Tag: Jackson State

Aug 12, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; New York Jets helmet during the second quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Former Jets TE Richard Caster dies at 75

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Former New York Jets tight end Richard Caster died on Friday. He was 75.

According to the Clarion Ledger in Mississippi, Caster died after a battle with Parkinson’s disease.

Caster played college football at Jackson State in Mississippi before the Jets selected him in the second round in 1970. He played eight of his 13 NFL campaigns with New York and was a three-time Pro Bowl selection.

Caster made the Pro Bowl in 1972, ’74 and ’75. He set career highs of 833 receiving yards and 10 touchdown catches in 1972. He had a career-high 47 receptions in 1975.

Caster caught 322 passes for 5,515 yards and 45 touchdowns in 161 games with the Jets (1970-77), Houston Oilers (1978-80), New Orleans Saints (1981) and Washington (1981-82).

–Field Level Media

Dec 4, 2022; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders speaks during a press conference at the Arrow Touchdown Club. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Deion Sanders, Colorado nab sixth Jackson State transfer

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A sixth Jackson State football player is headed to Colorado to join new coach Deion Sanders.

The latest transfer is kicker Alejandro Mata, and the school confirmed his signing via social media.

Mata, from Buford, Ga., put up 85 points for the Tigers (12-1) in 2022, converting 50 of 51 extra point attempts. He hit 12 of 13 field goals with a long of 38 yards.

Sanders’ sons — quarterback Shedeur and defensive back Shilo — also are moving on to Colorado, as are defensive backs Travis Hunter and Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig and offensive lineman Tyler Brown.

Sanders, a Pro Football Hall of Fame member, spent three seasons as the head coach of Jackson State, posting a 27-6 record. Sanders, 55, was named the Southwest Athletic Conference coach of the year the past two seasons.

–Field Level Media

Jackson State WR Travis Hunter (12) is seen during their homecoming NCAA college football game against Campbell in Jackson, Miss., Saturday, October 22, 2022. TCL JSU HOMECOMING 221

Ex-No. 1 recruit Travis Hunter enters portal, will leave Jackson State

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Travis Hunter, the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2022 class who shocked college football by selecting to play at Jackson State, is in the transfer portal.

247Sports lists Hunter as a five-star prospect and the top available transfer player. There is wide speculation he will join Deion Sanders, who recruited him to Jackson State, at Colorado, but On3 reported that Georgia, Miami and Southern California could be making a play for him.

Sanders, who was hired to coach the Buffaloes on Dec. 3, said in an Instagram chat last week that he expected Hunter would join him “real soon” in Colorado. At the time, he also said his son, Jackson State starting quarterback Shadeur Sanders, would follow him as well.

The 6-foot-1 Hunter was the first five-star high school prospect to sign with an FCS football program since ESPN began college football rankings in 2006.

In his freshman season, Hunter played both cornerback and wide receiver for Sanders. He had 20 tackles, two interceptions — returning one for a touchdown — and 10 passes defensed. On offense, he caught 18 passes for 198 yards with four touchdowns.

He was limited to eight games because of injury.

Hunter, from Collins Hill High School in Suwanee, Ga., verbally committed to Florida State in March 2020 but signed with Jackson State last December. At the time, Sanders vehemently denied reports that Hunter received as much as $1.5 million in name, image and likeness funds to sign with the HBCU school.

–Field Level Media

Jackson State coach Deion Sanders watches the Tigers warm up before the game with Alcorn State at the Jack Spinks Football Stadium in Lorman, Miss., Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022. Tcl Jsu Alcorn

Reports: Jackson St. to name T.C. Taylor head coach

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Jackson State is set to replace Deion Sanders with receivers coach T.C. Taylor, ESPN and Football Scoop reported Monday night.

Taylor is a Jackson State alum and has coached under Sanders the past three seasons, though he preceded Sanders, returning there as an assistant in 2019. Sanders left the program to take the Colorado job earlier this month.

Jackson State just won the SWAC Championship and went 27-5 in three seasons under Sanders.

Taylor played quarterback and wide receiver for Jackson State from 1998-2001.

Taylor has also been an assistant coach at Coahoma Community College (2005-11) in Clarksdale, Miss., Texas Southern (2012-13) and North Carolina Central (2014-18).

–Field Level Media

Jackson State coach Deion Sanders would be a splashy hire for Colorado. 2022-10-15-deion sanders Syndication Usa Today

Report: Deion Sanders set to take Colorado job

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After three seasons coaching Jackson State, Deion Sanders is set to accept the head-coaching job at Colorado, ESPN reported Friday night.

Sanders previously acknowledged that he was offered the Colorado job, and CBS News Colorado reported that the Buffaloes were set to give him more than $5 million annually.

ESPN reported that Sanders and his colleagues had already reached out to coaches and staffers in Boulder regarding their availability, with a similar outreach being done to point potential recruits to a Sanders-led program at Colorado.

Meanwhile, Sanders’ current team is undefeated and set to play in the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s championship game on Saturday. Jackson State (11-0, 8-0 SWAC) will oppose Southern (7-4, 5-3) at Jackson, Miss.

CBS reported that Sanders will announce his future plans on Sunday.

Sanders, a Pro Football Hall of Famer who also played Major League Baseball, was a broadcaster following his playing career until he was hired by Jackson State in September 2020.

He led the Tigers to a 4-3 record in the spring 2021 season (postponed from the fall due to COVID-19), then guided Jackson State to an 11-2 mark and a SWAC title in the fall of 2021. That campaign ended with a loss to South Carolina State in the Celebration Bowl.

The Buffaloes got off to an 0-5 start this season, which led to the firing of head coach Karl Dorrell. Mike Sanford took over on an interim basis and led the squad to a 20-13 overtime win over Cal in his debut, but Colorado then lost its final six games to finish 1-11 (1-8 Pac-12).

