BY HBCU SPORTS

Despite the absence of Deion Sanders and several other high-profile athletes from the Jackson State football team, new coach T.C. Taylor believes the Tigers remain the SWAC standard.

Just weeks after Taylor was formally appointed head coach, the two-time conference winners and Celebration Bowl runner-ups returned to campus for practices and meetings under the new administration.

Taylor outlined how Jackson State will operate in the future in an appearance with WJTV in Jackson.
“I’ve learned a lot from him (Sanders) about the day-to-day grind, you know, getting the most out of your players and demanding excellence and being dominant,” Taylor said. “You know, when you win two SWAC championships and appear in two Celebration Bowls, we want to try to keep that going.”

Taylor was named as Sanders’ preferred pick to take over the program after accepting an offer to become the next head coach at Colorado.

Taylor was asked how the program will market itself as an appealing location for prospects in the aftermath of the exits of Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter, Kevin Coleman, and Shilo Sanders, among others, to Power Five institutions.

The former Jackson State wide receiver and longtime assistant stated that the school’s image is still powerful on a national level. “Jackson State is still there.” “You know, we’re still Jackson State,” Taylor said. “We are the benchmark. We are the center, as I like to put it. We’ve had a lot of success in the previous few years, and there have been a number of great coaches here overall. And there are a number of excellent players out there. We also lost some very excellent athletes. We must ensure that those requirements are met.”