Maroon Magazine Jan/Feb 2014 Debut Issue by Maroon Magazine

MAROON - GAMETIME

FINS DOWN... >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> EGG BOWL MISS. STATE - 17 OLE MISS - 10 Sophomore RB Josh Robinson let the Ole Miss defense know they could not stop him after scoring this second quarter touchdown to put MSU up 7-0 in the Bulldogs win over the Rebels Thanksgiving night. The win put MSU at 6-6 overall and made the Bulldogs bowl eligible for the 4th consecutive year. Photos by Angie Ledbetter, The Panolian

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COMEBACK KID... >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> EGG BOWL MISS. STATE - 17 OLE MISS - 10 Injured Sophomore QB Dak Prescott entered the game early in the fourth quarter to lead the Bulldogs to an overtime win over arch-rival Ole Miss in the 86th edition of the Egg Bowl on Thanksgiving night. Prescott scored the winning TD on a 3-yard run to put State up 17-10 in the first OT. We all know what happened after that. Photos by Greg Pevey, Maroon Magazine

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2>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> FOR 2... 2013 CONERLY AWARD DECEMBER 3, 2013 After leading Mississippi State to its fourth-straight bowl game, a first in program history, senior left guard Gabe Jackson was named the 2013 C Spire Conerly Trophy winner (given annually to the student-athlete voted the most outstanding collegiate football player in the state of Mississippi). Jackson was also tabbed as the first-ever Kent Hull Trophy recipient, given to the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top offensive lineman. Jackson is a three-time 2013 SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week, becoming the first league lineman to receive three or more selections in the same year since former Bulldog Derek Sherrod in 2010. Photos by Greg Pevey, Maroon Magazine

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LOUNGING AROUND... >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Fans packed the “Left Field Lounge” during the Bulldogs opening game against Central Arkansas on May 31 at the Starkville Regional. The crowd of 11,102 enjoyed a great game and atmosphere as MSU took the opener 5-3 over the Bears. State won the Regional in a Game 7 rematch with UCA by beating the Bears 6-1 on June 3 and advanced to play host Virginia in the Virginia Super Regional. The total attendance for the four-day event at Dudy-Noble Field was 61,433. Photo by Greg Pevey, Maroon Magazine

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MAROON

FROM THE PUBLSIHER

MAGAZINE

elcome to the debut issue of Maroon Magazine! For far too long Bulldog fans have been missing a more “fan friendly” publication about the school they love. Maroon will publish bi-monthly and give you an inside look into the world of Mississippi State athletics like no other publication has before. MSU has it’s own traditions and heritage that fans are proud of and we look forward to delving into that history with you. We hope we’ll even teach you a thing or two about MSU that you may not even know. Most importantly, this magazine is about MSU, not “the School up North” or even “the School down South.” There are enough good things going on at MSU to talk about than to worry about those guys. Maroon will feature writers and columnists, who cover and follow MSU on a daily basis, that will give you the coverage you deserve. Each issue will feature amazing photos of Bulldog sports, campus events, and the Bulldog community. So sit back and enjoy and watch us grow to be a publication no Bulldog fan should be without. Go Dawgs! Greg Pevey, Publisher

Volume 1, Issue 1 2014 BASEBALL ISSUE January/February 2014

Published by Pevey Publishing, LLC

Publishers Greg & Mendy Pevey

Featured Columnists Justin R. Sutton, Jake Wimberly

Contributing Writers Paul Jones

Maroon Magazine™ is published bi-monthly by Pevey Publishing, LLC to promote Mississippi State University and its athletic programs in an informative and positive manner. We welcome contributions of articles and photos; however, they will be subject to editing and availability of space and subject matter. Photographs, comments, questions, subscription requests and ad placement inquiries are invited! Return envelopes and postage must accompany all labeled materials submitted if a return is requested. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. The opinions expressed in Maroon Magazine are those of the authors or columnists and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, nor do they constitute an endorsement of products or services herein. We reserve the right to refuse any advertisement. Pevey Publishing, LLC is not affiliated with any institution, college, university, or other academic or athletic organization. Subscriptions are $24 (1 year, 6 issues) or $40 (2 years - 12 issues). Make checks payable to Maroon Magazine and mail to: P.O.Box 5842, Brandon, MS 39047 or subscribe online at www. maroonmagazine.com.

Contributing Photographers Aaron Boersma, Angie Ledbetter, Greg Pevey, Miss. State Sports Information,

Advertising Sales Greg Pevey maroonpublisher@gmail.com

Pevey Publishing, LLC Maroon Magazine P.O. Box 5842 • Brandon, MS 39047 Phone: 601-503-7205 • Fax: 601-992-2885 email: maroonpublisher@gmail.com www.maroonmagazine.com

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Photo courtesy the Tennessee Titans

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

Email:_________________________________________________________

Photo by Greg Pevey, Maroon Magazine™

CONTENTS... COMMENTARY

COVER CREDITS...

15 FIRST & GOAL: JAKE WIMBERLY

32 FROM LEFT FIELD: JUSTIN R. SUTTON

Amongst the Emotion - Cohen was the right choice after all

A legend is born

FEATURES 12

Q&A - Scott Stricklin

BULLDOG FLASHBACK

Your MSU Athletic Director discusses Bulldog baseball, Dan Mullen, stadium expansions all over campus, and more

Starkville native and former MSU place-kicker Artie Cosby still works, lives and plays in Oktibbeha County

PLAYER PROFILE: OFFENSE DAK PRESCOTT

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? – JEFF BRANTLEY

Bulldog QB talks about this past season, losing his mother, and what to expect from him in 2014.

Catching up with former Bulldog relief pitcher and MLB All-Star Jeff Brantley

15 PLAYER PROFILE: DEFENSE BERNARDRICK McKINNEY

Rosa Fort native talks about his move from QB in high school to becoming an potential All-Star at linebacker

Assistant coach talks about what made him get into coaching, being a role model to his players, recruiting, and coaching his son Jay

ALL ACCESS: TONY HUGHES

2014 BULLDOG BASEBALL PREVIEW

To Contact MAROON MAGAZINE > LETTERS, STORY IDEAS AND PHOTO SUBMISSIONS • Email us at maroonpublisher@gmail.com or mail to Maroon Magazine, P.O. Box 5842, Brandon, Mississippi 39047. Letters should include writer’s full name, address and home phone number and may be edited for clarity and space.

Dak Prescott photo by Aaron Boersma; Jonathan Holder and Wes Rea photos courtesy Miss. State Media Relations.

WHAT’S NEXT... 2014 SIGNING DAY RECAP, SPRING FOOTBALL PREVIEW & MORE Maroon Magazine will breakdown the 2014 Bulldog signing class and detail the top players, the sleepers and more, preview the upcoming Spring football practice sessions, profile MSU strength coach Richard Akins, talk baseball and more in the March/April issue. MAROON MAGAZINE - 9

S T

O A

Amongst the Emotion – Cohen was the right choice after all BY JAKE WIMBERLY

othing describes a legend more than when you can rattle off their accomplishments and you then stand in awe of their achievements. 1,373 career wins, five SEC regular season championships, five SEC tournament championships, eight College World Series appearances with three different teams and a 2009 College Baseball Hall of Fame induction. This is the legacy of Ron Polk, and Polk built Mississippi State baseball into the power house that it is today. Everywhere you go around Duty Noble field you are reminded of what Polk did and accomplished. From the left field lounge, to pact stadiums – to his name plastered on the outfield wall – Polk’s legend will always be a part of Mississippi State. So after his second stint as skipper of the Bulldog baseball team came to a close, it would only seem fitting that the man that built it all would decide his successor, right? Well in most cases yes, as we have seen several times in the sports world - coaches, athletic directors and other “tenured” employees of their institutions are allowed free rein, to pick and choose their successors or make decisions that directly impact their departments or programs, for the future. We’ve seen it at Alabama, Ohio State and Michigan in football. They want “their” guy to be vested in the program, from the program and with no outsiders considered. Sometimes it works, other times it doesn’t, and then sometimes outsiders are hired and everything works out just fine. So when Polk decided to step down, he instantly lobbied for then - assistant coach and MSU alum, Tommy Raffo, to get the job. Greg Byrne – then the brand new athletic director at Mississippi State, had other ideas. Byrne had his eye set on John Cohen. Cohen and Byrne were familiar with each other from their days together at the University of Florida. 10 - MAROON MAGAZINE

Keep in mind that both Raffo and Cohen were Polks boys at one time. Both played for Polk, both were Mississippi State guys and neither were outsiders, so what was the big deal? Well, Byrne was bucking Polk and that made it a big deal. You just don’t typically buck a legend but Byrne stuck to his guns and hired Cohen, setting off a furious Ron Polk. “Now he’s got me on the war path and all I can do is hurt him,” Polk said of Byrne in a phone interview with The Associated Press from Athens, Ga., where he was watching Georgia play North Carolina State, in an NCAA super regional in 2008. “I’m going to do everything I can to make his life miserable.” Polk continued, “Now our new athletic director throws me under the bus, slaps me in the face, punches me in the stomach,” Polk said. “Technically, he did the same thing with Tommy Raffo and all our coaches, all our signees, returning players and their parents who wanted Tommy all the way. “The only reason why I’m supporting Tommy is John’s got a job,” Polk said. “He’s got a job. Tommy doesn’t have a job. John got a break.” Polk continued, “I heard that John (Cohen) was a strong candidate and that he was interested. So, I called John and told him to please, please don’t take it. I told him, ‘You have a job that pays you well.’ “I was hoping Byrne would say, ‘I was very impressed with Tommy Raffo and you recommend him,” said Polk. And that last statement, “you recommended him” is where the rubber meets the road in this story. The fact that someone bucked Polk infuriated him but Byrne was objective, calculated and stayed the course – he stayed with Cohen. Sometimes when coaches and assistants stay in a program too long, things get stagnant and that is exactly what had happened in Bulldog baseball. Yes, Polk made it back to the World Series in 2007 but, after a 2008 season that saw the Bulldogs finish 23-33, it was apparent this club was missing pitching, quality fielding and timely hitting.

