Former Dem congressman suggests Shedeur Sanders fell in NFL Draft because 'America fears strong black men'

After NFL backmost imaginable Shedeur Sanders was not selected successful the archetypal circular of the NFL Draft Thursday, galore critics debated wherefore connected societal media. 

Former Democratic U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman joined the statement Friday, suggesting the crushed Sanders slid was due to the fact that "America continues to fearfulness beardown achromatic men." Bowman besides compared the 23-year-old backmost to erstwhile NFL prima Eli Manning, who refused to play for the San Diego Chargers aft being selected with the No. 1 prime successful 2004. 

"The NFL doesn’t similar [Shedeur]Sanders due to the fact that helium wears golden chains and talks similar a rapper. They don’t attraction that he’s a leader, intelligent, pugnacious and completed 77% of his passes with nary O-line and nary moving game. He’s entitled but Eli Manning wasn’t entitled erstwhile helium refused to beryllium drafted by San Diego?" Bowman wrote connected X. 

"He’s not athletic, but that didn’t halt Joe Montana, Drew Brees oregon Tom Brady. America continues to fearfulness beardown achromatic men who travel from means and person a beardown consciousness of themselves without submitting to the 'dominant' culture."

NFL DRAFT QUARTERBACK MISTAKES THAT SHAPED LEAGUE LANDSCAPE

Bowman added successful the video that helium expects the Cleveland Browns to prime Sanders with the archetypal prime of the 2nd circular Friday night. 

"It's the mode Shedeur dresses. It's the mode helium talks, and it's his culture, successful my opinion. You spot him astatine the draught past night. He's wearing each black. He got the L concatenation on, and helium talks similar a rapper," Bowman said. 

The archetypal subordinate selected successful the draught was erstwhile Miami backmost Cam Ward, who is besides Black. Twenty-five of the 32 players selected successful the archetypal circular Friday were Black men.

Broadcasts of the draught offered regular shots from wrong the Sanders household successful Texas arsenic the household waited for Shedeur's sanction to beryllium called. 

GET FULL 2025 NFL DRAFT COVERAGE WITH REAL-TIME PICKS, EXPERT ANALYSIS AND CAN'T-MISS MOMENTS

Colorado caput manager Deion Sanders, left, talks with his son, backmost Shedeur Sanders, earlier passing drills astatine Colorado's NFL shot pro time April 4, 2025, successful Boulder, Colo.  (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

The shots showed the household had installed a multi-layer support that included a headdress for each 32 NFL teams. But the 23-year-old aspiring pro did not get to enactment immoderate of them connected successful solemnisation Thursday. 

At 1 constituent during the quarterback's slide, his different brother, NFL information imaginable Shilo Sanders, insisted "something is going on" with Shedeur not being selected. 

"Bro, if they don't instrumentality you close now, it's thing going on," Shilo said. "If they don't instrumentality him close now, it's thing going on. I don't cognize what's going on, but it's something."

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Colorado Buffaloes backmost Shedeur Sanders celebrates aft defeating the Arizona State Sun Devils astatine Mountain America Stadium. (Mark J. Rebilas/USA Today Sports)

In footage posted by Deion Jr., Shedeur addressed not being taken successful a code to his household erstwhile the archetypal nighttime of the draught was over.

"We each didn't expect this, of course, but I consciousness similar with God, thing possible, everything possible. I don't consciousness similar this happened for nary reason. All of this is, of course, substance to the fire. Under nary circumstances did we each cognize this was going to happen, but we recognize we connected to bigger and amended things," the backmost said. 

"Tomorrow's the day. We going to beryllium blessed regardless. Legendary."

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports sum connected X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.