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| 1998 | Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 1999 | Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
Football Links of Interest:
01/23/00 | 2000 Prospects01/23/00 |
1997 Signees | 1998 Signees | 1999 Signees
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01/31/00 - The following players visited this weekend:
01/31/00 - Thought you guys would be interested in this new Mississippi State sports talk show.
It is called "The Score" and is the first local sports talk show in the Golden Triangle focusing primarily on Mississippi State athletics.
The show debuts Monday, Feb. 7th.
It will be on Monday-Friday from 4:00-5:00 p.m.
It will be on "The Team" WSSO 1230-AM in Starkville and WJWF 1400-AM in Columbus. The two radio stations are combining to form a simulcast called "The Team." "The Team" will carry 1-on-1 sports (on both stations).
The primary focus of the show will be Mississippi State athletics, followed, in order, by Southeastern Conference athletics, national sports, and local high schools.
They will have at least one guest per show. Monday, they have John Bond lined up and hope to have a football signee as well. During the first week, they have Sharon Fanning and Bailey Howell lined up and are working on getting Jack Cristil and Pat McMahon.
There are five people hosting the show: Aaron Sones, Marshall Harris, Alex Wheelock, Bert Young, and Bo Bounds. Sones works in the Athletic Media Relations Department and Bounds is the sports editor of the Reflector. All five co-hosts are MSU students who know a lot about MSU sports as well as sports in general. Sones is the daily anchor while the other four will join him on different set days to form a 3-man crew each day.
They will take calls from listeners and encourage folks to call. The number to call is 323-1231.
They have live remote plans lined up at Abners and would love to do them at other locations. If your business is interested in hosting the show, you can call Aaron Sones at 324-5048. They are currently looking for sponsors. If businesses want to buy ads, they can contact Bob Greene of Charisma Communications in Columbus. The first show will focus on MSU recruiting.
You may want to tune in just to listen to the intro. It will definitely fire up any Bulldog fan (Jack Cristil's calls from over the years and Jim Ellis' call of Master's grand slam).
Again, it is called "The Score, on The Team, AM 1230 WSSO in Starkville and 1400 AM WJWF in Columbus."
01/30/00 - The Birmingham Chapter of the Alumni Association is having a recruiting party on Feb. 2nd. Here are the details.
There will also be another meeting on the 10th of February. If you are an MSU fan, please attend this very important meeting.
Mississippi State Director of Athletics Larry Templeton will be in Birmingham on Thursday night, February 10, for a special "State of State" address that will shed light on the past, present and future of Bulldog athletics.
There is NO CHARGE for this special, informative event, which will also feature Chuck Beddingfield, MSU's new associate athletic director for marketing and promotions; Wesley Reed of the Bulldog Club; a member of the football coaching staff and an academics representative. Also making an appearance in Birmingham will be the architectural model of the upcoming Scott Field expansion.
Here are the details...
DATE: Thursday, February 10
TIME: light hors d'oeuvres at 5 p.m., program begins at 5:45 p.m. and
should end by 7:30 p.m.
PLACE: Inverness Country Club
NO ADMISSION CHARGE!!!
SPECIAL GUESTS: Larry Templeton, Wesley Reed, Chuck Beddingfield, member
of the football coaching staff and others.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Jim Farrar (879-7510, jim@whiteheadassoc.com) or
Jason Cook (969-5608, cookjd@mindspring.com)
01/30/00 - According to my sources, Demotto Youngblood is still very firmly committed to MSU. He is a highly prized defensive lineman, therefore, you have to expect big-time schools to continue to recruit him.
I know there has been some speculation about Rosa Fort HS wide receiver McKinley Scott re-committing to UM. Not sure who is putting this out but, according to my sources, there is nothing to this rumor. Just wishful thinking, I guess. Who wouldn't want the youngster. Like I said in an earlier post, he is considered by some of my sources as one of the two top wide receivers in the state of Mississippi. I guess I should add Leon Collins to this list, so let's say he is one of the top three wide receivers in the state.
P.S. Ask NWCC head football coach Bobby Franklin what he thinks about McKinley. I think some of the Rebel fans who emailed me saying that McKinley is not even one of the top 5 or 6 wide receivers in the state might be a little surprised as to how good he thinks McKinley is. There is a reason UM's coaches are trying so hard to get McKinley to re-commit to them. This guy has amazing talent and they know it.
