What Jackson State's Deion Sanders said about Eddie Robinson Jr. rejecting his postgame hug

Jackson State football and coach Deion Sanders played spoiler and defeated Alabama State 26-12 on the Hornets' homecoming Saturday. Then Alabama State coach Eddie Robinson Jr. played spoiler to Sanders after the game.

Sanders shook hands with Robinson and tried to add a postgame hug, but Robinson Jr. rejected Sanders attempt in a moment that captured the tenor of the Southwestern Athletic Conference rivalry.

Sanders wore a surprised look on his face and opened his palms after Robinson Jr. pulled away. Robinson felt Sanders was disrespectful in the media leading up to the game and pregame on the field during pregame, he said.

"My exact words was, 'Hey man, you had them ready to play. Good game,'" Sanders said. "Shook hands and tried to embrace and he pushed off. That was it."

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The two did not meet on the field before the game. Jackson State arrived later than planned to ASU Stadium because of traffic from Birmingham to Montgomery.

"It could be a plethora of things," Sanders added. "I think he thought he was going to get a win. I don't know why he would've ever thought that. ... Secondly he said that I didn't come to greet him in the center of the field. I don't know if you understand but we got here very late. So that expedited our whole process of preparation. So then we were in like, 'let's go get it (mode)."

Reach out to USA TODAY Network's Jerell Rushin at jrushin@gannett.com and @JerellRushin_ on Tiwtter.