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Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Richard Johnson

The Most Influential Black Figures in College Football

According to Jackson State’s website, Sanders “changed the game for Tiger Football, the Department of Athletics, the University as a whole, the Southwestern Athletic Conference, College Football, and the Nation.”

Jayne Kamin/Oncea/USA TODAY Sports

1. Deion Sanders (Colorado coach)

USC should be a College Football Playoff contender, but besides the Trojans, there won’t be a single program west of Texas with more eyes on it than Colorado as Coach Prime brings his talents to the Pac-12. It feels like anything is well within the realm of possibility for the time he’s there, from an extraordinary flameout to a conference championship (especially when USC and UCLA leave for Big Ten pastures). Sanders is a singular force of nature unlike anything we currently have in college football. Will the act wear thin if the wins don’t come quickly? Or will Sanders be able to keep a charm offensive going in Boulder for the long haul? The eyes of more than just the college football world will be on CU.

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