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Colorado head coach Deion Sanders went viral this weekend with comments made about the 2023 NFL Draft and its lack of HBCU representation. One notable sports personality disagrees.
In a recent episode of Undisputed, Shannon Sharpe was heard on the opposite side of Coach Prime’s take. That viewpoint has led many around the football world to react.
Sanders was heard giving his thoughts on seeing just one HBCU player selected in the latest NFL Draft, a statistic he says he was “ashamed” to witness.
That one player was Isaiah Bolden, a former Jackson State defensive back who was picked up by the Patriots in the final round. Bolden played under Coach Prime while a member of the Tigers’ roster.
Sanders posted a message on his Twitter account after the draft wrapped up, saying, “So proud of you, Isaiah Bolden. You deserved to be drafted much higher but I’m truly proud of you. I know how much you want this. I’m ashamed of the 31 other NFL teams that couldn’t find draft value in ALL of the talented HBCU players, and we had three more draft worthy players at JSU.”
The head coach was upset by seeing just one player selected from a Historically Black College or University, but Shannon Sharpe sees it as a business decision.
On Monday’s episode of Undisputed, Sharpe said the following about Deion Sanders’ take.
Unc Shannon Sharpe on Deion Sanders being ashamed only 1 HBCU player was drafted pic.twitter.com/xaGB2Vbut1
— Shannonnn sharpes Burner (PARODY Account) (@shannonsharpeee) May 1, 2023
“The NFL is a business,” Sharpe said. “I don’t give a damn what color you are if you can help us win. That’s why they take guys with questionable character. They don’t care, they want to win… What am I missing?
“I’m gonna disagree with Prime on this one.”
Sharpe, who attended an HBCU, believes that with the amount of money the NFL spends on scouting, teams would’ve identified the talent.
Many in the comments section agreed.
One person wrote, “Shannon makes so many good points,” while another said, “Sharpe is correct. I don’t think it’s a slight against the schools. If players are good enough, they get drafted.”
We’ll see if the trend continues next season.