01/29/00 - The rumor about Hattiesburg HS linebacker Jo Jo Scott waivering from his commitment to MSU appears to be just that, a rumor. According to my sources, he continues to be a solid MSU commitment even though schools continue to heavily recruit him.
The rumor is MSU is battling Michigan, not Auburn, for defensive lineman Demotto Youngblood. They really like him and are putting recruiting pressure on him big-time.
A few of the recruits that are supposed to be in this weekend are punter Jared Cook, linebacker Terry Davis, and kicker John Michael Marlin and one or two others that I'm not sure about.
01/29/00 I interviewed, Chuck Beddingfield, our new Associate Athletic Director for Marketing and Promotions, earlier this week. Here are the pertinent parts of the interview.
01/27/00 - Former Mississippi State football administrative assistant Byron McCall has accepted a position with South Panola HS as an assistant football coach. I know Byron very well from talking with him at MSU football practices on numerous occasions. Byron is a great guy who will make South Panola an excellent assistant coach.
01/27/00 - MSU picked up a surprise commitment yesterday. McKinley Scott, the outstanding wide receiver from Rosa Fort HS, has decided to cast his lot with the Bulldogs. He initially committed to UM but, after giving it a lot of thought, decided he wanted to join Mississippi State's rising football program. McKinley, considered by most sources as one of the top two wide receivers in Mississippi, along with Gautier HS's Antonio Hargro, is 6-1, 185-lbs and runs the forty in 4.5.
If you checked my page last night you already know a little about the commitment of offensive lineman David Stewart. Here is a little more info. David is a giant man-child from Moulton, Ala. According to my sources, he just turned 17-years old a few months ago (September, I believe) and is already 6-7 tall and weighs 285-lbs. He has a tremendous upside because of his unique combination of size, speed and mobility.
Not all was good news yesterday. Two players MSU was recruiting heavily, Madison Central HS OL Doug Buckles and St. Stanislaus TE Stephen Peterman committed to UM and LSU. Both were players MSU would have loved to sign but no one wins every battle. As long as you win the vast majority of the recruiting battles, which we appear to be doing, and win on the field, you can't ask for more than that.
I fully expect MSU to continue to pick up additional Blue Chippers over the next few days. Even with the commitments of Buckles and Peterman elsewhere, MSU appears to be closing out extremely well.
01/27/00 - Advertisement: Don't forget to click on a small and a large banner ad while visiting my site today. Thank you.
01/26/00 (8:00 p.m.) - Big offensive lineman David Stewart has committed to MSU. David, who is 6-7, 285, with 5.1 speed in the forty, is from Lawrence County HS in Moulton, AL. He also considered Auburn, South Carolina and a several other schools.
01/26/00 (12:10 p.m.) - Just wanted you guys to know that Hattiesburg wide receiver Vincent Strickland is not visiting MSU this weekend. I'm not sure where that rumor got started but it's not true.
01/26/00 - MSU picked up an excellent commitment yesterday with the commitment of DB Jonathan Bell from Tupelo, MS. Jonathan, who is MSU's second commitment from Tupelo this year, is not only an excellent football player but has very good potential as a baseball player as well. Look for him to be drafted during the summer Major League Draft.
The rumor is Alabama offensive tackle David Stewart will either choose South Carolina or MSU Thursday. The more I hear about Stewart, the better he sounds. The word is he is very high on the MSU offensive line list.
The latest news, from one of my sources, is not good news for MSU. It appears tight end Stephen Peterman, 6-5, 265, 4.8, St. Stanislaus, may be leaning to LSU. MSU is still in the picture but we may be on the outside looking in. Other than one other recruiting battle in the State of Mississippi, I feel MSU is doing extremely well with the Mississippi players that they are still in on.
01/25/00 - Nineteen high school football teams will call Cleveland home for a day this spring when the first-ever Bolivar Commercial Prep Super Clash takes place at Travis E. Parker Field on the campus of Delta State University. Click here to read the entire Bolivar Commercial article about this high school football spring event. This is a great chance for all of you in the Delta area to get a sneak preview of some of the best football players in Mississippi and the South.
