Shannon Sharpe Defends HBCU Comments After Deion Sanders’ Exit

Following a grueling day of backlash, Shannon Sharpe is putting his critics in their places. The big news in the sports world is Deion Sanders exiting his coaching gig at Jackson State University, an HBCU, for a new position at the University of Colorado, Boulder. The former NFL great has been advocating for HBCUs and encouraging developing players to attend such institutions. Later, when it was confirmed he was leaving JSU, people called him out.

Shannon Sharpe was one of many voices who stepped forward to defend Sanders. “I went to an HBCU, but only because I was prop 48. It worked out gr8 for me. Had I had the grades coming out of hs. I wouldn’t haven’t chosen an HBCU,” he wrote on Twitter.

Read More: Shannon Sharpe Criticized For HBCU Take

Sharpe immediately received pushback for his addition to the conversation, but he didn’t take the criticism lying down. “Let’s be excited for @DeionSanders. He gave JSU 3 great years, 2 SWAC championships, a new football facility and a blueprint of what they can become,” Sharpe stated.

When someone brought up Sanders leaving after only three years, Sharpe questioned if the head coach ever told the world he would be at Jackson forever. Many tweeted to Sharpe emphasizing that Sanders chose money over being at an HBCU, but once again, Sharpe was unmoved.

“What about doing what’s best for him and his family?” Sharpe asked. “That what you would do. We ask others to do what we would never do.”

Read More: Deion Sanders Questions Why People Are So Concerned With Kyrie & Kanye

Meanwhile, yesterday (December 4), Sanders met with his new football team for the first time and didn’t mince words.

“I’m coming to restore, to replace and reenergize,” Sanders said during the meeting. “Some of y’all are salvageable. I’m not going to lie, everybody that sit their butt in a seat ain’t gonna have a seat when we get back. But I’m coming. I started and we gonna go dominate and we’re going to work.”

Get ready for a new era. Check out more from Shannon Sharpe below.