There was an ugly Altercation between Hornets coach Eddie Robinson Jr. and Deion Sanders of the Tigers after Jackson State’s 26-12 victory.
Deion Sanders : Altercation | Handshake | post game
Deion Luwynn Sanders Sr. , is an American football coach and former player who is the head football coach at Jackson State.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born: | August 9, 1967 Fort Myers, Florida |
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight: | 198 lb (90 kg) |
Nicknamed “Prime Time” and “Neon Deion”, he played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, and Baltimore Ravens.
Sanders was also a baseball outfielder for nine seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, and San Francisco Giants.
He won two Super Bowl titles and made one World Series appearance in 1992, making him the only athlete to play in both a Super Bowl and a World Series.
Sanders is also the only athlete to suit up for two sports in the same day, suiting up for both the Atlanta Braves and the Atlanta Falcons.
Deion Sanders Altercation
Tempers flared at the end of Jackson State’s 26-12 win over Alabama State on Saturday. During the midfield handshake, Tigers head coach Deion Sanders tried to embrace Hornets head coach Eddie Robinson Jr., but the Hornets coach denied him and pushed back on the hug attempt.
The two walked out to the midfield logo when time expired, and after they shook hands, Sanders tried to pull Robinson in for a hug.
However, the Alabama State coach placed his hand on Sanders’ chest and pushed back against him. The two quickly exchanged words before Robinson walked away.
In his post-game press conference, Robinson was asked about the altercation. Robinson said he felt disrespected by Sanders throughout the week and before the game, so he did not want to act like friends at midfield.
“Well, to be up front, I thought it was a lot of disrespect the whole week,” Robinson said. “So, you’re not gonna be disrespectful the whole week in the media.
We didn’t talk in the pregame. I was out there the whole time at the 50-yard line. He walked through our whole huddle in our end zone. Came the long way around to get to his side of the field in the pregame.
Thought that wasn’t classy at all. In the postgame, I’m not about to give you the Obama bro hug and I’m gonna shake your hand and go on. I’m always gonna be respectful and respect the game. … I’m living on the shoulders of the SWAC. He ain’t SWAC. I’m SWAC.”
Handshake
On Monday, Sanders doubled down on his eagerness for his team to face the Hornets in a game that he described that he and JSU fans would get to enjoy the “fanfare,” “love” and culture of a HBCU homecoming.
After 60 minutes of action that included a 26–12 win for JSU, Hornets first-year head coach Eddie Robinson Jr was not happy with Sanders’s behavior all week and considered it “disrespectful.”
When Sanders and Robinson met at midfield after the game, the two shook hands before Sanders tried to embrace Robinson with a hug.
Instead of Robinson returning the favor in the embrace, he pushed away Sanders’s hand and walked away with an Alabama state trooper.
“We did not talk in the pregame,” Robinson said, per The Wild Card podcast. “I was out there the whole time at the 50-yard line. He walked through our whole huddle in our endzone. He came the long way around to get to his side of the field in pregame. I thought that was not classy at all. In the postgame, I’m not about to give you the [Barack] Obama bro hug. I’m gon’ shake your hand and go on. I’m going to always be respectful and respect the game.”
In expressing his thoughts, Robinson shared that his respect for the conference stems from the coaching legends who paved the way for him to have an opportunity, something he felt Sanders did not represent.
Robinson was a standout linebacker for Alabama State in the early 1990s before going on to play 11 years in the NFL with the Oilers, Jaguars, Titans and Bills.
Post game
The Jackson State Tigers defeated the Alabama State Hornets 26-12 on Saturday in a SWAC showdown, but it’s what happened after the game that caught the attention of the college football world.
Once the game was decided, JSU head coach Deion Sanders walked to midfield for the post-game handshake with ASU head coach Eddie Robinson, Jr. However, when the two reached one another, Robinson shook Sanders’s hand but then put his other hand on Deion’s chest before walking away, leaving Coach Prime shocked and surprised by the move.
While it’s not entirely clear what caused Robinson to be so curt with Sanders, it could have something to do with Deion’s comments earlier in the week.
Sanders, who has been very outspoken about the value of his program since he became head coach, said it was “brilliant” by Alabama State to schedule homecoming around the Jackson State game because it ensured that the home team would make more money.
“It was brilliant to invite us there because, you’re going to make some money. But what comes with money?” Sanders said. “All money ain’t good money. But we gon’ learn.”
Robinson offered a rebuttal, saying that it was arbitrary that this game was designated as homecoming for the school.