I’m not going to say the main reason… [Deion Sanders] was definitely a reason why I went there. He made it attractive enough to even consider it because honestly, even with him there, at first I didn’t all the way consider it. After getting there and experiencing everything  [Jackson State] had to offer, I understood exactly what I was getting out of Jackson State. And I knew that’s what I wanted.

Detroit Lions rookie defensive end James Houston, IV on why he chose to transfer to Jackson State from Florida.

There is a reason James Houston, IV is called, “The Problem.” In just three games for the Detroit Lions, the former Jackson State HBCU All-American has four sacks. In his first game after being called up from the practice squad the week of Thanksgiving, he recorded two sacks in the loss to the Bills. In front of a nationally televised audience, Houston registered two sacks in the loss to the Bills. He has registered a sack each in the two subsequent games against the Jaguars and the Vikings, both wins. He was signed to the active roster on November 28 and is now second on the Lions depth chart. Houston talked to Donal Ware about initially being cut by the Lions, the business side of the NFL, his “skip” sack against Jacksonville and what Jackson State and the HBCU experience meant to him. Download or listen.