–Field Level Media

Jackson State football coach Deion Sanders talks about the Alcorn game and what lies ahead for the Tigers during a news conference at Jackson State in Jackson, Miss., Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022. Tcl Deion Sanders

Deion Sanders confirms Colorado offered him head coach gig

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Jackson State coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders confirmed Monday that Colorado has offered him its head-coaching position.

Fox Sports reported Saturday that Colorado offered Sanders, 55, the vacant role. Sanders was asked about the report Monday during a conference call ahead of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) championship game.

“The report is true,” Sanders said.

Sanders also said Colorado is not the only program that’s showing interest in him.

“I’m not going to sit here and tell all my business, but they’re not the only ones,” Sanders said.

Colorado fired coach Karl Dorrell in October following an 0-5 start this season. Mike Sanford served as the interim coach as the Buffaloes finished the year 1-11.

Colorado has had only two winning seasons since 2006.

Sanders was an eight-time Pro Bowl selection and six-time All-Pro during his NFL career. He won two Super Bowl titles and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame in 2011.

He’s made waves in his three seasons as coach of Jackson State, a historically black university playing at the FCS level.

Jackson State is 11-0 this season and will play Southern in the SWAC title game Saturday. The winner advances to the Celebration Bowl against the champions of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Dec. 17.

–Field Level Media

Jackson State University head coach Deion Sanders walks along the sideline during the Orange Blossom Classic between Florida A&M University and Jackson State University at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Sunday, Sept. 5, 2021. Syndication Tallahassee Democrat

Deion Sanders to donate half his salary for Jackson State facility upgrades

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Jackson State coach Deion Sanders said Monday he will donate half his salary in order to help complete his program’s football facility renovations before the 2022 season.

Sanders, 54, has coached the HBCU since 2020, when he signed a four-year deal that averages $300,000 per year.

“I’ll put more than that on it. I’ll put half on it to get this done,” Sanders said on Instagram, per the Jackson Clarion Ledger. “If you don’t believe me, check me. I will send you the receipts.”

The FCS program is coming off an 11-2 record (8-0 SWAC) in 2021 and signed top-ranked recruit Travis Hunter, a five-star cornerback, in the Class of 2022.

–Field Level Media

Aug 21, 2021; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers helmet during the second half against the Baltimore Ravens at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Former first-round pick Rashard Anderson dies at 45

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Former first-round NFL draft pick Rashard Anderson has died at 45.

The Carolina Panthers selected the cornerback with the 23rd overall pick in 2000 out of Jackson State.

The Panthers and the university both confirmed that Anderson died Wednesday in Mississippi. The cause of death is unknown at this time.

“Our condolences go out to his family and loved ones,” the Panthers said in a statement.

Anderson played 27 games (nine starts) for Carolina from 2000-01 and contributed 75 tackles, one interception and three fumble recoveries. He returned a fumble 94 yards for a touchdown against the New York Jets on Oct. 28, 2001.

He never played in the NFL again after drawing a one-year suspension in May 2002 for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy.

At Jackson State, Anderson helped the Tigers win the Southwestern Athletic Conference as a 1996 freshman.

“Today is a sad day for the JSU family,” Jackson State vice president and director of athletics Ashley Robinson said Wednesday in a statement. “Rashard was one of the best players in the history of our football program and an outstanding person. He attended our spring football game in April and was excited about the program returning to championship status. Rashard will always be remembered by Jackson State University, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this time.”

–Field Level Media

Dec 18, 2021; Atlanta, GA, USA; Jackson State Tigers head coach Deion Sanders reacts on the sidelines against the South Carolina State Bulldogs during the first half during the 2021 Celebration Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Jackson State lands TE transfer Keveon Mullins

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Tight end Keveon Mullins, a transfer from South Carolina, announced his commitment to Jackson State and coach Deion Sanders on Saturday.

He posted a photo illustration to Twitter captioned “New Beginning.”

Mullins’ commitment continues the momentum for Jackson State and Sanders, who landed the No. 1 recruit in the country, cornerback Travis Hunter, during early national signing period in December. Mullins was a four-star prospect in the Class of 2019.

Mullins redshirted in 2019 but played in five games in 2020, making three catches for 110 yards. He didn’t see any game action in 2021 before entering the transfer portal on Dec. 15.

Jackson State finished the season with an 11-2 record.

–Field Level Media

Nov 15, 2020; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; A general view of an end zone pylon and footballs on the field prior to the game between the Miami Dolphins and the Los Angeles Chargers at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Jackson State player arrested for COVID-related fraud

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Jackson State linebacker Abdul-Malik McClain faces fraud charges related to COVID-19 unemployment money.

He surrendered to federal authorities in Los Angeles and was arraigned Monday in U.S. District Court.

McClain, 22, pleaded not guilty to being the alleged ringleader of a scheme that brought in more than $225,000 in unemployment payments.

He was released on a $20,000 bond and will stand trial on Feb. 15, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Central District of California.

McClain, who transferred to Jackson State last December from Southern California, is charged with 10 counts of mail fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft that allegedly occurred when he was still playing for the Trojans.

Each mail fraud count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. The identity theft counts carry a two-year mandatory prison sentence consecutive to any sentence imposed on the mail fraud counts.

According to the indictment, McClain organized a group of football players in filing fraudulent claims for benefits under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program established by Congress in response to the economic fallout caused by the pandemic.

Prosecutors said participants in the scheme received debit cards loaded with hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars after purporting to be self-employed workers, including athletic trainers and tutors, who had lost work in California due to the COVID-19 crisis.

A Jackson State spokesperson declined a request for comment from the Clarion-Ledger newspaper. The school removed McClain’s bio from its athletics website.

–Field Level Media