Jackson State football and coach Deion Sanders played spoiler, beating Alabama State 26-12 on the Hornets’ homecoming Saturday. Then Alabama State coach Eddie Robinson Jr. post game spoiler for Sanders.
Sanders shook hands with Robinson and tried to add a post-match hug, but Robinson Jr. rejected Sanders’ attempt at a time that was taking over the tenor of the Southwestern Athletic Conference rivalry.
“My exact words were, ‘Hey man, you got them ready to play. Good game,'” said Sanders. “Shaked hands and tried to hug and he pushed away. That was it.”
Sanders had a puzzled look on his face and opened his palms after Robinson Jr. had withdrawn. Robinson felt Sanders was disrespectful in the media prior to the game and pregame on the field during the pregame, he said.
“I thought there was a lot of disrespect all week and so you won’t be disrespectful in the media all week,” Robinson said. “We didn’t talk in the pregame, I was on the 50 yard line the whole time. He walked through our huddle on our end zone, he came the long way to get by his side during the pregame, thought that wasn’t at all Stylish.
“After the game, I’m not going to give you a hug from Obama, I’m going to shake your hand and move on. I’ll always be respectful and respect the game. … I live on the shoulders of the SWAC, he’s not SWAC, I’m SWAC, so he’s in the conference doing a great job, that can’t be right… You don’t come here for me and my team and my school and then bro wants to hug me, shake my hand and fuck it up.”
STILL UNRECORDED:Jackson State football beats Alabama State 26-12 despite slow-start offense
TRAVIS hunter:Jackson State Football’s Travis Hunter Won’t Play Alabama State
Sanders said he was especially “disturbed” when he heard some of Robinson’s comments before Jackson State moved into the same media room to address the press.
“If I’m not SWAC, then who is SWAC,” Sanders repeated three times, each time more animated. “Baby, who is?”
“You did the ‘W’ great job,” Robinson added. “I pray he doesn’t get a Power 5 job and we play them in Jackson next year, and I pray they send us home.”
The two did not meet on the field before the game. Jackson State arrived at ASU Stadium later than scheduled due to traffic from Birmingham to Montgomery.
“It could be a plethora of things,” Sanders added. “I think he thought he would win. I don’t know why he ever thought that. … Second, he said I didn’t come to greet him in the middle of the field. I don’t know if you understand, but we got here really late, so that sped up our whole preparation process, so then we were like, let’s go get it (mode).”
JACKSON STATE:Deion Sanders on his son Shedeur Sanders in Heisman Trophy race: ‘I think we’re in it’
HBCU FOOTBALL:What ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith Said About Jackson State Football Coach Deion Sanders, HBCUs
DEION SANDERS:Five Reasons Why Deion Sanders To Georgia Tech Makes Sense / Five Reasons Jackson State Will Have A Hard Time Keeping Deion Sanders As Coach
HBCU Rankings:HBCU Football Power Rankings After Week 5: Jackson State is No. 1, Who’s Behind the Tigers?
TRAVIS hunter:Jackson State Soccer Star Freshman Travis Hunter Gets Closer to Playing Again
Jerell Rushin is a recruiting reporter for Tuscaloosa News and the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter at @JerellRushin_.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: What Deion Sanders Said About Eddie Robinson Jr. who declined a hug after the game
