Deion Sanders highlights James Houston during Colorado practice
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Although Deion Sanders is years removed from his Jackson State experience, he recently brought up one of his greatest HBCU success stories. James Houston IV has gone on to have a promising career in the NFL after his season at Jackson State with Deion Sanders.
“Can you give your absolute all? Can you give every darn thing you got? Can you exhaust yourself? How many guys, anybody know anybody that’s in the pros right now? I’m not talking about trying out. I’m talking about on the team. Who you know, Coach Art?”
When the Coach brought up James Houston, Sanders spoke about the Dallas Cowboys defensive star’s motor.
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“When [he] turn that, when that ball said hut, what did he do?” Sanders asked.
The coach replied, “Oh, he went and got the guy. He did that.”
Sanders asked, “Every play?”
“Every play.”
Houston launched his college career at the University of Florida before transferring to Jackson State ahead of the 2021 season, linking up with Deion Sanders in the early days of his tenure. He wasted no time establishing himself as one of the SWAC’s most disruptive defenders, closing out the year with 70 tackles, 24.5 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks and seven forced fumbles. He also got in on the scoring, taking both an interception and a fumble back for touchdowns.
That breakout season landed him First-Team All-SWAC honors and helped drive Jackson State to a conference title and a berth in the Cricket Celebration Bowl. His stock soared as a result, and the Detroit Lions took him in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 217th overall. He spent three seasons in Detroit and made a brief stop with the Cleveland Browns before signing with the Dallas Cowboys.
Houston never cracked the starting lineup in Dallas, working instead in a rotational role across all 17 games, but he still made his presence felt on defense. He finished with 35 total tackles, 5.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, with his sack total trailing only Jadeveon Clowney on the team.
He was recently named the NFLPA’s 2026 Black College Football Pro Player of the Year, and spoke about the honor in a statement obtained by the Dallas Cowboys.
“Being selected as this year’s NFLPA Black College Football Pro Player of the Year means a lot to me,” Houston said/ “My time at Jackson State made me into the man and player I am today, and I’m proud to be a part of the legacy that HBCU players have built and will continue to build on and off the field. Thank you to the NFLPA for their support and investment into HBCU programs and players.”
Related: Texas Southern eyes Jackson State AD Ashley Robinson for vacant position
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