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Coach D now works his magic off of the field! As he continues to work to revitalize the football program at Jackson State, Deion Sanders has helped to ink a deal with Pepsi to join forces with the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) as a major sponsor. Sanders’ first relations with the leading beverage company began in the mid-1990s and now Pepsi has become the primary beverage sponsor for all SWAC football and basketball championship games through 2023. In the midst of his first season as the coach for Jackson State, the Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback can now add the role as a SWAC ambassador to his resume. According to USA TODAY, in a three-year deal, Pepsi reiterates its support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The deal is a component of the brand’s Racial Equality Journey which includes a series of initiatives launched in April 2020 by the company with a commitment of $400 million over the next five years. “This is kind of next level,” said...
A small, private Mississippi school that opened nearly three years ago with just six students has grown to approximately 50 in grades prekindergarten through 12th. Leora Hooper founded Abundance Educational Academy in a neglected storefront in Yazoo City, according to The New York Times. She had taught special education at a local public school and sixth-grade social studies at another. However, Hooper’s work in the impoverished community and struggling public school system took its toll and she quit in 2021. Since she left in the middle of the school year, her public-school teaching license was suspended. Inspired to start a new chapter and offer students an alternative as well, she started Abundance, becoming its executive director. Hooper wears many additional hats too: She is a math, social studies, and language arts teacher, an after-school tutor, the registrar, a guidance counselor, co-director of the drum line, a janitor, and receptionist. “I was born to do it,” Hooper said...
The “Prime Effect” should not be ignored. Deion Sanders, who first received the nickname “Prime Time” by a former high school teammate — with it later morphing into “Coach Prime” while coaching at Mississippi’s Jackson State University — has the title for earned reasons. The night the nickname was born, he scored 37 points and had back-to-back dunks for his basketball team, he recalls during an interview with Jimmy Fallon on “The Tonight Show.” Sanders proved himself to be talented in various sports and would ultimately be chosen by the Atlanta Falcons as fifth overall NFL draft pick in 1989, per StatMuse. He played for 14 seasons in the NFL and walked away with two Super Bowl rings, Pro Football Hall of Fame states. Sanders’ background would lead him into the world of coaching. Between 2012 and 2019 he took on several coaching jobs at Texas high schools, including Prime Prep Academy (which he co-founded), Triple A Academy, and Trinity Christian High School. In September 2020, he...
Since his arrival in Jackson, MS, to coach the Jackson State University (JSU) Tiger football team, Deion Sanders has been making headlines regarding his coaching style, outspoken personality, and team success. From increasing funding around the sport’s program to recruiting five-star athletes, Sanders has more than shaken things up in the Mississippi Delta. Current students, alums, and football fans alike had high expectations and were fueled with excitement, knowing a living legend was taking on the reigns as the coach of Mississippi’s largest HBCU. The anticipation was fair, considering the wealth of athletic knowledge and influence Sanders would bring to the football program. Entering the NFL from Florida State University in 1989, Sanders played 14 seasons across five teams. As a cornerback, Sanders racked up 270 solo tackles, 53 interceptions, and 94 passes defended. He would go on to win two Super Bowl championships and be inducted into the 2011 Pro Football Hall of Fame class....
Travis Hunter, the nation’s No. 1 recruit, recently made an announcement that shook up the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). On Dec. 15, the Rivals.com player made the decision to commit to playing for historically Black Jackson State University over Florida State University, Yahoo Sports reports. Hunter made the announcement official with sporting Jackson State gear during his decision ceremony at his high school. The moment Travis Hunter made his decision to flip to Jackson State (Via @11AliveNews ) pic.twitter.com/pbNv6ojCy1 — Rivals (@Rivals) December 15, 2021 Prior to the unexpected signing move, the Georgia native was verbally committed to Florida State since March 2020. Now, Hunter will join football legend and Florida State alum Deion Sanders. According to a Twitter post by Bean Invest, Hunter’s switch reportedly may have secured him a multi-million dollar deal. 🚨BREAKING🚨 Barstool Sports and Penn National Gaming have reached a deal with the #1 high school...
The National Football League (NFL) is continuing its 2016 promise to strengthen its ties with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The league will be hosting its second annual Madden NFL 22 x HBCU Tournament with EA alongside career development opportunities that will extend beyond the field, according to an official update from the league’s Football Operations. The tournament will feature 48 HBCUs in the SWAC, MEAC, SIAC and CIAA conferences in hopes of inspiring students to represent their school’s pride through competition and networking opportunities. “We are so thrilled to bring back this tournament for HBCU students and offer a once-in-a-lifetime experience to come to Los Angeles during Super Bowl LVI Week,” said Natara Holloway, vice president, football strategy at the NFL in an update. “We want to expand the league’s efforts to create inclusive opportunities for the next generation of talent with partners like EA providing not only a chance for students to...
Football season is in full swing! There’s nothing quite like fall football games at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). And this year, Pepsi is blessing fans for their school spirit in a huge way. According to an official press release, the beverage company has launched a contest where HBCU students and alumni can vote for their favorite university. In turn, they will donate $25,000 to the winning institution’s general scholarship fund. “As a long-time resident of the South, I love the energy, spirit, and sense of community that HBCUs bring, especially around the highly anticipated return of football,” said Chauncey Hamlett, Vice President, and Chief Marketing Officer, PepsiCo Beverages North America (South Division) in an official release shared with AfroTech. “This scholarship opportunity isn’t just open to students and alumni to cast their votes, but to anyone who shares pride and enthusiasm for these great institutions. I have a strong passion for HBCUs, and I...
Beats by Dre (Beats) is the latest company to tap into the wave of college athletes who are now able to benefit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL). The move by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to allow student-athletes to gain profit and exposure thanks to the new NIL rule may have been the best thing to happen to both companies and athletes since sliced bread! In an announcement on Wednesday, Beats announced that Jackson State University quarterback Shedeur Sanders has been tapped as the brand’s latest ambassador. Not only is he the first college athlete to hop on the Beats’ talent roster, but he is also the company’s youngest ambassador at just 19-years-old. Sanders first made headlines when he followed in the footsteps of his father when he decided that he would attend a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) over the many high-profile schools who had the young athlete on their radar for quite some time. View this post on Instagram A post...