Before torrential rainfall drenched fans and the field at Hard Rock Stadium on Sept. 5, Florida A&M head coach Willie Simmons made his way to the 50-yard line to meet his adversary in Jackson State football coach Deion Sanders.
Simmons, who was kicking off his fourth season as the Rattlers football coach and first season in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, greeted the Pro Football Hall of Famer moments before the kickoff of the Orange Blossom Classic. The two coaches shared words that would serve as a foreshadowing of the 2021 season.
“We said on the 50-yard line that the winner of this game would win the [SWAC] East and the other one would be on the outside looking in,” Simmons told reporters during the conference's weekly coaches call.