Colorado coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders tweeted out a congratulations to his former player, Jackson State cornerback Isaiah Bolden, who was drafted in the seventh round to the New England Patriots on Saturday.
However, along with talking up Bolden, Sanders also called out the 31 other teams that passed on HBCU players.
“So proud is you [Isaiah Bolden],” Sanders posted on Twitter. “You deserved to be drafted much higher but I’m truly proud of u. I know how much u want this. I’m ashamed of the 31 other NFL teams that couldn’t find draft value in ALL of the talented HBCU players & we had 3 more draft worthy players at JSU.”
So proud is you @isaiahbolden23 You deserved to be drafted much higher but I'm truly proud of u. I know how much u want this. I'm ashamed of the 31 other @nfl teams that couldn't find draft value in ALL of the talented HBCU players & we had 3 more draft worthy players at JSU. pic.twitter.com/BfEm3zIGPH
— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) April 30, 2023
Bolden was the only HBCU player drafted this year after four were selected in the 2022 NFL draft.
There’s clearly a bunch of talent in HBCU schools that haven’t received the recognition they deserve, and in many ways, having a legendary name like Sanders tied to Jackson State, helped elevate those programs.
Bolden is an electric athlete that could pop immediately for the Patriots as a kick returner. He led the FCS in kick return average in 2021 with 36.9 yards per return.
So he’s certainly a player capable of helping the Patriots right out of the gates.
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