It took Cohen three recruiting classes and around–the–clock effort but, after two straight losing seasons, things started to turn around for the baseball Bulldogs. Cohen never uttered a bad word towards Polk, staying with the mantra this was his “dream” job and he felt he could win a national championship in Starkville. In 2011 the Bulldogs advanced back into post-season play, advancing to a Super Regional and came just shy of a World Series birth against the Florida Gators. 2012 brought a 40 win season, an SEC Tournament Championship and another regional birth and those in Bulldog land started to believe in John Cohen. Cohen has always been not only a Bulldog, but a winner. He built the Kentucky Wildcats, of all teams in baseball, into an SEC power before he arrived in Starkville, advancing twice to post-season play, so it made sense, with his background and love for Mississippi State, he would eventually win in Starkville. Then – just last year, behind a team that Cohen and his staff built from the ground up, he advanced not only to the College World Series but to the National Championship. The Bulldogs came up just short, losing to UCLA, but gave not only Bulldog Nation, but the state of Mississippi a ride they will never forget. Cohen’s 51 wins in 2012 are just three shy of a school record and with the bulk of his team coming back for 2013 and another loaded recruiting class, things look very promising for the Bulldogs in the future. Cohen not only has built a team full of talented players, he’s adjusted as time has gone by, like last year with letting his players implement the famous “Bench Mobb” and allowing everyone grow beards on the team. With names like Holder, Rea, Henderson, Norris, Fitts and others, this team has taken on an identity of its own. From Cohen’s deep pitching staff, to his desire to play “small ball” – Cohen has made this his team, his club and how he envisioned Mississippi State baseball to be. That doesn’t mean what Ron Polk wanted wasn’t right. Both Polk and Cohen want the same thing and that’s for the Mississippi State baseball program to be all it can be. Cohen has shown he was a successful hire by Byrne and, with a little luck, Cohen should one day hoist the National Championship trophy that has eluded the baseball Bulldogs for so long. I just hope before that day comes, all parties involved in 2008 – from Polk, to Raffo, to Cohen and beyond, will have mended any ill will towards one another. See Cohen - Page 31

DAWG BITES

Q&A: SCOTT STRICKLIN By PAUL JONES Contributig Writer

Mississippi State’s Scott Stricklin has held his athletic director post for over three years now, and has witnessed a lot of success within Bulldog athletics. With spring sports nearing, Stricklin reflected back on the past year of Mississippi State athletics MM: Mississippi State has consistently enjoyed success in baseball and has been among the nation’s best in that tradition. But last season the Diamond Dogs reached the National Championship Series at the College World Series. SS: College baseball has seen a lot of success over the last couple of decades. But Mississippi State was kind of ahead of the curve in the 70’s and 80’s as far as the fanbase accepting that sport as being mainstream. So it shouldn’t have really surprised any of us to see what happened in Omaha once our team got on that run and started winning games and how many of our fans were there. There is a reason why the Top 10 largest on-campus crowds in the history of the NCAA have occurred at Dudy Noble Field. Our fans are a big part of why that program is special and why it has been special. It was neat to see that many Mississippi State people out in Omaha to experience that run the team made. It made for a pretty special time. MM: Obviously it is a long season with baseball. But was there a point during that season 12 - MAROON MAGAZINE

Photo courtesy MSU Media Relations

where you thought the team could have that kind of season?

the opportunity to take it down and start over with something brand new.

SS: I told this story before that, before the season, I was checking some vacation plans and Coach (John) Cohen told me this was a pretty special group and to not schedule anything too deep into June. If you recall, we started 3-6 in the SEC. We came home and won two of three against Florida and then went on the road and swept Texas A&M. You could kinda see at that point the momentum start to build and identities and everybody started to accept their role. Probably during that run in April was when we saw it. Other than the weekend at Vandy, I think we won nearly every other weekend. Our SEC record was pretty good from that point on and you could see the confidence starting to build.

MM: How tough is it to make improvements but make sure you keep the Left Field Lounge atmosphere intact?

MM: With talks of improving Dudy Noble Field, where are those talks of expansion right now? SS: We’re going through our studies to see what the best course of action will be. We deserve the best baseball facility in the country. Our fans do, our program does and our players and coaches all deserve that. You drive up to Dudy Noble and look at the structure and think there is nothing wrong with it. But once you get up in it, I think there are things you would like to see done differently. So we are trying to study it and see how doable it is to renovate what we have versus

SS: Well, Left Field Lounge is always going to be part of our baseball program. I think you do look at the whole structure and the whole facility but it would be hard to imagine a time when the Left Field Lounge isn’t a part of Mississippi State baseball. MM: What other expansion plans are there for other MSU sports? SS: Well, we are wrapping up Davis Wade Stadium. I say wrapping up, but before next season we will have it finished and ready to go a few weeks before the 2014 season. We have a lot of olympic sports we would like to impact from a facility standpoint, too. Our soccer team, we need a locker room on site instead of making them have to dress at Humphrey Coliseum. Our golf teams have had a lot of success lately and we need to build them a clubhouse. I think there are some exciting ideas taking place right now related to that. We have a design for renovation at tennis and softball grandstand and we are trying to identify some funding there. We actually have had some gifts and private gifts to come in that are for that (softball and tennis) and we need a couple of more. And then it is just a matter of making sure

Photo courtesy MSU Media Relations

time they step on the court. I think that is why our men had some success late in the season last year. They had a winning record in the month of March when it would’ve been easy to just pack it in and say let’s wait for next year. And our women had a big win on Senior Day last year, beating No. 11 Georgia. And they have begun to generate some excitement about women’s basketball here. Photo by Bobby McDuffie

we take really good care of what we have. We just opened up new locker rooms for men’s and women’s basketball and spent over a million and a half dollars for those two projects. MM: Where are things with the softball expansion? SS: We need to find some more money for that and we’ve had a significant gift or two come in. We have the plans but we need to find some more funding. MM: Is MSU still trying to host the SEC softball tournament in 2014 with those expansion plans on hold? SS: 2016 is the year we are looking at. With the commitment we have made to our program, we will host that in our brand-new facility in softball. MM: Your thoughts on the start of Rick Ray

and Vic Shaeffer within their basketball coaching careers at MSU. SS: They are a lot of fun to work with. They both came into situations that were not tailor-made for instant success and they’ve had to roll up their sleeves and get after it. They are different and have different personalities and go about it in different ways. But two things I really love is that first, they both work so well together. The way they share the Mize Pavillion and the Coliseum the way they do is healthy. They have a great relationship with each other and really support each other. You go to a men’s game and you see the women’s staff there supporting the men and viceversa. I think that is really neat. The other thing is they both have tireless work ethic. That goes for not just the head coaches but their entire staffs. You see that in the way their teams play and they take on that personality of busting their tails every

MM: And your thoughts on where head coach Dan Mullen is right now with the football program? SS: You know, Dan has probably had more success in his first five seasons than any coach we’ve had since Allyn McKeen. Sometimes when you have success early and hit a bump, it is easy to take for granted the job he has done. I think Dan is a really good football coach; we did have some inexperience this year and had a tougher schedule than what we’ve had, especially on the non-conference side. That was probably bad timing on my part from the scheduling standpoint. I like the way the program runs on a dayto-day basis. I like how our kids compete and their work ethic and the organization. We have a lot of talent on this team and a lot of young players on this team that we are going to get the chance to sit back and watch the next couple of years. And we will get to see them develop and win some games. I think the future is very, very bright there. - MM

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PLAYER SPOTLIGHT - OFFENSE

DAK PRESCOTT By PAUL JONES

Contributing Writer Photo by Aaron Boersma

>>>>

ak Prescott holds a special place in the hearts and minds of Bulldog nation, and there were many reasons displayed this season. The Mississippi State sophomore quarterback faced his share of challenges on and off the field over the past several months, and like everything else in his life, Prescott has relied on his faith in God and bonds with his family and friends to overcome those challenges. The 6-foot-2 and 230-pound dual-threat signal-caller is also a rarity when it comes to MSU quarterbacks, and not just due to his abilities on the football field. Throughout his coaching career, MSU head coach Dan Mullen has often had his offense center around the talents of quarterbacks and their abilities to run the football and pass the football. Yet for different circumstances and various reasons, Mullen and the Bulldog staff didn’t experience much success in landing that top quarterback target on the recruiting scene. But that wasn’t the case with Prescott. And that process all started in the spring of 2010. While gearing up for his senior season at Haughton (La.) High School, Prescott took a couple of trips to Starkville and observed MSU during spring drills. He was getting behind the offense and stand with Mullen, already getting a good look at the in’s and out’s of Mullen’s spread offense. Later that same year, Prescott displayed his talents in a pair of camp settings, and eventually committed to MSU in the summer of 2010. It was a time that remains fresh on Prescott’s mind. “When I go back to that summer it seems like yesterday,” said Prescott. “Everything stands exactly true from what Coach Mullen and the coaches told me that day to this day now. It is just as simple as that. They didn’t lie to me and told me straight up that it was all up to me when I was ready to play based on how I developed. They said it was on me to see how I could handle myself and handle college football.” After graduating high school one semester early, Prescott quickly saw an opportunity to do big things in Mullen’s system due to his

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abilities and physical play. And that work ethic that earned a Mississippi State offer in the summer of 2010, remained the same as well. “When I got here, I worked my butt off just like I did during those camp times to earn my offer,” said Prescott. “I got myself ready to play and my opportunity came. Now I am enjoying that and just enjoying my relationship with my coaches. They are exactly the same people today as they were when they recruited me.” Also rare in Prescott’s recruitment was the fact he told LSU “thanks, but no thanks” late in the recruiting process. Prescott was also offered by LSU and unlike other top prospects in the state of Louisiana, he preferred to be in the SEC but at a different program than LSU. “Yeah, it’s funny and I was just telling somebody the other day when they asked me why I chose Mississippi State,” said Prescott. “I told them the first thing was the relationship I had with the coaches. I felt like I knew who they were and they knew who I was and we had that good relationship. I just wanted to let everybody know in Louisiana that LSU is not the only school and that we will beat them before I leave this campus.” In his redshirt season at MSU, Prescott got his share of opportunities and accounted for eight touchdowns (four rushing and four passing), and spent that year backing up Tyler Russell. This past season, Prescott stepped into a starting role when Russell suffered a concussion in the opener against Oklahoma State.

