JSU's Deion Sanders Addresses 'Unbelievable' Water Crisis in Jackson, Mississippi

Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders discussed the ongoing water crisis within Jackson, Mississippi on USA Today's Sports Seriously on Thursday:

"I'm elated to be a part of them and in this fight with them just for equality. When you just sit there and think about Jackson is the darn state's capital and we dealing with this issue. We dealing with raggedy streets and I mean unpaid situations and, even at HBCU level would or overlooked and underserved it, it's unbelievable."

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves declared the water crisis to be a federal emergency last month, while the Environmental Protection Agency said there have been 300 boil-water notices over the past two years, as well as multiple line breaks.

Jackson's residents are 80 percent Black, and 25 percent of its citizens are in poverty, per Michael Goldberg of the Associated Press.

Sanders praised those in Jackson for their resilience, while noting the value his football team can have for the city.

"We give them hope. We give them an escape every darn weekend, and usually that weekend comes out victorious and they even more elated and forget about the nuances and the nonsense of that's happening in Jackson with the state and the government," Sanders said.

Sanders was a Hall of Fame cornerback during his playing career, but he has been plenty successful since becoming a coach.

The 55-year-old is in his third season at Jackson State, having led the Tigers to an 11-2 record and 9-0 conference mark in 2021. The team is 4-0 to begin the 2022 season after a 49-7 blowout win over Mississippi Valley State on Saturday.