Deion Sanders on why his son Shedeur needs to be in Heisman conversation
Deion Sanders spoke to Sports Seriously and explained that if he is good enough to be recruited as a coach for a Power 5 team, then his son deserves to be in the Heisman conversation as well.
Sports Seriously, USA TODAY
Deion Sanders launched the Heisman campaign for his son, Jackson State quarterback Shedeur Sanders, on Sept. 28 and the tour to drum up interest in the sophomore continued Tuesday.
Shedeur Sanders has 1,394 passing yards, 14 touchdowns and one interception in four games –including career-highs in completions (40), attempts (51) and yards (438) along with four TDs in JSU’s 49-7 victory over Mississippi Valley State.
“I think we’re in it,” Deion Sanders said about the Heisman race. “We did what we wanted to do.
“Now you get to put on Tupac ‘All Eyez on Me’. (Shedeur) gets to play that song. Now he just has to do what he’s been doing thus far. I like his maturation. I like his growth. First and foremost, I love the way the line has protected him and receivers are doing their job as well. Coach Brett (Bartolone, offensive coordinator) is calling a heck of a game.”
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Shedeur Sanders, who’s thrown for eight touchdowns in the past two games, looks to continue his run of good form against Alabama State at 2 p.m. on Saturday. The Hornets have the third-best scoring defense in the SWAC, holding their opponents to 21.6 points per game.
Sanders isn’t worried about Alabama State’s defense if the Tigers continue to play their game.
“If we go out there, we dominate and we do what we do (with) no turnovers it’s not going to be a game,” Sanders said.
The 2021 Jerry Rice Award winner is thriving under new offensive coordinator Bartolone. Sanders credits Bartolone helping him “look at the game in a different eye” and their conversations last offseason were productive. Bartolone has been one of the biggest differences for Sanders in Year 2.
“Whenever you watch (film) and you have different viewpoints or coaches around you that all played the game then it is different,” Sanders said.
“It helps me because it trains my mind to see exactly what he’s seeing. To know why is he calling this play. When he’s calling this passing concept, what is he thinking exactly. There’s always a reason for things.”
Jackson State leads the SWAC in scoring at 47.5 points per game, but the Tigers have looked dramatically different since their 16-3 victory over over Tennessee State in the Southern Heritage Classic. Shedeur Sanders’ performances since then have inspired Deion Sanders to insert him into the Heisman conversation. The sophomore isn’t too concerned.
“That’s a great feeling but I just focus on next week,” Shedeur Sanders said. “That’s all it is. I let what people off the field, what they can control (to) control. What I can control is going in week in and week out and dominate.”
