Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders said after his coaching debut in Jackson State on Sunday that his personal items were stolen from the coaches’ office during the Tigers’ 53-0 win over Edward Waters’ NAIA program, leaving him with ‘mixed feelings’. had about the day.
“First, the kids played really well,” said a visibly upset Sanders at his post-game press conference before moving on, “but while the game was on, someone came in and stole everything I had in the coaches’ office. Credit cards, wallet, watches. Thank God I had my necklaces on.
The school later told ESPN that Sanders’ items were “misplaced and found.”
But Sanders disputed that the items were misplaced in a series of tweets later Sunday, saying his assistant walked into a man who was in the process of committing the theft.
No, it was stolen, but they got it back. It had been stolen from my personal bag in my office and my assistant caught the gentleman stealing, but she was alone. No miscommunication at all my husband https://t.co/foXTKwqsQC
– COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) February 22, 2021
Whoever tells the lie that my belongings were not stolen LIES. My belongings were taken from a zipper bag in my office and more items were also taken from my office. We’ve been collecting them since they were reported. My co-worker witnessed the crime. #Truth
– COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) February 22, 2021
Sanders went on to say the items have been retrieved since they were reported missing.
Sanders, who played Major League Baseball in addition to being a two-time Super Bowl champion, is his first college-level head football coach. Before that, he served as the offensive coordinator at Trinity Christian School in Cedar Hill, Texas for three seasons.
Sanders announced on his podcast “21st and Prime” in September that he would become the next head coach at Jackson State. The Tigers game on Sunday was the first in a seven-game spring schedule running through April. It was also Jackson State’s first shutout since September 6, 2014.
Jackson State will host Mississippi Valley State next Saturday, kicking off the season of the Southwest Athletic Conference.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.