“He had HBCU on ESPN”: Falcons WR KhaDarel Hodge stands behind Deion Sanders to defend his impact at HBCU

Before Deion Sanders made his way to Boulder, he was at Jackson State, leading the HBCU program to a 27-6 record in three seasons. While with the Tigers, Sanders did a lot more than just win games. He brought vast visibility to HBCUs, helped his program generate more revenue, and, all in all, pushed his players to do their best, even in academics.

However, Sanders was criticized for leaving Jackson State to join Colorado in 2023. In light of this, on Sunday's edition of "The Morning Run," Atlanta Falcons wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge said:

“I appreciate what he's done for HBCUs, man. A lot of people are disrespecting him and saying, ‘He left, man.’ But I don’t think they realize how much he did for HBCUs when he was there. Even going forward, he had HBCUs on ESPN, like Saturday Football. Bro we was fighting to get on games, like we was fighting to get on TV."

Hodge further said that Sanders bringing College GameDay to Jackson State was huge and mentioned how Coach Prime's work led to the creation of HBCU bowls and brought more visibility to players in the SWAC conference.

“He still speaks highly of them and what he’s done for us man,” Hodge said. “It was amazing to see like those guys at those times getting the opportunity they done.”

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Deion Sanders' contract extension with the Buffaloes

Deion Sanders is also creating wonders with the Buffaloes. After leading Colorado to a 9-4 campaign, a big change from the program's previous one-win season before he joined, Coach Prime signed a five-year, $54 million contract to keep him in Boulder through the 2029 season.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to continue building something special here at Colorado,” Sanders said in a statement. “We’ve just scratched the surface of what this program can be. It’s not just about football; it’s about developing young men who are ready to take on the world.”

The deal makes Sanders one of the highest-paid college football coaches. He will make $10 million in 2025 and 2026, then $11 million in 2027 and 2028 each and finally $12 million in the last year. The contract also has buyout clauses starting at $12 million in 2025 and going down over the years.