01/25/00 - MSU has received a commitment from Clarksdale HS DE/LB Robert Spivey. Robert is 6-3, 220-lbs and runs a 4.6 forty. UM and Marshall also offered. I have also been told that his teammate, Curtis Kemp, a 6-1, 205-lb quarterback, will walk-on at State next fall. The word, according to my Delta sources, is Kemp is a very talented quarterback who started for the first time this season. I was told if you want to know how good he is contact former Amory HS coach Bobby Hall. My source said he absolutely shredded Amory's defense this past season. In fact, my source said he shredded most defenses this past season.
One of the recruiting services has quoted Gautier HS wider receiver Antonio Hargro as stating MSU is a slight leader.
Look for things to start happening fast over the next few days. I fully expect State to get more than their fair share of top commitments over the next few days. Look for a surprise or two.
01/24/00 - The word is MSU had a very good weekend this past weekend. As I said last night on my premium site, MSU received a big commitment from Garden City (KS) CC defensive back Dale Hall. Another recent and very firm commitment is Clinton HS linebacker J. J. Grant. The word is J. J., who visited this past weekend, has tremendous talent even to the point of NFL talent if he continues to work hard. He has run an electronically timed 4.57 forty. According to my sources, J. J. is a very likeable and intelligent youngster who is already 100% MSU Bulldog. I have also been told that big offensive tackle David Stewart (6-6, 275, 5.1), who visited this past weekend, will decide between MSU and South Carolina sometime this week. The word on David is he is a big ole youngster who is a dominating run-blocker from his tackle position. A good comparison to David is former Bulldog offensive lineman Wes Shivers. They are both big youngsters who take on a different personality when they get on the field. When they aren't on the football field, they are both as nice as can be and both love to hunt, but when you get them on the field, watch out, because they are all business and tough as a junkyard dog. You add David to MSU offensive tackle commitment Will Rogers (6-5, 295, 5.1( from Creekside HS (Fairburn, GA.) and you could have in a couple of years two of the best run-blocking offensive tackles in the SEC. Another person I want to mention is a little-known but talented defensive lineman from Greenville, MS. by the name of Anthony Jones. Anthony, who visited MSU this weekend, has increased his height over the past football season to the point where he is now 6-6, up from 6-3. He weighs about 230-lbs and runs in the 4.6 to 4.7 range. I was told that he has been offered by JSU, Alcorn State, UM Miss, Mississippi Valley, and Delta State. The word is MSU is looking very hard at Anthony and Anthony is very much interested.
I continue to hear MSU is doing very well with the two Gautier HS players, Antonio Hargro and Ray Ray Bivines. The word on Madison Central HS offensive guard Doug Buckles and St. Stanislaus tight end Stephen Peterman is it is a toss-up as to which school they will choose. I no longer have a feel one way or the other as to which way these two youngsters will go. They would both be excellent additions to an already outstanding class of players that MSU has received commitments from.
01/23/00 - Here is a list of various recruiting signing day parties. If your chapter has one planned, please email the info to me. Email me at swindoll@genespage.com
01/22/00 - The rumor is MSU has picked up a commitment from the top fullback in the state of Mississippi in Greenwood's Darnell Jones. Pigskin Preps ranks Darnell the 4th best fullback in the south. They also picked up a commitment from his teammate defensive back Gabe Wallace who is a Clarion-Ledger Top-40 selection.
The word is Coach Joe Lee Dunn recently got back from Georgia after visiting with Georgia Military defensive backs Demetric Moore (6-0, 185, 4.5) and Horace Willis (6-0, 190, 4.5). It seems that a lot of schools are after these two defensive backs.
01/21/00 (3:35 p.m.) - Email me if you have a recruiting signing party set up for February 2nd. Click here to read about the one in Memphis.
01/21/00 - The word that I am hearing is MSU is looking at a punter from Jordan HS in Columbus, GA. His name is Jared Cook. He is 5-11 and 175 pounds. As I find out more info about him, I will post it on my page.
01/21/00 - I know nothing about the Doug Buckles and Chris Young to commit together rumor. As far as I know no one has actually quoted Doug Buckles on this so it is just a rumor as far as I'm concerned. All that I know that is fact is Doug visited MSU last weekend and will visit Tennessee this weekend. Remember guys, this is the most hectic time for recruiting so be prepared for all kind of rumors, some true, some false.
01/20/00 (9:15 a.m.) - Has the MSU staff once again found another Georgia diamond in the rough like they did with Robert Hicks and Randy Thomas? I have just heard that MSU has picked up a commitment from Will Rogers, a 6-5, 295, 5.1, DL/OT from Creekside HS in Fairburn, Ga. According to Pigskin Preps, he "is a two-way lineman that will become a star on the offensive front in college. He has developed into one of the Peach State's most sought after big men."
01/20/00 - Here are a few names of players that are supposed to be visiting this weekend. There are probably others but these are all that I know of.
01/20/00 - While on campus yesterday, I ran into December juco offensive lineman signee Tommy Watson. I didn't talk to him long but did find out that he is now 6-5, 305-lbs and can bench 405 pounds. He told me he was injured this past season and did not practice much but still played in the games. Considering he earned First-Team All-State Mississippi Junior College and JUCO All-American, just think how good this guy will be when he can practice full time.
01/20/00 - SuperPrep's Pre-Signing Magazine has MSU recruit Doug Buckles ranked as the 26th best player in the country and the 6th best offensive lineman. He earned SuperPrep All-American.
Here is a list of other players that earned SuperPrep All-American honors and are being recruited by MSU:
In case you are wondering why Alabama backed off of MSU commitment Jason Clark, according to SuperPrep, Alabama wanted him to commit in December before he took any visits. When he refused, Alabama took back their offer.
If you would like to subscribe to the print edition of SuperPrep, you can contact them by telephone at 949-494-7866. Although they do have a online website, which is located at http://www.superprep.com, their print edition is excellent. I have been a subscriber for quite a few years.
01/19/00 - Recruiting tidbits:
According to several of the LSU websites, the latest rumor is Gautier HS athlete Ray Ray Bivines committed to MSU this past weekend. I have not been able to confirmed this through my Gautier sources. His teammate Antonio Hargro had a good visit at MSU this past weekend but wants to visit Miami before deciding what school he will sign with.
The word is Rosa Fort wide receiver McKinley Scott committed to UM this past weekend.
It appears that Clarksdale HS linebacker Robert Spivey had a good visit at UM last week. Look for him to visit MSU this weekend. UM did a good recruiting job but I feel good about his upcoming visit to MSU.
01/19/00 - Advertisement: If you have a son or daughter who plays baseball or softball, former Diamond Dawg and current pro baseball player, Chris Curry is available for a short time onto for private baseball instruction. Chris, who will teach your child in all aspects (hitting and fielding) of the game, can be contacted at 662-320-4489 (Starkville phone number) or by email at rht1@ra.msstate.edu. Give him a ring or email today.
01/18/00 (1:40 p.m.) - Starkville player update:
Linebacker Jason Clark is firmly committed to MSU. He will be a Bulldog.
Athlete Thurman Ward has committed to Alabama today.
With the commitment of Starkville HS wide receiver Eric Tucker committed to Ole Miss, and these two players now committed, that pretty closes it out in Starkville for another year.
01/17/00 - The rumor is MSU received two firm commitments yesterday. Starkville HS linebacker Jason Clark and Hargrave Military Academy Demotto Youngblood.
A few recruits rumored to be visiting next week:
01/14/00 - Here is an updated list of some of the players, according to various sources of mine, that will be visiting this weekend. This is an extremely important weekend because of these football recruits. Please come to the basketball game Sunday if at all possible.
01/12/00 - Jo Jo Scott Update:
Mississippi State and Southern Miss appear to be a huge recruiting battle for this gifted linebacker from Hattiesburg HS. Jo Jo, according to my sources, is a very key recruit for the MSU coaches. The rumor is the MSU coaches have thought very highly of Jo Jo ever since they first saw him. It sure would be nice to get a player of his caliber to come in and play the linebacker slot that now departed MSU Bulldog All-American Barrin Simpson played the last four years. He would have the opportunity to do the same things that Barrin did; play for Joe Lee Dunn (possibly the best defensive coordinator in the college ranks), play on a defense that was number one in the nation this past season, play in a defense tailor-made to his talents, be an All-American linebacker, play in the SEC (considered by most college experts to be the best conference in the nation), play in the SEC Championship Game (watched on television by up to 20+ million folks) and have a great chance to play in a New Year's Day Bowl.
