Deion Sanders is gone, but Jackson State football will have another megastar on its side when it kicks off the college football season — Diddy.
Sean “Diddy” Combs will be in Atlanta on Saturday when Jackson State takes on South Carolina State in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge. Diddy will be on hand to deliver a $1 million check to the Jackson State University football program on Saturday, according to ESPN Event’s John Grant, who runs both the MEAC/SWAC Challenge and the Celebration Bowl.
“He will be there,” Grant told Dr. Cavil’s Inside The HBCU Sports Lab on Thursday. “Going to be there to enjoy the game. He will be speaking with the team before and you may see him run out with the team as an honorary captain.”
Saturday’s appearance is part of a pledge that Combs, who attended Howard University in the 1980s, made over a year ago. While receiving a lifetime achievement award at the BET Awards, Diddy made a big proclamation.
“I want to donate a million dollars to Howard University,” Combs told the crowd while accepting his award, flanked by Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds and Kanye West. “Also I’m gonna drop another million dollars on Deion Sanders and Jackson State, because we should play for us. Thank you everyone from the bottom of my heart, I love y’all — peace.”
Of course, in the months that followed, Deion Sanders led Jackson State football to a SWAC title and a 12-1 record before taking his talents, his coaching staff and his sons to Colorado. Many people wondered if Diddy would keep his word with the departure. That was confirmed earlier this summer when Combs sent the first installment to Jackson State.
