This weekend, Deion Sanders‘ Jackson State Tigers return home to face SWAC foe Grambling State, and despite an ongoing water crisis that has crippled the city, Coach Prime says this game is happening.
@gojsutigersfb Tigers Are 2-0 🐅🔥🏆 ! Like Coach @deionsanders Says “ Let’s Pack The Vet This Saturday “ ! Get Your Tickets Now If You Haven’t ! Home-opener About To Be A Movie 🎥🔥 ! #CoachPrime #JacksonState #JSU #TheeILove #IBelieve #GoTigers pic.twitter.com/Ff2NkscO9b
— Filmanati Or Nobody 🎥 (@MarcoThaJu) September 14, 2022
During his weekly press conference on Tuesday, the outspoken Pro Football Hall of Famer maintained his theme of resilience, creativity overcomes adversity.
“I don’t care if everybody has to bring a cup of water. We’re good. Everyone bring a bottle of water. We’re good. This city is resilient. They’re not. They’re not one to cry about yesterday. They’re the type of city that presses on and they’re saying, ‘OK, this is what it is — let’s roll with it. We got it. Let us just know what it is.’”
Sanders continued …
“And that’s the kind of city Jackson is, and I respect the heck out of them for that. So we’re just happy that we get to play in front of our home fans and give them some relief from the trials and tribulations of life. And we don’t want to disappoint them.”
The city of Jackson has been dealing with a major water crisis for weeks now. The JSU football team had to take shelter at area hotels prior to its season-opening slaughter of FAMU. Whatever the issue is, it has affected many far and wide in the community, and Sanders is hoping football can be an outlet for the people of Jackson.
Thank you Lord for allowing @nfl scouts to come to @GoJSUTigersFB practice on a daily basis to witness the Pro Caliber players we have. #CoachPrime pic.twitter.com/qkIsOzfa15
— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) September 14, 2022
“Da Vet” Has Become A Real Homefield Advantage
Sanders has been adamant about his Tigers playing at home more. The team has yet to lose at home under Sanders and led all of FCS with a 42,000 per game average attendance. That means getting rid of some of the longstanding classics that JSU usually plays every season.
Last week’s Southern Heritage Classic was the last of its kind, as the Tigers pulled out of future matchups, citing multiple factors for exiting. Sanders is OK playing FAMU each season at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, because as he stated it keeps the money in the SWAC. Sanders has made it clear that playing Connell Maynor and Alabama A&M in the new SWAC Gulf Coast Classic in 2022 and 2024 is the progress he wanted to see within the conference.
See you Saturday 😎 #jsu #jacksonstateuniversity pic.twitter.com/5pqlEaSuD2
— Jackson State Updates (@Jstateupdates) September 12, 2022
Saturday’s Matchup The First Between Sanders And Former NFL Head Coach Hue Jackson
Sanders’ hiring in 2020 has helped open doors for other prominent Black coaches to take a stab at leading an HBCU. Saturday’s opponent, Grambling State, is under the guidance of first-year coach Hue Jackson.
The aforementioned Jackson is a longtime NFL coach who’s had multiple stints as an offensive coordinator and head coach with the Oakland Raiders and Cleveland Browns. So to see him match wits with Coach Prime and his staff on Saturday should be fun. Prime knows GSU will present some challenges, but his team will be ready.
Former NFL Head Coach Hue Jackson Takes Over At Grambling State | Coach Prime Effect Is Real
“First game. as you know, it wasn’t that pretty [Grambling’s 58-3 loss to Arkansas State on Sept. 3]. But the second game they came through with the W [a 47-21 victory over Northwestern State]. This team … they have Coach Jackson’s personality, and, man, they know what they’re doing. They’re not making a lot of mistakes, and they can get the ball up and down the field.”
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