The Mind of Mike takes on Deion Sanders and his outspoken words about the NFL.
Only one HBCU player was drafted in the 2023 NFL Draft, and Deion Sanders isn’t happy about it.
“I’m ashamed of the 31 other NFL teams that couldn’t find draft value in ALL of the talented HBCU players…” he tweeted.
https://twitter.com/DeionSanders/status/1652513551247118341
Let’s be real. This is ridiculous.
Of course, I’ll get hammered for this take. I’m a middle age white guy, so the low hanging fruit here will be I’m being racist. But it has nothing to do with that.
HBCU players have historically impacted the NFL, from Walter Payton to Jerry Rice to Steve McNair. And not all impact HBCU players took the drafted route to NFL success. But what Deion is implying is this — by being “ashamed” of the 31 NFL teams that didn’t draft a HBCU player he’s saying they did it on purpose. That some collusion is occurring to avoid drafting HBCU players. This is a year after four players from HBCUs were drafted last year. It’s just ridiculous.
More Sports News
The definition of ashamed is “embarrassed or guilty because of one’s actions, characteristics, or associations.”
It also means “reluctant or unwilling to do something because of shame or embarrassment.”
So we are to think the NFL is embarrassed to draft HBCU players? C’mon coach.
I’ve covered the NFL Draft for decades. I’ve talked to more scouts and decision-makers than I care to mention. And I can tell you this unequivocally — no one has ever said they don’t want to draft an HBCU player. The job of NFL teams is to assess talent and find the players they like the best that can help their team. And they don’t give a crap where they come from. So to be “ashamed” of teams for doing what they think best is a joke.
Should we be “ashamed” of Deion for leaving HBCU Jackson State to further his career at Colorado? Absolutely not. Deion taking the Jackson State job and having success there has done more for HBCU schools than anyone in recent memory. He brought attention and recognition to HBCU schools when he didn’t have to. He’s a champion and hero for the HBCU movement. There’s no denying that. And heading to Colorado was what he deemed best for himself. Nothing to be “ashamed” of.
Furthermore, should we be “ashamed” of Deion for purging his roster at Colorado, as he’s done this off-season? Absolutely not. It’s controversial, and you can question his methods, but he’s doing what he feels is best for his program — just like NFL teams. Does he want to be criticized for not taking all HBCU kids in the portal? Of course not, nor should he. He’s taking the ones he feels will help his program the best — again, just like the NFL.
Only one Ivy League player was drafted in the 2023 NFL Draft. Should there be an outrage over that? Individual choice is still a thing. You take the players you like that are the best fit for you. Period. No shame. Nothing to be “ashamed” about. There are much fewer NFL-caliber players in the Ivy League or in HBCUs than in Power Five, Group of Five, and so on. That’s just life.
I’m not a moron. I know why Deion said what he said. He’s trying to keep awareness alive for HBCU players even after he left. And that’s admirable. But he could have used so many other words.
Here’s what I would have liked him to say:
“Congrats to Isaiah Bolden on being drafted to the NFL as an HBCU player. There are a lot of other guys I felt were draft worthy, and I look forward to those players proving such as UDFAs.”
That’s not so hard to do right? The NFL began an HBCU-only combine in recent years, and NFL VP of Football Operations Troy Vincent and others have pushed hard for HBCU recognition. But the bottom line is that teams will draft who will help them based on their own opinion and shouldn’t be “ashamed” of those choices. And honestly, Deion knows this. He just went about things the wrong way.
