We've got some Nole-on-Nole crime going on. Or is it Nole-on-Tornado?
At his regular in-season press conference earlier this week, a reporter made an off-hand comment referencing Deion Sanders as a former Seminole when he interrupted that, in fact, that he wasn't a former Seminole.
“No, no, no…actually, do you know where I graduated from? I graduated from an HBCU,” Sanders said. “So I'm a who? No, I'm a who? I thought it's where you graduated from, isn't it? Why do you keep calling me that when you know where I graduated from? I'm an HBCU grad.”
Sanders played football and baseball and ran track at Florida State from 1985-88. A 2-time unanimous All-American and a Thorpe Award winner as the nation's best defensive back, Sanders went into the FSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1994, had his jersey No. 2 retired the following year, and went into the College Football Hall of Fame as a Seminole in 2011.
But apparently that experience is out-weighed by the fast track degree program for adults with busy lives that Sanders completed through Talladega College in August 2020. Go Tornadoes?
“I understand the screams and the yells and the adulation from your peers because I felt that on the field,” he said at the time. “But, sitting here, seeing your faces, seeing the joy, seeing the respect, seeing the work, seeing the toil, and the satisfaction when you walk across the stage blessed me so, so much.”
As the comment made the rounds on the Internet, former Seminole Danny Kanell chimed in.
Wow. The lack of respect for the school that gave him his start is wild. The same school that retired his jersey. The same school that let him be Prime.
— Danny Kanell (@dannykanell) August 30, 2023
There is a way to handle this question and this ain’t it. pic.twitter.com/Mw3D0BHmyJ
Now a commentator for CBS Sports, Kanell played quarterback for Florida State from 1992-95. He backed up Charlie Ward on FSU's 1993 national championship team before starting in 1994 and '95 (meaning he was there when Sanders was honored with the FSU Hall of Fame induction and the No. 2 jersey retirement).
Sanders saw the comment and took time away from game-planning for No. 17 TCU to fire back at Kanell.
My man ain't Nobody let me be me! I was Him and still is. Your jersey only get retired if you're a Dogg and 1 of the greatest ever and I was. Ain't nobody give me nothing, I took it and earned it. Stay out of Grown folks business u have no idea what is what. The Truth hurts my… https://t.co/L6CHdVTumj
— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) August 31, 2023
Sanders sent this tweet later Thursday morning. It might've been sent directly at Kanell, or he might've completely forgotten Kanell's existence moments after the original tweet. Both outcomes seem equally probable.
— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) August 31, 2023
Either way, Sanders clearly holds a level of animosity toward Florida State, and Florida State certainly holds a high level of animosity toward arguably the greatest player to ever wear the garnet and gold.
When No. 1 recruit Travis Hunter flipped from Florida State to Jackson State on Dec. 15, 2021, a Seminole fan started a Change.org petition to un-retire Deion's No. 2 from FSU football. At press time, that petition had 90 of its targeted 100 signatures.
