*Charles Barkley is donating $1 million to Jackson State University to show some love to the HBCU following the exit of the beloved head coach of the school’s football team, Deion Sanders.
“They’re probably gonna take a little hit with him leaving, so I want to show them some love because, man, what (Sanders) accomplished there was pretty extraordinary,” Barkley said, according to Clarion Ledger.
As EUR previously reported, Sanders gave up his head coaching gig at the university for a position at the University of Colorado. The new job reportedly comes with a $29.5 million salary.
Barkley will also donate $1 million each toward ALS research in honor of his former Auburn teammate Gary Godfrey and HBCU Bethune-Cookman University.
READ MORE: Deion Sanders is Leaving Jackson State HBCU to Coach Colorado Because That was the GOAL | VIDEO
“I’m (expletive) 60 [years old] in a couple of months, which is crazy,” Barkley told AL.com. “All this [expletive] money is crazy. I’m gonna use the rest of my life to bless as many people as I possibly can.”
JSU was pleasantly surprised by his generosity.
“We are very thankful and look forward to working with Mr. Barkley to facilitate this generous gift,” Yolanda Owens, interim vice president for institutional advancement, said Monday to the Clarion Ledger. “We appreciate his acknowledgment of Jackson State University and the great work that goes on at our institution. Because of his generosity, JSU will have an opportunity to support institutional priorities at a greater level and continue the efforts to elevate the university.”
Donating to HBCUs is something Barkley has been doing for years. In 2016, he gave millions to Alabama A&M and Clark Atlanta; Morehouse in 2017; Miles and Tuskegee in 2020; and Spelman earlier in 2022, per the Clarion-Ledger.
“I’m just so lucky and blessed beyond anything I can imagine,” Barkley told AL.com, as reported by the Clarion Ledger.
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