Looking back, Sanders realizes it was “stupid” to rush his return, because he was weak and had lost about 40 pounds. “It wasn’t a good decision,” he says, but “God saw me through.”
Sanders, a vocal supporter of historically Black colleges and universities, has pledged to donate half of his coaching salary back to Jackson State, an HBCU. He recently tweeted: “Lord thank u for allowing me to do what I Love and Love what I do. These young men are keeping me Young & Able.”
Sanders, also a former MLB standout, is the person to play in both a Super Bowl and a World Series. On the football field, he wore number 21, and now “God always shows me 21 in different ways,” he says. Jackson State named Sanders its 21st head football coach on February 21, 2021.
