The Clarion Ledger's Sam Sklar acknowledged that Deion Sanders' legacy at Jackson State has already been surpassed by his Tigers head coaching replacement, TC Taylor, after JSU won the 2024 Celebration Bowl.
"Deion Sanders took Jackson State to the Celebration Bowl twice, losing in 2021 and 2022, then left for Colorado with his star players, including Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders. It only took two seasons for Taylor to match and top what Sanders accomplished with the Celebration Bowl win," Sklar wrote.
Taylor had the faith of his players, who he acknowledged earned his trust when they responded well to a September 21 loss to Grambling State.
“Coach TC, knew what it looked like,” said defensive lineman Jeremiah Williams, the game’s defensive MVP. “It's why he won (SWAC) Coach of the Year. We've been here three times, and he knew he was going to get it done eventually. It was the small things. He put the pieces together.”
As Taylor revealed before the Celebration Bowl, Sanders reached out to him and offered words of encouragement.
“He's always supported me,” Taylor told the Clarion Ledger on December 10. “That's why it was good to hear from him. After that game, he was just telling me to go win this one this weekend."
Sanders likely cares little about being seen as the greatest coach in Jackson State's history. Given the circumstances surrounding his exit, he probably figured that his immediate replacement would be in a better place to win.
Taylor was, and he did. Mission accomplished for a school that never saw this level of success during its "Prime Time" era.