JSU legend Payton weighs in on Sanders
Like any other alumnus, Jackson State legend Eddie Payton is rooting for Deion Sanders to succeed.
Payton has seen as much success at Jackson State as anyone. He was a SWAC champion on the football field alongside his NFL Hall of Fame brother Walter Payton. He was a 37-time SWAC champion off the field, leading the men's and women's golf teams as the coach for 30 years.
Now, Payton is a fan. And like any other fan, he's hoping Sanders can restore Jackson State to the prominence he's experienced in the past.
"As an alumnus, any time the administration makes a decision that they feel is in the best interest for Jackson State, I'm going to back the decision they make," Payton told The Clarion Ledger. "First, I'm an alumnus, and I'm going to be an alumnus and support my school. They could've brought anybody
in here that they thought was going to be right for Jackson State. If we as alumni don't get behind them and support that decision, we don't stand a chance."
Payton played five seasons in the NFL, primarily as a kick and punt return specialist. Shortly after his NFL career ended, Payton took over Jackson State's golf program and remained in that capacity until 2016.
That experience gives Payton a pretty good idea of what it takes to succeed
and be embraced by the fanbase. He doesn't want to overstep his bounds. He spoke with Sanders once before the first-year coach arrived in Jackson, then again as recently as the week before Jackson State's opener.
"Eddie has been wonderful in guiding me and giving me wisdom on certain things, as well as Robert Brazile, unbelievable," Sanders told the Clarion Ledger. "Lem Barney because, you know. That's one of my heroes, growing up on that island. Jackie Slater, as well. I'm very respectful when it comes to what they've established here and the road they've paved. Just trying to hold the tradition to a high esteem so they're proud of this historic university."
The advice Payton had for Sanders revolved around embracing the community and valuing the state. First, Payton said any new coach needs to gain the respect of the area. It's not about letting fans know what you are. It's about letting them know who you are.
"Go to churches. Go to junior programs. You've got to include the Jackson community," Payton said. "They don't know you. They only know of you. You've got to get to where people in the Jackson community know you before they will respect you and support you."
From there, it's about turning that respect into success. Winning cures all, by Payton's estimation. Payton said Sanders can succeed by drawing a line between Columbia and Memphis and mining all the talent he can out of that section of the state. Doing that both infuses your program with talent and builds a loyal and local fanbase willing to support you.
"You want to take the fruits that's buried in Mississippi and put it in a position to be successful with them," Payton said. "When Walter and I came to Jackson State, there was no five-star and four-star athletes. It was just guys who could play and guys who couldn't. The coaches at that time had the eye for guys who could play or who they could help become better. That turned the program around."
Payton isn't someone who'll just blindly praise his university, however. In October 2019, Payton was critical of changes Jackson State made to the Walter Payton Center on campus.
He felt the changes harmed the student body in favor of giving preferential treatment to football players and described the plans as "one of the most overt signs of disrespect we have ever seen."
Payton is paying attention. He saw the headlines out of Jackson State's first scrimmage saying the Tigers expect to go undefeated.
The good news? That's Payton's expectation too.
"I am just like everybody else: I bleed blue and white," Payton said. "I will stand up, and I will eat crow if we don't win every game. I expect us to win every game. I'm disappointed when we don't. But I'm standing in the aisles waiting to find out what it is I can do if needed to help."
Contact Nick Suss at 601-4082674 or nsuss@gannett.com. Follow @nicksuss on Twitter.