In the wake of Migos member Takeoff’s untimely passing, Jackson State University’s (JSU) football coach and NFL legend Deion Sanders is taking every precaution to protect his players.
In a video shared on YouTube on Tuesday (Nov. 1), Sanders has forbade his JSU players from leaving their Houston hotel this weekend. During an impassioned speech to the football team, he addressed the rapper’s death and noted that he was shot in the same area where they will play against the Texas Southern Tigers on Saturday (Nov. 5).
“I am just sick and tired of the consistency of people that are influential to you leaving us — that’s our rappers,” he said. “Takeoff was murdered in a dice game in Houston — where we’re going. So that eliminates all of y’all leaving that hotel. It ain’t happening until I give you further notice. So whatever her name is — whoever she is — they are going to come to the hotel to visit you because y’all ain’t leaving.”
The 55-year-old coach said his team may need to undergo drastic life changes to prevent similar incidents from occurring again. “Sooner or later, we have to start changing our addresses, guys. That’s an analogy to say, ‘I know we are this, but we ain’t that.’ We got to leave that behind. Now you guys are Jackson State royalty. You’re not whoever you were a year ago. You’re not even who you are going to be a year from now — which is a blessing. But you can’t continuously do the things you [did] and expect to get [different] results. There is going to have to be a change. All of us [are] going through drastic changes. All of us are still evolving into what God has called us to be, and that’s change. You cannot kick it with the same dudes you kicked it with. You cannot associate in the same realms that you associated with. You gon’ have to change if you expect change,” he expressed.
According to TMZ, Sanders’ touching speech comes nearly a year to the day rapper Young Dolph was fatally gunned down in his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. The football coach penned a prayer on his Twitter account, hoping the rumors of the passing of his friend weren’t true. “I hope to God these rumors ain’t true about my friend, my brother, and a man dear to my sons @YoungDolph. Lord, help us as a people stop the hate, the violence, and the hopelessness. When we realize we matter, others will as well. Lord, help us right now. #CoachPrime,” he wrote.
Check out coach Sanders’ speech and his tweet on Young Dolph down below:
I hope to God these rumors ain’t true about my friend, my brother and a man dear to my Sons @YoungDolph . Lord help us as a people stop the hate, the violence and the hopelessness. When we realize we matter others will as well. Lord help us right now. #CoachPrime
— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) November 17, 2021