five schools to join their pro days.
So, Sanders is using his platform to bring NFL scouts to Jackson for a day to give HBCU athletes a chance to showcase their talent.
I’ve heard from the NFL. 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.”
Ever since Deion Sanders became the head coach at Jackson State, his focus has been on getting as many HBCU football players as he can in front of NFL scouts and drafted into the league. After no HBCU players were drafted in the 2021 NFL draft, Coach Prime said it won’t happen in 2022. The 2021 NFL draft tracker listed 460 draft eligible players, and only five were from HBCUs.
It was also the first time in over a decade that no players from HBCUs were drafted. A frustrated Sanders voiced his displeasure via an Instagram post.
And we have the Audacity to hate on one another while our kids are being NEGLECTED and REJECTED. I witnessed a multitude of kids that we played against that were more than qualified to be drafted. My prayers are this won’t EVER happen again. Get yo knife out my back and fight with me not against me.
Sanders Believes The SWAC Has Plenty Of Draft Eligible Talent Despite It Being Said They Don’t
In a December interview with the Clarion-Ledger newspaper, Sanders talked about how NFL scouts and teams underestimate HBCU talent. Sanders mentioned that a high-ranking person from the NFL told him that the SWAC only had a handful of draft-eligible talent for the 2022 NFL draft.
To read more about Deion Sanders’ Pro Day for overlooked HBCU football talents seeking more NFL exposure, click here.
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