Prescott maintained that starter’s role for much of the season until he also suffered an injury against Texas A&M. Despite being hurt late in the year, Prescott still accounted for much production and had 10 rushing touchdowns, a number that led all SEC quarterbacks. He also led MSU in rushing with 722 yards and passed for 1,542 yards and seven touchdowns. He even got involved in the other end of the passing game, catching a pair of touchdown passes from MSU receiver Jameon Lewis. In fact, against Troy last season, Prescott had a pair of rushing touchdowns, one touchdown pass and one receiving touchdown. Despite his desire and ambition to lead the offense and his competitiveness, Prescott and Russell quickly formed a close bond and friendship. Naturally, Russell also desired to be in that starter’s role but that competitiveness has never affected their relationship. “When I came in here, Tyler was a good friend right off the bat,” said Prescott. “We hit it off and I just wanted to get the best out of him and for him to get the best out of me. Let’s push each other and compete and not worry about who is starting. I always have that drive in the back of my head that I wanted to be the starter and learn from Tyler and take from him the things that he does well. And then I can give him some things that I do well that can help him out in the future. See Prescott - Page 31

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT - DEFENSE

BENARDRICK McKINNEY

By PAUL JONES

Contributing Writer Photo by Aaron Boersma

>>>>

uring his prep career at Rosa Fort (Miss.) High School, Benardrick McKinney spent most of his time studying defenses and driving the offense down the field. But these days, McKinney’s role on the field has undergone a dramatic change. The Mississippi State redshirt sophomore was Rosa Fort’s starting quarterback, and was accustomed to making plays with his arm and his legs. But for the past two seasons, McKinney has been among the best in the SEC chasing down quarterbacks and running backs. The 6-foot-5 and 235-pound McKinney signed with Mississippi State within the Class of 2011, and then redshirted his initial season in Starkville. During that year, McKinney added some 25-30 pounds to his frame and bulked up in order to handle the physicalness of his middle linebacker position. In his initial season on the field, McKinney had 102 tackles to rank second on the team and among the Top 5 tacklers in the SEC. Those numbers and his production led to Freshman All-American and Freshman All-

SEC honors following that 2012 campaign. “It all just kinda happened so fast,” McKinney said. “I didn’t know I would be a redshirt freshman and have a chance to start. I didn’t think it would happen that fast but it shows how our coaches can develop players and how our strength coaches push the players.” That production trend continued this past season as McKinney led the Bulldogs in tackles, and also ranked among the team leaders in tackles for loss and sacks. As always, the humble McKinney deflected the credit to his coaches and defensive teammates. “It all just seems to still be happening so fast,” said McKinney. “I didn’t really expect to be a linebacker in college and to be playing the way I am. The coaches put me in a great situation to make big plays and the D-line does such a great job to create gaps to open for me to make the plays I am making.” Despite being one of MSU’s surprise performers back in 2012, McKinney wasn’t about to rest on his laurels. Yes, he was active on the field as a redshirt freshman but also realized he had plenty left to learn about SEC football and studying SEC offenses. Those were the strides McKinney made in his sophomore season and it was due to increased dedication off the field and in the film room.

“It was a great honor to be Freshman AllAmerican,” said McKinney. “I never thought it would happen and God just blessed me. Then this year, I understand the defense more and I have more experience. I know how people are going to play me and I understand the offenses so much better because I am in the film room all the time.” Also, off the field, McKinney grew into more of a leadership role, and that was obvious from a verbal standpoint and an example standpoint. Last spring, McKinney could often be heard barking out instructions on defense, and making sure guys were in the right place. No longer was he a follower, he was a leader. It was a trait he learned from previous MSU leaders on defense such as former Bulldogs Johnthan Banks and Cameron Lawrence - both currently in the NFL. “Looking at Banks and Cam Lawrence, they both encouraged me to step up and be a leader,” McKinney recalled. “So I knew I had to be vocal and make sure everything was going right. It was my job to get on to people when they were doing wrong. It’s a good role for me and a role I wanted to have. But we had a lot of good leaders this year in the linebacker room. We all tend to go out and hang out together. That makes our brotherhood tighter every day.” Reflecting back on his prep career at Rosa Fort High School, McKinney flew well under the radar on the recruiting scene. The summer before his senior season, McKinney displayed his athleticism and versatility at a Mississippi State camp session. That was where he first caught the watchful eyes of the Bulldog coaches and a couple of months later McKinney picked up a scholarship offer and committed right away to the Bulldogs. That would end up being McKinney’s lone Division I offer, the case for numerous underrated prospects from the Delta region in the Magnolia State. But year after year, McKinney said the Delta produces its share of talent and nearly all of them are overlooked. “I think because people overlook guys in our area and think they are not good enough to play in big games or in the SEC,” said McKinney. “A lot of guys just strive to be the best they can be and work so hard. They see others going to big schools and it makes them work even harder and sometimes we do get noticed.” See McKinney - Page 31 MAROON MAGAZINE - 15

ARTIE COSBY

BULLDOG FLASHBACK

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Photo courtesy MSU Media Relations

By PAUL JONES Contributing Writer

For all of his life, former Mississippi State kicker, Artie Cosby has felt at home in Starkville. Cosby played his prep career at Starkville High School and then enjoyed a solid career at Mississippi State. These days, Cosby lives just outside of Starkville and is a regular on Mississippi State’s campus on game day cheering on the Bulldogs. He also owns a business in Oktibbeha County that centers around his love of the outdoors and fishing. Throughout the past two or three decades, Cosby has witnessed some memorable, pressurefilled kicks within the Bulldogs’ program and has

his share of those game-winning kicks, as well. His name can easily be found etched in the Mississippi State record books and his consistent kicking leg provided many good memories for Bulldog fans. Possibly on top of that list was Cosby’s schoolrecord 54-yard field goal at the buzzer to help the Bulldogs defeat Memphis back in 1984. And it was a kick that Cosby had little time to think about, he said. “That one against Memphis was probably the biggest,” said Cosby. “It came as a shock to me that I would even be kicking it. Memphis had gone for it on fourth down and I wasn’t paying attention and I thought the game was over with. I almost panicked when I heard the coaches calling ‘field goal’. I went to set up and never knew how far it was. I didn’t have time to think about it at all. Then I remember my snapper Kevin Walker, picked me up and carried me off the field.” Just the year before, Cosby delivered another game-winner against LSU with 1:14 remaining on the clock. “Another favorite memory was beating LSU,” Cosby recalled. “I remember (former MSU quarterback) Don Smith was hurt and didn’t play in

that game so Orlando Lundie was our quarterback. It was big for him because he was from Louisiana and felt like LSU had overlooked him. For him to be the quarterback in that game was satisfying to see. My part was a small one and my field goal was a short one and gave us the lead. “Then I remember well us beating Florida 17-10 and I had 11 of those points. We don’t beat Florida that often and I still have that game ball in my trophy case.” Cosby still ranks first in school history with 48 field goals made, and ranks in the top 10 with extra points made (67) and attempted (69). Whether his kick determined the outcome or was an extra point in the first quar-

Photo courtesy Artie Cosby

ter, he said his mindset was the same. “I think the key is always lots and lots of repetition,” said Cosby. “I did it so much that it became an involuntary thing to do. It certainly helps sometimes if you don’t have much time to think about a kick. But it is just practice, practice, practice so that when you do kick, you are not even thinking about it. It is just like a golfer standing over a 10-foot putt. You do it so much that it is ingrained in your memory.” Cosby remains around the game of football with his kids. His three boys are involved with sports and one son - Tyler Cosby - is

a sophomore kicker at East Webster High School and has been the Wolverines’ starting kicker since the eighth grade. “I’ve got one kid that loves basketball and has played that all of his life,” said Cosby. “He was a good punter, too, but wasn’t that interested in doing that. Then another son who is younger is into soccer and he really hasn’t decided on which sport he likes the most yet.” And with Tyler Cosby, it is easy to see his talents come naturally and through good family bloodlines. “I am absolutely tickled to death that Tyler has shown interest in kicking,” said Cosby. “(East Webster head coach) Doug Wilson approached me one day and asked if my kid would like to kick and wanted to know if Tyler would be interested. I am terribly proud of him and these days it is not easy being in football because it is year-round now. But he has stepped up and done it for three years and has had a lot of success. “He also plays soccer like I did. Growing up, Tyler would be in the backyard setting the ball up and kicking it right-footed and also left-footed. That was something he taught himself. He always wants to get better, too, and that is a desire he has.” Between the time Cosby kicked for the Bulldogs to now watching his kids play sports, there have been many changes in the kicking game. Overall, the goal is the same for any kicker today as it was back then. But the resources available to a striving young kicker these days are much different as well as the normal style of a kicker. “It has changed a bunch,” noted Cosby. “When I came to Mississippi State, I was a soccer-style kicker and did that at Starkville High School. That style was actually unique back then. I don’t remember us playing another team that had a soccerstyle kicker when I was in high school. Plus, we’d never heard of any kicking camps and we were all self-taught kickers backs then, basically soccer players that just figured it out in football. “Yes, we worked out but not like kids do today. Things have come so far at all positions on the field and kids have stricter workouts and train year-round just with football. Plus, all the major colleges have their own kicking camps and then you have all these national

kicking camps all over the place. It is a big business now.” Speaking of business, Cosby has been involved in a couple of ventures for much of the past two decades. Both revolved around his love and passion for fishing, too. “My brother and I started a business called Top Brass Tackle and we make a lot of highquality sinkers, primarily for bass fishing,” said Cosby. “We also have another company - Outdoor Youth Adventures - that is a publisher of outdoor-themed coloring books. We’ve had the brass tackle business for 23 years and been doing the coloring books for 15 years now.” And both businesses remain strong today. “We started out just making some parts and we made some fishing tackle,” said Cosby. “We showed them to some bass fishermen and started marketing them and it took off from there and is still going strong today. It is a good product that has sustained the test of time. The first sinker we made, and the background of the product, was made of brass. We also have some that have rattles in them and we have some newer products that are heavier and smaller than the brass ones.” Cosby and his brother’s other business came about one day when they were searching for an out-of-season idea. “When you are in the fishing tackle business, it is somewhat seasonal,” said Cosby. “As you can imagine, it is more in the Spring. You have sales reps that are selling fishing and hunting stuff and you are always looking for something to hit in the offseason. So one day my brother came to me and he has young kids, too. He just come from Wal-Mart and said he saw all these Barney and Sponge Bob coloring books and said he wished they had hunting and fishing-related coloring books. “I thought it was a great idea and that is truly how it started. We have a good friend, Chris Armstrong, who is an artist for Bassmaster Magazine and told him what we wanted. So we published two or three and added it to our product line. It took off from there and we’re up to like 20-something titles now.” And like his childhood and college career, Cosby gets to enjoy life near the campus where he generated so many memories. “The college experience was special and I was fortunate enough to play for four years,” said Cosby. “I got to experience a lot of different venues and travel. There were a ton of great guys that came through while I was there and great guys I got to associate with. “To stay around these parts after college has been a neat experience because I get to tailgate at (MSU) and still see it all first-hand. I get to stay close to the community, too. I bleed Maroon and White and I always have and I still get to enjoy that atmosphere with my family.” - MM

MAROON MAGAZINE - 17

2 0 1 4

b a s e b a l l

P R E V I E W

Omaha The Road to

Goes through Starkville

18 - MAROON MAGAZINE

Photo by Bobby McDuffie, Ocean Springs MAROON MAGAZINE - 19

2014 BASEBALL PREVIEW • 2014PREVIEW BASEBALL PREVIEW • 2014 BASEBALL PREVIEW 2014 BASEBALL

Miss. State

BULLDOGS The VITALS Coach: John Cohen Stadium: Dudy Noble Field, PolkDeMent Stadium Capacity: 15,000 2013 Record: 51-20 Overall, 16-14 SEC, 33-9 Home, 10-9 Away, 8-2 Neutral Tournament: College World Series Championship Round National Runner Up

By Paul Jones

Contributing Writer Photos by Bobby McDuffie

ver five years ago when John Cohen returned to Mississippi State, the fans and Diamond Dogs’ program talked often of returning to Omaha and competing for national championships. Last season that became a reality for Cohen and the Diamond Dogs and now the process of returning to the College World Series begins all over again. Entering his sixth season at the helm, Cohen also played in the College World Series as an MSU outfielder. He returns a good mix of seasoned veterans and a talented group of youngsters. In fact, his latest signing class of 2013 was ranked second in the nation by Collegiate Baseball. “We’ve got so many guys that have stepped into that leadership role now,” said Cohen, who led MSU to a 51-20 record in 2013. “And with the group we brought in, they’ve jumped right in there. You never know how a young guy will respond in the SEC because it is the toughest league in the country and it’s a different game now. But I like our roster.” Mississippi State also hosted a regional last year, a first in 20 - MAROON MAGAZINE

John COHEN

“I think it would be hard for them to work harder than they did a year ago,” said Cohen. “They put a lot into it, but we do have tremendous leadership on this team - the Brett Pirtles, the Wes Reas, even some of the guys who didn’t play a tremendous amount last year.” Cohen’s tenure, before sweeping a Super Regional at Virginia. The Diamond Dogs then carried over that momentum to Omaha as Diamond Dog fans turned out in re-

cord groves. Once in Omaha, the Bulldogs reached the CWS National Championship series before falling to UCLA. It marked the

Schedule Feb. 14......................... Hofstra Feb. 15................. Hofstra (DH) Feb. 16......................... Hofstra Feb. 19......................Memphis Feb. 21....................Holy Cross Feb. 22........... Holy Cross (DH) Feb. 23....................Holy Cross Feb. 25............Mount St. Mary Feb. 26............Mount St. Mary Feb. 28......... Michigan State% Mar. 1............ Eastern Illinois% Mar. 1........... Michigan State% Mar. 2............ Eastern Illinois% Mar. 5...............South Alabama Mar. 7.@UC Santa Barbara(DH1)^ Mar. 7............@Arizona (DH2)^ Mar. 8......@UC Santa Barbara^ Mar. 9...................... @Arizona^ Mar. 11........... Southern Illinois Mar. 14......................@Georgia Mar. 15......................@Georgia Mar. 16......................@Georgia Mar. 21..................... Vanderbilt Mar. 22..................... Vanderbilt Mar. 23..................... Vanderbilt Mar. 25..................SE Missouri Mar. 28...................... Arkansas Mar. 29...................... Arkansas Mar. 30...................... Arkansas Apr. 4.............................. @LSU Apr. 5.............................. @LSU Apr. 6.............................. @LSU Apr. 8.................Southern Miss Apr. 11........................Ole Miss Apr. 12........................Ole Miss Apr. 13........................Ole Miss Apr. 15...................... Alcorn St. Apr. 18..................... @Missouri Apr. 19..................... @Missouri Apr. 20..................... @Missouri Apr. 22......................Ole Miss# Apr. 25....................Texas A&M Apr. 26....................Texas A&M Apr. 27....................Texas A&M Apr. 30............. Jacksonville St. May 2..........................@Auburn May 3..........................@Auburn May 4..........................@Auburn May 9.......................Tennessee May 10.....................Tennessee May 11.....................Tennessee May 15..................... @Alabama May 16..................... @Alabama May 17..................... @Alabama May 20-25.............SEC Tourney # - Trustmark Park, Pearl, MS; % - The Diamond Classic presented by Polk’s Meat Products; ^ - at Tucson, AZ

Jonathan HOLDER first time a Division I team from the Magnolia State in any sport played in an NCAA championship event. And now, that leaves just one more step for the Diamond Dogs, and that is bringing home the school’s first-ever national championship in any team sport on campus. Unlike last year where the bulk of the experience was on the mound, this season that leadership falls more on the shoulders of position players. “I think it would be hard for them to work harder than they

did a year ago,” said Cohen. “They put a lot into it but we do have tremendous leadership on this team - the Brett Pirtles, the Wes Reas, even some of the guys who didn’t play a tremendous amount last year. C.T. Bradford has been a great leader and really has had a great Fall so far. We have some guys we feel are doing a great job leading this club, especially positionally. We had more and older leadership guys on the mound last year and I think it is more of a positional player type leadership this year.”

PITCHING The Diamond Dogs must replace a few pieces of the pitching staff that were key factors in last year’s postseason run, including a pair of weekend starters in Kendall Graveman and fan favorite Luis Pollorena. With both of those guys now in the minor leagues, MSU also must replace southpaw Chad Girado, who was impressive out of the bullpen down the stretch of the regular season and postseason. But there are many key arms back this season, including All-

American closer Jonathan Holder, who was 2-0 with a 1.65 earned run average last year and had a school-record 21 saves. Entering his junior season, Holder has already established a school record for career saves. MSU also returns another valuable component of the bullpen in junior left-hander Ross Mitchell, who was 13-0 last season with two saves and a 1.53 earned run average. With the bullpen in good shape, filling out the rotation will be a challenge but not due to shortage of arms. Junior Trevor Fitts stepped into a starting role late in the 2013 season and the right-hander was 0-1 with a 3.03 earned run average. MSU also returns right-handers Ben Bracewell and Brandon Woodruff, and both upperclassmen struggled through injuries in 2013. But they are expected to play big roles this spring and have returned to 100 percent health. “His bullpens have been fabulous and the ball is really coming out of his hands well,” said Cohen of Woodruff. “I think he has just done a great job on his rehab and I think he is going to be great. Woodruff is a guy who is really important. Woodruff at his best is a dominant, top-level professional prospect type of guy.” Another experienced arm back in the fold is junior southpaw Jacob Lindgren. Despite starting 14 games last year with a 4-3 record, Lindgren is a top candidate to fill Girado’s role of long reliever. “Lindgren has been phenomenal in the Fall,” said Cohen. “The way he has really changed the nature of his body has been impressive. It is not that he didn’t take it serious before but I think he has a sense of urgency now that has been really impressive. He was throwing balls 96-97 miles per hour when he was doing his pulldowns the other day. So he has been very impressive.” Other returning pitchers include junior Will Cox, senior and outfielder C.T. Bradford, sophomore Myles Gentry who got valuable time last year, and sophomores John Marc Shelly and Preston Brown. And several arms in that talented 2013 signing class may also MAROON MAGAZINE - 21

contribute, led by right-hander Austin Sexton and Juco transfer Paul Young. INFIELDERS The Bulldogs have a couple of holes to fill concerning the middle of the infield, and one big challenge is replacing All-SEC shortstop Adam Frazier, who set a single-season school record in 2013 with 107 hits. MSU returns senior Brett Pirtle at second base, who hit .310 in his first season in Starkville after transferring from a junior college There are several candidates to step into that void at shortstop, with the likes of junior Matthew Britton. Sophomore Kyle Hann also saw time at second base last season and may get a look at shortstop while newcomer and Juco transfer Seth Heck is also in the mix. “Hann has done really well and the junior college transfer (Seth) Heck has been very, very impressive early on,” said Cohen. “Brett (Pirtle) has been great and Pirtle is certainly under consideration (at shortstop). But he is coming off some elbow issues that he has to get addressed before we can move him to the left side. It is really tough with Pirtle because you don’t want to just move him from a position (second base) he excels in. We do feel like we have four really strong candidates to play shortstop and second base. “I think Matthew Britton is somebody who’s come back and really made a decision that he wants to play and be in that battle for a middle infield spot. He is one of the better defenders on our team and maybe one of the best in our league when he’s at his best. He has improved so much and become a physical player.” It is more settled at the corner infield positions with the likes of Rea at first base. Rea hit .291 last season and ranked second on the squad with seven homeruns and 40 RBIs. But there are a few candidates to draw the starting nod at third base, led by senior Alex Detz who hit .318 in his first season in Starkville after transferring from a California junior college. Freshman Reid Humphreys will also get a look at third base, and possibly shortstop, too. Hum22 - MAROON MAGAZINE

1B - Wes REA phreys was the Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year last season in the prep ranks. “Certainly, Detz is somebody at third base that has come a long way, defensively,” Cohen said. “Reid Humphreys is a freshman who, again, you know he is the future and I think he is 15 months coming off his Tommy John surgery. How quickly he can

progress is going to determine how much playing time he gets a freshman.” And behind the plate, MSU must replace a pair of 2013 seniors that handled those duties in Nick Ammirati and Mitch Slauter. In that mix this Spring is junior Zach Randolph, Juco transfer Cody Walker, redshirt freshman Daniel Garner and true

freshman Gavin Collins. All four bring something different to the table, said Cohen. “It is going to be a battle behind the plate and we feel we have several good candidates,” Cohen noted. “Our returning guys (Daniel Garner and Zach Randolph) have gotten a lot better and the two new guys (Gavin Collins and Cody Walker) in the fold are guys

Win-Loss record when... Overall .......................... 51-20 Conference ................... 16-14 Non-Conference ............. 35-6 Home games .................. 33-9 Away games ................... 10-9 Neutral site ....................... 8-2 Day games ...................... 28-9 Night games ................. 23-11 vs Left starter ................. 20-7 vs Right starter ............. 31-13 1-Run games .................. 15-3 2-Run games .................... 8-8 5+Run games ................. 19-4 Extra innings ..................... 3-3 Shutouts ........................... 6-2 Scoring 0-2 runs ................ 5-9 ... 3-5 runs ....................... 15-9 ... 6-9 runs ....................... 19-2 ... 10+ runs ..................... 12-0 Opponent 0-2 runs .......... 28-0 ... 3-5 runs ..................... 17-11 ... 6-9 runs ......................... 6-7 ... 10+ runs ....................... 0-2 Scored in 1st inning ........ 22-4 Opp. scored in 1st ........ 13-10 Scores first ..................... 32-5 Opp. scores first ........... 19-15 After 6 leading ................ 41-1 ... trailing ......................... 6-16 ... tied ................................ 4-3 After 7 leading ................ 43-1 ... trailing ......................... 4-17 ... tied ................................ 4-2 After 8 leading ................ 46-0 ... trailing ......................... 0-17 ... tied ................................ 5-3 Hit 0 home runs ............ 32-14 ... 1 home run ................. 15-6 ... 2+ home runs ............... 4-0 Opponent 0 home runs . 40-14 ... 1 home run ................... 9-4 ... 2+ HRs ......................... 2-2 Made 0 errors ................. 19-7 ... 1 error ......................... 17-4 ... 2+ errors ..................... 15-9 Opp. made 0 errors ........ 13-8 ... 1 error ......................... 17-7 ... 2+ errors ..................... 21-5 Out-hit opponent ............ 42-6 Out-hit by opponent ........ 6-11 Hits are tied ...................... 3-3

2B - Brett PIRTLE who are very, very talented. Garner is probably the best hitter of that group and he has come a long way behind the plate. Randolph is a guy who is really solid all the way around. No jump-out-at-you tool but somebody who is a great leader who has been around some great catchers. Collins is a young guy from southern California who we feel is the future. Cody Walker is a junior college transfer who can really catch and throw and that is his strength. He brings that to the table and I haven’t counted anybody out. It is kind of exciting to see who steps forward this fall.” OUTFIELDERS First and foremost, trying to replace the likes of All-American outfielder Hunter Renfroe may be impossible to do this season. After all, the Major League Baseball first-round selection hit .345 in 2013 with a team-best 16 homeruns and 65 RBIs. “Well, I don’t know if there’s ever been a player in the his-

OF - Demarcus WRIGHT MAROON MAGAZINE - 23

tory of this program like Hunter Renfroe,” said Cohen. “I don’t know many in the history of the Southeastern Conference that have been like Hunter Renfroe. So those are going to be difficult guys to replace but certainly we feel like we have really good candidates.” MSU does return starting centerfielder C.T. Bradford and starting left fielder Demarcus Henderson, however. After a standout rookie campaign, Bradford struggled a bit in 2013 and finished with a .281 average in the lead-off spot in the lineup. Henderson saved his best clutch hitting down the stretch and hit .274 with 23 RBIs a year ago. MSU also returns junior Derrick Armstrong and sophomore Jacob Robson in the outfield. There are high expectations for rookie Joey Swinarski, who was

originally a 2014 MSU commit but graduated high school early and enrolled at MSU back in the Fall. “I think Joey is a young man who has a very high ceiling,” said Cohen. “Very skilled player but Fall is important for everybody, especially the new guys getting acclimated. For a freshman hitter, it’s all about can they see spin, can they read the breaking ball, can they have quality at-bats, and how fast is the game moving for them? “I think it is certainly easier in the outfield because the game doesn’t get to you as quickly as it can on the infield and behind the plate. But I believe Joey has a very bright future like Hunter Renfroe, who had 25 at-bats as a freshman. You just don’t know but the Fall gives you a pretty good indication where they stand.”

“I don’t know many in the history of the Southeastern Conference that have been like Hunter Renfroe. So those are going to be difficult guys to replace but certainly we feel like we have really good candidates.” - JOHN COHEN SCHEDULE Coming off its national runnerup finish, the Diamond Dogs feature a few new opponents on the 2014 schedule. The SEC slate also gets a tad easier with Georgia and Tennessee replacing Florida and South Carolina. A few non-conference foes MSU will welcome to Dudy Noble Field include Hofstra for the season-opening series starting Feb. 14, as well as Michigan State, Holy Cross, Eastern Illinois, Memphis, Mount St. Mary and South Alabama. The Bulldogs will also head

West for meetings with Arizona and UC Santa Barbara. Of course, challenges will still be on the table in the SEC as well with Vanderbilt, LSU, Ole Miss and several others. And having the leadership again this year could be the key to returning to Omaha. “We need our older guys to be older guys,” said Cohen. “That is the key to winning in this league. You have to have older guys step forward and say it is my turn and I am going to step forward.” MM

the ROSTER

NO..... NAME...............................POS............ HT............. WT.............B/T............ YR.............. LTR................................................................HOMETOWN (LAST SCHOOL) 2..........Demarcus Henderson................OF............... 5-10............... 174................R-R................Sr....................2L.......................................................Waynesboro, Miss. (Wayne County High School) 3..........Alex Detz...................................INF............... 5-10............... 185................L-R................Sr. ..................1L.......................................................... San Luis Obispo, Calif. (Cuesta [Calif.] College) 4..........Ben Bracewell..........................RHP............... 6-0................ 195................R-R...............RSr...................3L..................................................................Chelsea, Ala. (Briarwood Christian School) 5..........Daniel Garner.............................. C.................. 6-0................ 214................R-R...............RFr.................. RS........................................................................Madison, Ala. (Sparkman High School) 6..........Derrick Armstrong.....................OF................ 5-8................ 200................R-R................Sr....................1L.............................................................. Columbia, Tenn. (Columbia State [Tenn.] CC) 7..........Jacob Robson ...........................OF................ 5-9................ 172................L-R............... So....................1L................................................Windsor, Ont., Canada (Vincent Massey Secondary School) 8..........Gavin Collins............................... C................. 5-11............... 200................R-R................Fr................... HS......................................................................Lake Forest, Calif. (El Toro High School) 9..........Joey Swinarski...........................OF................ 6-1................ 188................R-R................Fr................... HS............................................................................... Orlando, Fla. (The First Academy) 10........C.T. Bradford.......................... OF/LHP............ 5-9................ 166................ L-L................Sr....................3L...................................................................................... Pace, Fla. (Pace High School) 12........Reid Humphreys........................INF................ 6-1................ 201................R-R................Fr................... HS........................................................ Brandon, Miss. (Northwest Rankin High School) 13........Brett Pirtle.................................INF................ 5-9................ 174................S-R................Sr....................1L............................................................................Tyler, Texas (Panola [Texas] College) 14........Jonathan Holder ......................RHP............... 6-2................ 242................R-R................ Jr....................2L.........................................................................Gulfport, Miss. (Gulfport High School) 15........Matthew Britton .......................INF................ 6-0................ 195................L-R................ Jr....................2L........................................................................... Cullman, Ala. (Cullman High School) 17........Paul Young................................RHP............... 6-2................ 196................R-R............... So................... TR.......................................................................Milton, Fla. (Central Alabama [Ala.] CC) 18........Seth Heck..................................INF............... 5-10............... 168................R-R................ Jr................... TR....................................................................... Edmonds, Wash. (Tacoma [Wash.] CC) 19........Avery Geyer..............................RHP.............. 5-10............... 203................R-R................Fr................... HS........................................................Pensacola, Fla. (Pensacola Catholic High School) 21........Jacob Lindgren ........................LHP.............. 5-11............... 203................R-L................ Jr....................2L........................................................ Bay St. Louis, Miss. (St. Stanislaus High School) 22........Jake Vickerson...........................OF................ 5-9................ 184................L-R................ Jr................... TR....................................................................Tuscaloosa, Ala. (Shelton State [Ala.] CC) 23........Kyle Hann..................................INF................ 5-8................ 174................R-R............... So....................1L....................................................Oakville, Ont., Canada (Hillfield Strathallan College) 24........Brandon Woodruff....................RHP............... 6-2................ 231................L-R................ Jr....................2L........................................................................Wheeler, Miss. (Wheeler High School) 25........Dakota Hudson.........................RHP............... 6-5................ 207................R-R................Fr................... HS......................................................... Dunlap, Tenn. (Sequatchie County High School) 26........Cody Brown...............................OF............... 5-10............... 184................L-R...............RFr.................. RS................................................................................. Biloxi, Miss. (Biloxi High School) 28........John Marc Shelly .....................RHP.............. 5-11............... 195................R-R............... So....................1L............................................. Germantown, Tenn. (St. George’s Independent School) 29........Cody Walker............................... C.................. 5-9................ 204................R-R................ Jr................... TR.........................................................Columbus, Ga. (Chattahoochee Valley [Ala.] CC) 31........Trevor Fitts................................RHP .............. 6-2................ 223................R-R................ Jr....................2L.............................................................................. Helena, Ala. (Pelham High School) 32........Vance Tatum.............................LHP............... 6-4................ 194................ L-L................Fr................... HS............................................................. Olive Branch, Miss. (Southaven High School) 33........Preston Brown .........................RHP............... 6-0................ 190................R-R.............. RSo..................1L............................................. Germantown, Tenn. (St. George’s Independent School) 34........Brent Rooker..........................INF/OF............. 6-3................ 202................R-R................Fr................... HS..................................................... Germantown, Tenn. (Evangelical Christian School) 35........Wes Rea ................................... 1B................. 6-5................ 275................R-R...............RJr...................2L............................................................Gulfport, Miss. (Harrison Central High School) 36........Zack Randolph............................ C.................. 6-1................ 196................R-R...............RJr.................. RS........................................................................... Amory, Miss. (Itawamba [Miss.] CC) 37........Austin Sexton...........................RHP............... 6-1................ 173................R-R................Fr................... HS......................................................................Huntsville, Ala. (Sparkman High School) 38........Will Cox....................................RHP............... 6-4................ 231................R-R................ Jr....................2L..............................................................................Amory, Miss. (Amory High School) 40........Levi Mintz.................................RHP............... 6-2................ 210................R-R................Fr................... HS................................................................. Cedar Bluff, Ala. (Cedar Bluff High School) 41........Zac Houston.............................RHP............... 6-5................ 234................R-R................Fr................... HS.................................................................. Poplarville, Miss. (Poplarville High School) 42........Ben Hudspeth...........................RHP.............. 5-11............... 225................R-R................ Jr................... TR...........................................................................Tupelo, Miss. (Itawamba [Miss.] CC) 45........Jacob Billingsley.......................RHP............... 6-0................ 182................R-R................Fr................... HS............................................................... Senatobia, Miss. (Magnolia Heights School) 46........Lucas Laster.............................LHP.............. 5-11............... 178................R-L................ Jr................... TR............................................................ Lewisburg, Tenn. (Columbia State [Tenn.] CC) 47........Myles Gentry............................RHP.............. 5-11............... 190................R-R............... So....................1L.........................................................................Gulfport, Miss. (Gulfport High School) 48........Ross Mitchell ...........................LHP............... 6-1................ 162................ L-L...............RJr...................2L.......................................................................Smyrna, Tenn. (Blackman High School) 49........Glenn Irby.................................LHP............... 6-0................ 196................ L-L................Fr................... HS.........................................................................Florence, Ala. (Mars Hill Bible School) 51........Dylan Ingram............................. 1B................. 6-2................ 214................R-R................Fr................... HS........................................................................ Pike Road, Ala. (Edgewood Academy)

INNING BY INNING TEAMS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 EXT Total Miss. State 51 45 40 50 51 70 41 36 27 3 414 Opponents 46 24 28 30 28 32 18 16 17 6 225 24 - MAROON MAGAZINE

MAROON MAGAZINE - 25

2014 BASEBALL PREVIEW

Wes Rea

Former high school football star chose the diamond over the gridiron, and things could not have gone any better By PAUL JONES

Contributing Writer Photos by MSU Media Relations Bobby McDuffie

uring his recruitment, former Harrison Central High School two-sport star Wes Rea had a pair of decisions to make. Once the first decision was made, it translated into an easy second decision for the Mississippi State first baseman. Back at Harrison Central, the 6-foot-5 and 270-pound Rea had scholarship offers for his talents on the gridiron and on the diamond. He owned several SEC football offers and also offers from the likes of Stanford. On the diamond, numerous SEC programs were also after his talents and that forced Rea to make a decision early in his senior season. That first decision was to go with baseball only in the college ranks, and that led to an easy decision to attend Mississippi State. Instead of playing on an SEC offensive line, these days the former Dandy Dozen (Clarion Ledger) two-sport selection is slugging the baseball and scooping up everything in sight on the infield. “I think it was a good decision,” said Rea with a big smile. “I just always liked baseball more and I followed my heart. Plus, my knees will be grateful when I am older in life.” Back in the spring and early summer, Rea was one of the key figures pacing the Diamond Dogs’ run to the College World Series and a 51-20 record. Rea hit .291 on the season and ranked second on the club with seven home runs and 40 RBIs while helping MSU reach the College World Series National Championship Series against UCLA. However, it wasn’t just Rea’s hot bat down the stretch that sparked life into the lineup. His defensive talents are also talked about often and last year, Rea had an outstanding .990

26 - MAROON MAGAZINE

MSU Media Relations

fielding percentage and had just five errors in 523 chances. Entering his redshirt junior season in Starkville, Rea will have the opportunity to move on to the next level of his baseball career. Being able to improve his power numbers and also lead the younger guys in the program are top priorities, he said. “It’s my year to get drafted so you want to talk about things like that and (MLB) guys want to see me hit with more power,” said Rea. “So that is going to be one of the things I work on and try to do that on a daily basis and figure out what I need to do that day-in and day-out. But more than that, be a role model and guide these younger guys that are going to help our ballclub win ballgames that necessarily haven’t been here yet.” When Rea first arrived on campus, he found himself part of a major rebuilding job under head coach John Cohen. His first year on campus there was no talk of reaching Omaha or being one of the top contenders for the SEC Western Division title. But his signing class of 2010 has played an instrumental part in returning the Diamond Dogs’ program back to the spotlight. “Yeah, that group was neat - the 2010 recruiting class - because we played with a lot of those guys,” Rea recalled. “There are a lot of Mississippi kids in (that class) and even Alabama kids that we played either with or against. So that whole class, outside of a few juco guys, knew each other already.”

Photo by Bobby McDuffie

But these days and with MSU back in the national spotlight, Rea finds himself lending advice to guys from all different parts of the country. “We know (this new class) is good and we know we are going to be good,” said Rea of the 2013 signing class. “It is just going to take time to develop and learn how to play with each other. Now you see we are getting huge recruits from all over the country. We are grabbing guys from California, Washington, Florida. It is kind of a wide-spread thing and it is a huge, overall core of awesome talent. “But baseball is baseball no matter where you are in the country. Those guys are very elite as you can see. They are going to core together nicely and everything is going to work out fine.” Rea added that the newest crop of Diamond Dogs bring in a whole new level of

athleticism, too, compared to previous classes. “We’ve got an awesome group of young guys that came in here,” Rea noted. “As you saw, their class of 2013 is ranked second in the nation and as far as I can tell, they’ve proven that. We’ve got a bunch of good guys that are getting the hang of stuff right off the bat. It is kind of different from what we’ve seen in the past and you can really tell that in my four years here, this is one of the most athletic group of young guys we’ve had. Things are starting to click a lot sooner and we’re able to get a lot more done because of that.” In the offseason, Rea also saw signs of that talent, and work ethic, from the youngsters in the weight room. In fact, he was amazed by the production of those young guys in their first experience of offseason training.

“Yeah this group, talking more of the baseball side of it, that is really the side you have seen more of,” said Rea. “We have some kids that are unbelievable. It is hard to step into this level of weights and conditioning and be able to just dominate it. “But we have some young guys that have blown through it like they’ve been here for four years and just absolutely crushing the weights and conditioning stuff. That is another credit to the coaches, finding guys that are athletic that can handle this level of weights and conditioning with that kind of endurance.” Rea credited his coaches for another good trend of late. In the magical run of 2013, the Bulldogs had a solid mixture of older veterans and new faces. The 2014 roster presents that situation again and hopefully, said Rea, presents more success on the field.

“Yeah, it has and that is just a credit to our coaching staff and how hard they work,” Rea said. “We are practicing five days a week and the other two days they are on the road finding more guys. That is what it takes and credit to them for the time away from their families. That is what it takes and they are willing to do that for us.” Of course, it also take chemistry on a baseball team to reach those high expectations. Rea and the Diamond Dogs had plenty of that aspect in 2013, which was well-documented via several beards that were grown during the season as well as the uncanny atmosphere in the dugout. That dugout atmosphere featured the now well-known ‘Bench Mobb’ and the overall attitude on the team was more laid-back and looser than previous seasons under Cohen. “It really develops when everybody knows their role,” said Rea of team chemistry. “Something like that is going to be determined when we start playing real ball games against competition and everybody will know their roles in the first three or four weeks of the season. Then everything after that as far as team chemistry falls into place and everybody knows their place, how to do things and when to do them. “It is a really good group of guys that get along great. But as far as being as close and as entertaining and fun as we were last year, that is probably going to take place when the season gets longer.” And that means finding a new replacement within the Bench Mobb due to the graduation of pitcher Evan Mitchell, joked Rea. “Yeah, I think the two players we have left from the ‘Bench Mobb’ are having a tryout for the third position,” Rea said with a laugh. “I think (former Bulldog) Evan Mitchell is going to have a Skype interview with the tryout list and they are going to have to throw out a few lines out and see if they pass Evan Mitchell’s test and fulfill that role.” Rea actually made his own headlines and raised a few eyebrows before the 2013 season got underway, and helped to start that team mindset in the early going. Before the 2013 season debuted on the field, Rea made a bold prediction via his Twitter account that MSU would be playing in the College World Series. This time around, Rea said he doesn’t plan any other bold predictions. “I got in a little trouble for that last year (laughing),” said Rea. “So we’ll see. We will probably just let our play do the talking.” But what Rea does predict is the new role he has embraced from a leadership standpoint, as noted above. “I am going to have to take those guys and show them what it takes,” said Rea. “I feel like we have a lot of guys on this team that can be examples of what it takes to be great at this level. So it is going to be more of doing that than so about myself.” - MM MAROON MAGAZINE - 27

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

THE CLOSER

Ever since he was able to walk on a baseball diamond, Jeff Brantley has been a major part of baseball. He enjoyed an All-American career at Mississippi State and was a solid relief pitcher and All-Star performer in the Major Leagues By PAUL JONES

Contributing Writer

aving already been honored in MSU’s Hall of Fame and also by the San Francisco Giants’ organization, Jeff Brantley has added another major milestone on his resume in 2011 with his induction to the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. “I went into the Mississippi State Hall of Fame a few years back and I also have my number retired there,” said Brantley. “Then to be inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame was a great honor. When I had the chance to be on the ‘Wall of Fame’ at San Francisco’s park, I wasn’t able to go for that celebration. But I did get to attend the one with the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and it was great and a very humbling experience. “This state has produced so many great athletes who we still watch today. To be included with that group was truly humbling.” Brantley actually played his high school career in the neighboring state of Alabama. But it didn’t take him long to fall in love with

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Mississippi State’s baseball tradition. And that process started at an early age. “I think the big thing for me with my path to Mississippi State was the very first time I went over there,” said Brantley. “I was playing in a Dizzy Dean World Series as a kid in Columbus at Propst Park. We had an off day between games and our coach took us to Dudy Noble Field and it was only a 25-minute drive. I remember being on that field and thinking that it was like walking on carpet. “At that time I didn’t know who Coach (Ron) Polk was and I was only 12 at that time. But he comes out on the field to meet us with a cigar and I thought ‘what a nice guy this is’. That day just stuck with me forever and I knew then where I wanted to go to school.” And Brantley obviously did end up in Starkville and enjoyed one of the best careers ever produced by a Diamond Dog. He earned All-SEC honors in 1984 and 1985 and also All-American honors in 1985 when he helped lead the Bulldogs to the College World Series. Brantley still owns the school record today of 45 career wins and also the single-season mark of 18 wins in 1985. Not bad for a kid who some thought couldn’t pitch in the SEC and actually came to college as a shortstop. “The coach at Alabama said I would never play SEC baseball,” said Brantley with a laugh. “But Mississippi State sure thought I could and I think that worked out alright.” Brantley went on to enjoy a solid career in the majors, and had 172 career saves, 43 career wins and a career 3.39 era in 14 seasons in Major League Baseball. He pitched for San Francisco, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Philadelphia and Texas before retiring in 2001. But he didn’t stay out of the sport long. “I stopped playing and was out of the game but only for a short period of time,” noted Brantley. “I thought about starting up a business in Jackson and was just going to do that and play golf. But when baseball is in your blood it is hard to get away from it. I don’t know what it is about this game but it is in my heart and my soul. “I can’t play the game anymore and I don’t know that I would even if I could simply for the fact my body hurt so bad at the end of my career. You don’t have to play football in order to hurt after a game. My shoulders, back and feet were hurting so bad and 14 years takes a toil on your body. But I still love being around the game talking baseball and just talking about that competitive edge with guys today and how you keep that edge and how you get

Photo courtesy MSU Media Relations

it back.” Brantley stayed around the game as a baseball analyst for ESPN for several years and now works for Fox and is also part of the Cincinnati Reds’ announcing crew. “I am doing color now for Fox and also for the Reds’ games,” said Brantley. “I actually do the radio broadcast with Marty Brennaman and then work with his son on Fox. So that is a good deal. To be honest, I loved working at ESPN and it was as fun and as great of an experience I could’ve hoped for breaking into that media sector. I can’t imagine any better place to learn this business than ESPN.” And Brantley said when the Reds called him for a job opportunity it was too good to turn down. “I am a baseball player first and I was a Reds’ fan since the time I was able to pick up a baseball,” said Brantley. “I would sit in our

driveway with my dad listening to their games on the radio and we would have to go back and forth in the driveway to pick up the station – that was the only way to pick it up. “It also had to be after six at night to pick it up because a Cuban channel was on before six and then the Reds’ game came on when they went off the air.” And of course, Brantley also fulfilled a childhood dream by playing for the Reds from 1994-97. “It was definitely exciting to do that,” said Brantley. “I actually picked the Reds over the Braves when it was time to sign a new contract and many thought I was crazy for doing that. “But I would’ve retired there, too, and would have taken less money to stay there. But I ended up getting traded so once I had a chance to call the Reds’ games on radio I

jumped at that opportunity.” Brantley also returns to his college alma mater when the opportunity arrives and catches MSU in action in baseball and also football and basketball. He is also impressed with the progress current MSU head coach John Cohen has made with the baseball program and likes Cohen’s intensity on and off the field. “I think when you look at our coaches from Polk to (Pat) McMahon to now with Cohen, they obviously have varying degrees of intensity and discipline,” said Brantley. “They all vary on all the different things that go into coaching. But it is a different era now because the players are different and brought up in a different way. I think John has tremendous motivation to excel at every place he’s been, whether it was at Kentucky or here at Mississippi State.” And Brantley added Cohen has that “fire in his belly” that should help the Diamond Dogs return to the level Brantley and his former MSU teammates reached in the 80’s. “John has that drive and you really must have that today to succeed as a coach no matter how old or how young you are,” said Brantley. “With the athletes you get today and the pampering that goes on at the high school and even professional level, if you have no intensity within yourself then your players won’t be successful. “There has been a transition period with the type of coach that Polk is and to how John is now. Some thought John was too hard on the players in the beginning. But I thought that was what the program needed and we are now seeing the fruits of their labor and we will continue to see that.” - MM MAROON MAGAZINE - 29

ALL ACCESS WITH...

TONY HUGHES By PAUL JONES

sippi State but you are also his position coach for the Bulldogs. Hughes: It’s a very special situation. Jay has really done well here at Mississippi State in the program with the way the program is set up to develop young men and to help them develop not only as football players but also as human beings in every aspect of their life academics, spiritually. I have really seen him grow up in all of those areas in this program the way Coach (Dan) Mullen designed it to function. He is a prime example of what the program is all about. Not just as my son but as a young man that came here that needed some growth and developing and I’ve seen that in him.

Contributing Writer Photo courtesy Miss. State Media Relations

ississippi State assistant coach Tony Hughes has been associated with the game of football nearly all of life. Growing up in Forest, Miss. the former Southern Miss player has also spent most of his playing and coaching career in the Magnolia State. Hughes concluded his playing career at Southern Miss, then coached in the high school ranks with stops at Philadelphia, Natchez and Hattiesburg. Hughes then moved into the college ranks at West Alabama and Hinds Community College as well as Louisiana Tech. The highly-respected Hughes has also coached at Southern Miss and Ole Miss, and is currently in his fifth season as MSU’s safeties coach/recruiting coordinator. In those last four years, his son Jay Hughes has been a member of the program and also played under Hughes at the safety position. Throughout his coaching career, Hughes has remained steady in his faith and philosophy on the field and in recruiting: MM: When was that moment in your life when you knew coaching would be your career choice? Hughes: After college I went into the Marine Corps. That is kinda where I found my destiny, you would say. I had to grow up and mature and kinda decide what I wanted to do. After I got out of the Marine Corp, I figured out that I wanted to be a football coach and that is what I pursued.

cruiter in the state of Mississippi regardless of where you were coaching. In your mind, what are the keys to being a good recruiter? Hughes: It is honesty and being upfront. And letting them know that you really care about them as a person and as a human being more so than a football player. You have to recruit them as a football player because that is the reason you are recruiting and you see they have the talent and ability to help your program. But it is a two-way street. When you come here, most parents want someone to care of their kid and be a father-figure and role model to their kid when they get away from home.

MM: What is your favorite part about coaching? Hughes: I love the personal relationships with the kids. The reason I coach is to help them better themselves, motivate and inspire and develop kids. I try to help boys become men one day and try to help them be successful men.

MM: I know the recruiting scene has changed a lot since you first started coaching and recruiting with social media now and recruiting websites. But how have kids changed throughout your coaching career? Hughes: For the most part, kids are still kids. They are young people that are trying to find themselves or searching for a plan in life or a way to be successful in life. They are going through transitions, different things, different family problems or issues they may be facing in life. Overall, they are looking for someone who really cares and for someone that is sincere.

MM: You have been considered a solid re-

MM: Not only does your son play for Missis-

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MM: Being his father, has it been hard to separate that father/coach side of things? Hughes: It really has never become a big issue. The reason for it is because he has been unselfish, hard-working and really determined to prove himself whether I am here or not. I am sure there is added peer pressure with the other players because they may have some jokes or jabs with him. But just from a program standpoint, he has done everything he has been asked to do and done it the right way. He has responded in every situation he’s been put in. He has grown and developed into not only a fine football player but into a fine student and a fine person. He is one of the leaders on the team and nobody hands out leadership qualities in this program. You earn those qualities. He is held in high esteem here and that part has been totally separated and he did that on his own. MM: In the 2013 season opener, your son went down with a season-ending Achilles’ heel injury. Naturally, that had to be tough to see, first and foremost, as a father. Hughes: It was. The reason you hurt so much for him is he had worked so hard to reach that point. He came to the program, redshirted, became a special teams player and became a dependable guy. Then he played as a backup and backed up some really good players here. Then when he got his time to become a starter, he seized that opportunity and played like a starter.

Then he not only took it as a starter, he elevated his game to be one of the better players on the team and also as a leader. To see that happen and to know he had invested so much and have it crumbling down, that is the part that really hurt. You knew in his heart that he was really hurting and that is the part that really hurt me. MM: How much longer do you plan on coaching and do you see yourself ever doing anything else besides coaching? Hughes: As long as your health is good and as long as you are in a good place in a good program with good people. I really love and enjoy it here and I’ve had a tremendous experience here. As long as you can continue to compete on the highest level, which is the SEC, I want to do that. I can’t put it in a number of years because that part you never know for sure because it is such a volatile business. But you try to take one year at a time, one day at a time and continue to work to do the best job you can. - MM Prescott - Continued from Page 14

“We’re all brothers here. It is a competition to a certain point but again, we’re family. It is about pushing each other and getting each of us better.” Prescott’s play as a sophomore caught the attention of SEC fans, too, and he is considered one of the rising stars in the nation’s toughest conference. But he also earned much respect for his toughness on the field and the heartache he suffered off the field. Just one day after playing South Carolina in early November, Prescott’s mother - Peggy Prescott - passed away after a long battle with cancer. Prescott originally found out of his mom’s condition during the 2012 season. Obviously, it was on his heart and mind every day during the season. But after her passing, Prescott said he was grateful for the support he received from the MSU coaches, players and fan base. “Very heavy,” said Prescott of his heart this past season. “My mom had been sick and was sick last football season when I found out (about the cancer). That is the strongest woman I know. She will always be my Superman and she is my hero. She fought her butt off and gave everything she had, just like she wants me to do in every day of my life. “When she passed, for a second I felt like everything is gone. That was my best friend and my favorite person and No. 1 fan. But I have a good supporting cast at Mississippi State with my family here. They did what they had to do to get me taken care of and I respect them. I thank everybody for that.” During the week of his mom’s funeral, Prescott missed a day of practice but was back with his teammates later in the week. In fact, he played against Texas A&M and produced

one of the best performances of his career, even with the injury he suffered late in the fourth quarter. It was just what his mother would have wanted, said Prescott. “It was tough,” said Prescott. “But during that week I already knew what my mom wanted me to do. I even told somebody that she would be mad knowing I missed a day of practice. That is just what my mom wanted. I knew I had to go out there like she wanted and play really hard and give everything I had to win that game.” With Spring football right around the corner, Prescott’s attention is helping the Bulldogs recover from what most considered a disappointed 2013 campaign. Whether due to injuries or inexperience and not enough execution, the season had its ups and downs with MSU coming up short in most SEC outings. With Prescott’s leadership along with numerous talented younger players on the roster, he expects a quick turnaround in 2014. The Bulldogs lost just three seniors in the starting lineup on both sides of the ball and the experience returning has Prescott excited for this fall. “Our focus was to make these seniors the first class to go to four straight bowls,” said Prescott. “But we have a lot of young guys, too, and I think we are just losing three or four on offense and three on defense. And we have young guys behind those seniors that are getting a lot of playing time in the games. That is incredible to look at and we are just getting momentum and learning from each other. “We are gaining confidence and just learning what we can do. We are just now figuring that out and we may have started too late doing that this season, but we are going to really enjoy next year.” - MM McKinney - Continued from Page 15

Which is what McKinney continues to do these days at Mississippi State. His personality and demeanor on the field also reflects his position coach and MSU defensive coordinator, Geoff Collins. Known for his phrases of “juice” and “defensive mayhem”, Collins started what he called “juice points” in Fall camp. Those points were earned by players displaying energy on the field or on the sidelines encouraging their teammates. Week after week, McKinney was usually the defensive player with the most “juice” points. “It is a great relationship,” said McKinney. “Like I always say, he is like a daddy figure to me and he puts me in great position to make big plays. He is always on me about school and on me about football because he is trying to make me a better player and a better person. “Yeah, I like to have “juice” and me and Coach Collins have fun together. It is fun to

be around him and it is in me automatically when I am around him. It makes me have a lot of fun and play better.” Just concluding his redshirt sophomore season, that means McKinney is eligible to enter the NFL Draft if he desires to do so, or at least enter his name in the draft to receive feedback on where he may get drafted. But that next step in his career, said McKinney, is something that isn’t heavily on his mind. “Not really at all,” said McKinney. “My thoughts are on MSU and making us better and making the defense better. I haven’t even thought about it and I am too focused on school and making the team better. We still have a lot we want to get done and goals to meet. And I want to be a big part of doing that and leading our guys.” And that means helping Mississippi State return to a bowl game this season, and make that move up the always-tough SEC ladder. “God blesses me to make plays and He put me in the right position to come to Mississippi State,” said McKinney. “Playing quarterback in high school, I never thought I would be at an SEC school playing linebacker and helping an SEC team win games and helping an SEC defense play well. So every day, you gotta thank God for His blessing and never let anything go to waste. He gave me talent to use and I try to make sure I do that.” - MM Cohen - Continued from Page 10

It would be a shame for them all not to celebrate what they all have fought for, for so long, which is to make Mississippi State baseball all it can be. John Cohen was the right hire back in 2008 and hopefully, by the time he hoists a trophy in Omaha, Polk will have realized that, too. After all, he was one of Polk’s boys – he’s not an outsider. John Cohen is true Maroon and should be treated as such, by everyone in the Mississippi State family- even Ron Polk. - MM Legend - Continued from Page 32

playing with an injury for most of the season, and he had elected to delay surgery until the season ended. That heart and effort led to him having perhaps that greatest final play of a career in Mississippi State football history. With the regular season in the books, some will look at the season and think of a team that managed to go 6-6 and make four consecutive bowl games, a first at Mississippi State. However, the true story of this team lies in its players and how, on a cold night in Starkville, so many of their personal stories came together to write the final words of the story of the 2013 season. - MM

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from LEFT FIELD

Justin Sutton manages For Whom the Cowbell Tolls, the Mississippi State blog for SBNation.com, and he hosts the Daily Grind on Bulldog Sports Radio. You can follow him on twitter @justinrsutton.

BY JUSTIN R. SUTTON

A Legend is Born

he game of football can easily be defined through numbers and statistics, but doing so often misses much of the story. While many define players through their production on the field often players---and some seasons--defy such a definition. As far as the 2013 season at Mississippi State, the stories revolved around the players and their lives much more than that wins and statistics of the season. This may be most true in the story of Dak Prescott, the sophomore quarterback who ended up taking over the Mississippi State football team and etching himself in the history of Bulldog football. Many fans had clamored for Prescott since the end of the 2012 season believing the offense would flourish with him at quarterback and, in all fairness, he had played well in his time as the leader of the Mississippi State offense in the 2012 season. However, as practices continued and depth charts were released, Tyler Russell, the quarterback who shattered Mississippi State records in 2012, held on to his starting position while Prescott became, according to Dan Mullen, the “other” quarterback, hinting that he would be more than just a back up. Those words proved true as Prescott took over the team after the first game of the season when Russell suffered a head injury against the Oklahoma State Cowboys. The next week, Prescott made his first start as a Bulldog and guided the offense to a 37-0 halftime lead as Mississippi State cruised past Alcorn State.

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After a disheartening loss to Auburn in the final seconds of the game, Prescott and Jameon Lewis provided a magical moment against Troy as both players tossed, ran, and received a touchdown in the contest that saw the offense rack up 551 yards and 62 points at Davis Wade Stadium. By the end of October, the Bulldogs stood at 4-3, but the road to six wins still looked tough as games at South Carolina and Texas A&M loomed, along with a home date with Alabama. However, the events that would transpire over the next five games would solidify Prescott’s standing in Bulldog lore as Mississippi State battled to six wins. The month of November seemed to only bring bad news to Prescott. The sophomore had to suffer through the death of his mother less than a day after Mississippi State lost to South Carolina. Surrounded by the support of fans and teammates, Prescott returned to the field only to suffer an injury against Texas A&M, an injury that looked like it might force him off the field for the rest of the season. With Prescott potentially lost for the year, it seemed that Russell would be the main story at the quarterback position for the Bulldogs, but instead, the spotlight ended up falling on freshman quarterback Damian Williams. Over the last two games of the season, Williams would be called upon to replace an injured Russell against Arkansas, and he responded by rumbling for a 25yard touchdown to open overtime. An interception by Taveze

Calhoun sealed the win for Mississippi State, the team’s first in the Natural State. The next week, with Russell still injured, Williams made his first start in the Egg Bowl. While he did not produce numbers that would make jaws drop, he did keep Mississippi State in the game, and if not for a blocked punt, the efforts of the Mississippi State defense might have been enough to help Williams lead the team to victory. Instead, an Egg Bowl legend was born during the fourth quarter. With the game on the line, Mullen turned to Prescott, thought by many to be unavailable for the game, to lead the Bulldogs to victory. The quarterback came in and completed 11 of 20 passes for 115 yards, but his performance in this game will be long remembered for his fourth down touchdown run in overtime. With the game on the line and the field goal kicking shaky, Mullen trusted his quarterback to make a play, and on the cold Thanksgiving night in Starkville, the sophomore did just that, driving though the Ole Miss defense on a touchdown run. After the win, Prescott, trophy in tow, found Russell and celebrated on the sideline. While the legend of Prescott grew during the 2013 season, Russell seemed to fall prey to so many of the same issues that have plagued other senior quarterbacks at Mississippi State. In a cruel turn of events, the quarterback who set records in 2012 registered a much smaller impact on the 2013 season. Even with the feeling of a senior season left unfulfilled, Russell carried himself with class and grace, and he will leave Starkville as one of the all-time best quarterbacks for the Maroon and White. The season held many other special moments than just those that surrounded the play of the Mississippi State quarterbacks.

One of the men charged with protecting them, Gabe Jackson, finished his time in Starkville as one of the best offensive linemen to ever play for the Bulldogs. Jackson entered the season surrounded by hype, and the accolades continued to roll in for Jackson as the season ended. Though he was shockingly left off the finalist list for the Outland Trophy, Jackson went on to become the first winner of the Kent Hull Trophy, an award given to the most outstanding collegiate offensive lineman in Mississippi. On the same night he was presented with that trophy, the Liberty native walked away with the Conerly Trophy, becoming the first offensive lineman and fifth Bulldog to be recognized as the best college football player in Mississippi. On his way to picking up those awards, Jackson could be seen helping prepare the path for Williams against Arkansas and Prescott against Ole Miss. As he continued to earn individual honors, Jackson helped open the door for the Bulldogs to reach a bowl game and snag the Golden Egg. Another senior, Nickoe Whitley, made sure his final play in a Bulldog jersey would be one long remembered by fans and replayed on the video boards. With the Bulldogs leading Ole Miss in overtime of the Egg Bowl, Bo Wallace looked ready to score a touchdown, but Whitley managed to strip Wallace of the football just as he prepared to cross the goal line. Jamerson Love scooped up the ball in the end zone and sealed the win for Mississippi State. What many did not know at the time was that the play would be the final play for Whitley at Mississippi State. The senior safety had been See Legend - Page 31

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