Deion Sanders Leaves Interview After Reporter Calls Him by First Name Twice: 'Don't Do That'

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While former NFL and MLB player Deion Sanders may have gone by his nickname, "Prime Time," during his playing days, he prefers to be called "Coach" today — and make no mistake about it.

According to ESPN, Sanders — the head coach of the Jackson State football team — corrected a reporter who referred to him by his first name during a media event on Tuesday ahead of the new season.

"You don't call [Alabama's] Nick Saban, 'Nick.' Don't call me Deion," Sanders, 53, told the reporter from the Clarion-Ledger.

"If you call Nick [Saban], Nick, you'll get cussed out on the spot," he continued, "so don't do that to me. Treat me like Nick."

Sanders, who led Jackson State to a 4-3 record last year, then walked out of the event after being referred to his first name for a second time, the Clarion-Ledger reported. Sanders later posted footage of the moment to his Twitter account, which showed him walking away from the camera following his interaction with reporter Nick Suss.

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In a follow-up tweet, Sanders said he had a "great time" at the event and claimed he "never left" the conference.

"Respect is something that u must demand & stand for," Sanders wrote in a message on Wednesday morning. "Give respect & honor those that should be respected & if u don't respect them don't allow your feelings to escalate the situation into something else unhealthy."

"Learn to walk away & see another day your way," he continued, in part.

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In a response to the Clarion-Ledger, Suss said he typically refers to the people he interviews by their first name, including Alabama's Saban.

"When I interview people, I call them by their first name," he told the outlet. "Whether it's someone I've been working with for years or someone I'm talking to for the first time."

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"This is true of the coaches and players on the Ole Miss beat, the coaches and players at Mississippi State and Southern Miss when I help out covering their teams," he added, "and as recently as January, even Sanders, too."

Jackson State's first game of the season is on Sept. 5 against Florida A&M.