Eddie Robinson Jr. apologized to Deion Sanders because he was simply living by the rule he set for his team and program at Alabama State.

The Hornets coach joined “College Football Live” earlier this week to explain why he released a statement Sunday, a day after tempers were short following Jackson State’s 26-12 win over Alabama State.

“I acknowledged coach Sanders by shaking his hand after the game,” Robinson said in a statement on Sunday. “I chose not to embrace him for reasons stated in my post-game presser. In my attempt to avoid the embrace, I extended my hand to discourage the contact, and coach Sanders responded by pushing my arm away.”

On Tuesday, Robinson explained why he released the statement.

“I have one rule in life, and I explained this to the kids,” Robinson said. “The rule I have for the team is be in control of yourself at all times. No matter the situation, you conduct yourself like that on the field and off the field. So, to me, some of the words I used, the language always has to be appropriate. You realize that you’re always the Alabama State University head football coach no matter what.”

After the game Saturday, there was a handshake, then Sanders tried to hug Robinson, but the Hornets coach appears to shove Sanders away. Sanders, surrounded by police escorts, seemed aggravated by the gesture.

“You’re representing the University, the president, the board of trustees, the AD, everybody, our fans, alumni,” he said. “So, from that standpoint, I think you have you have to be 100 percent in protocol. I was a little off on that.

“No matter how the emotions are, it’s an emotional game. We’re emotional when we win. We’re emotional when we lose.”

In Robinson’s post-game press conference, he pointed out Sanders had been disrespectful all week.

“We didn’t talk in the pregame,” he said on Saturday. “I was out there the whole time at the 50 yard line. He walked around our offensive huddle and our whole end zone. He came the long way around to get to his side of the field. I thought that wasn’t classy at all. …

“He ain’t SWAC. I’m SWAC. He ain’t SWAC.”

Robinson said that’s where he made his mistake.

“At the end of the day, you always have to conduct yourself as the head coach, and I felt like I errored in that part,” he explained. ‘When you do those things, you have to apologize for it. You have to let the kids know you are human. … We have to accept that responsibility.”

Mark Heim is a sports reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim.