Deion Sanders said in a press conference yesterday evening that he isn't a Florida Seminole because he didn't graduate and let it be known that he's a graduate of Alabama-based HBCU Talladega College.

“No, no, no…actually, do you know where I graduated from? I graduated from an HBCU,” Sanders said in a response to a reporter who called him a Nole. “So I'm a who? No, I'm a who? I thought it's where you graduated from, isn't it? Why do you keep calling me that when you know where I graduated from? I'm an HBCU grad.”

Sander's college career started at Florida State University. He enrolled in 1985 and played football, and baseball and ran track. He left the Seminoles as a junior to declare for the NFL draft. He was selected fourth overall by the Atlanta Falcons in 1989. Sanders was on the list of candidates for the open coaching position at Florida State in 2019, per the Bleacher Report. However, the Seminoles hired current head coach Mike Norvell to lead the program.

Sanders graduated from Talladega College in August 2020. He completed coursework in the FASTtrack program that is specifically designed for adult learners with busy lives. He served as a speaker at the Summer graduation and spoke about how he felt during the ceremony.

“I understand the screams and the yells and the adulation from your peers because I felt that on the field, But, sitting here, seeing your faces, seeing the joy, seeing the respect, seeing the work, seeing the toil, and the satisfaction when you walk across the stage blessed me so, so much.”

Shortly after his graduation, Sanders was announced as head coach of Jackson State University. During his tenure, he drew ire from Florida State fans when Travis Hunter flipped his commitment from Florida State to Jackson State.