Shedeur Sanders sets the record straight on Jackson State support

After using his experience to sell to teams why he would thrive if drafted into a rebuild, Shedeur Sanders brought up his experience in turning both Jackson State and Colorado into perennial championship contenders.

“I don’t think Jackson State or Colorado had a winning history before I got there. It’s just another day in the office, another year in the office for me. It’s the same thing over and over and that’s what I enjoy about it. Because I understand how to approach different situations and what to do different,” Sander said, answering a question posed by Scott Procter of the DNVR Buffs.

His comments, which were factually accurate based on the performance before his arrival and the recent success under his leadership, were misinterpreted and taken out of context, making it seem as though he was disrespecting the history of Jackson State and Colorado. Jackson State has had a history of winning, as well as four Pro Football Hall of Famers to boot, but they struggled in the years before Deion and Shedeur Sanders arrived. Colorado, winners of the 1990 National Championship, has also seen success in his history but struggled in recent years before the Sanders’s took over the team.

Sanders took to his 2 Legendary podcast to clarify his comments.

“When I was saying Colorado and Jackson State don’t have winning history — I was referring to in the last couple of years. I wasn’t saying to the history of the whole program — never won,” Sanders said. “I would never try to intend on being said that way. I could have said that cleaner and more precise. But that’s one thing I want to emphasize.”

He continued, “I wasn’t saying the history of the organization never had it. What I was meaning was the last recent years. Before we got there and the last couple of years it wasn’t — the product wasn’t there. And the production wasn’t there…That was one thing I wanted to clear up because it wasn’t like I was trying to disrespect what the past players and the legends of each university did, and the teams that worked hard to and was able to establish that program in the past. But I was saying like in recent years.”

Shedeur Sanders has shown immense support for both Colorado and Jackson State in comments to the media throughout the years. In an interview at the East-West Shrine Bowl, Sanders spoke highly of his HBCU experience.

“HBCUs are definitely a part of my foundation. I’m excited to be a part of that class and in that community.”

Sanders is set to go down as one of the best players in the history of both Jackson State and Colorado. Coming out of high school, Sanders was rated as a three-star prospect by 247 Sports, but his rise through college football has been nothing short of impressive. During his two seasons at Jackson State, Shedeur Sanders dominated, accumulating 6,983 passing yards, completing 616 of 901 attempts, and throwing 70 touchdowns against only 14 interceptions.

Sanders made headlines again when he transferred to Colorado for the 2023 season, transitioning smoothly into Pac-12 play. Despite Colorado finishing 4-8, Sanders delivered standout moments. He posted 3,230 passing yards and 27 touchdowns with a 69% completion rate, cementing himself as one of the most promising talents in college football. The team then had one of the most miraculous turnarounds in college athletics, finishing the 2024 season with a 9-4 record behind Sanders’s 3,222 yards, 27 touchdowns and 73% completion with only 7 interceptions on the year.