01/11/00 - Recruiting update on a few kids:
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01/10/00 - According to The Clarion-Ledger, Mississippi State has received a commitment from Demotto Youngblood, a 6-5, 265-lb defensive lineman from Hargrave (VA.) Academy. State originally recruited Demotto last year when he played for North Clayton HS, which is located in College Park, GA.
It has also been reported that Starkville HS linebacker Jason Clark has committed to South Carolina. If this turns out to be true, Mississippi State and Ole Miss, the other two schools he was considering, lost a good one.
01/08/00 - Here is a little info on a player that we may recruit next year.
David Lipscomb HS (Nashville, TN.) has a junior running back by the name of Justin Chunn. Justin (6-3, 186, 4.5) is a product of a father who was an All-State QB at Murrah HS in Jackson in the 60's (played for Ole Miss in college) and a mother who was a world-class swimmer from Miami. He also has an older brother, Cliff Chunn, who participates internationally in both wheelchair tennis and wheelchair rugby. He plays for the Lakeshore Demolition based in Birmingham, Alabama. In fact, he is so good he is on the short list for Team USA for the 2000 Olympics in Australia. Getting back to Justin, he has been contacted by such major D-I schools as Mississippi State, Florida, Penn State and Ole Miss.
01/07/00 - I haven't mentioned him lately but I thought I would give you an update on Pickens Academy's outstanding running back/defensive back Jody Wright (5-9, 185, 4.6). Jody, who has camped at Mississippi State, has or is lining up visits with Jacksonville State (AL), Samford (AL), West Alabama and North Alabama. He has received interest, which includes some telephone calls, from such D-I schools as Alabama, Mississippi State, UAB, Southern Miss, Colorado State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss and South Carolina. Several of these schools are currently evaluating his film and continue to show interest.
This past season he scored 40 TDs which was a new AISA single season record. This helped earn him 1st Team All-State honors. He also set the career AISA TD record with 80. For the season, he rushed the ball 171 times for 1,905 yards, which is a whopping 11.1 ypc average. He did this despite playing about 50% of the time due to his team leading by such big margins at the half. Pickens Academy went 14-0 this year to win their 5th state championship in the past 6 years.
Jody is extremely strong (state powerlifting champion for his weight classification) and a very intelligent youngster (3.5 gpa). He also comes from good bloodlines when you consider that his older brother, Josh Wright, was also selected 1st Team All-State in high school. His Dad, Lynn Wright, was selected Alabama Independent School Association (AISA) Coach of the Year for the second time in the last four years. Oh, by the way, Jody has a younger brother waiting in the wings. His name is Jonathan Wright and he is currently in the eighth grade. I expect I will be hearing about him in the very near future. Maybe we'll see him at one of Mississippi State's camps in the very near future.
Portions of this info came from a Commercial Dispatch story on the Wrights. The rest came from a source very close to the family.
01/07/00 - Here is a little more info about MSU football commitment Slovakia Griffith. As a lot of you know by now, he is a cousin of current MSU football players Justin and Julius Griffith. Slovakia's father was an All-State player at Co-Lin CC and his mother was a excellent sprinter in either high school or college. A source of mine talked to a former high school coach about him and this coach said he felt, because of how aggressive he is, he would make a Dog Safety or Free Safety in college. I was also told that he should have no problem qualifying.
This info comes from a coach who coached against Slovakia: "I don't think he will be an impact player right away. He has a tremendous upside, good speed and is a big hitter. I think with more weight and a good weight program he could possibly be a good DOG safety one day."
From a trusted observer of Mississippi high school football: "I knew about Slovakia. Your source is right; he will make an impact. Magee was basically a two-man team this year and Mr. Griffith was the number 1 man. He can flat move!"
01/07/00 - More recruiting tidbits:
MSU tidbits:
01/06/00 (11:30 a.m.) - Who is MSU's recent football commitment Slovakia Griffith you ask? Until last night I, like all of you, had never heard of Slovakia. I thought it was a joke when one of my sources first told me about him. However, after talking to my sources a little more in detail, I found out that he is an outstanding cornerback from Magee, MS. who is 5-10, 180-lbs and can run and jump like a deer. In fact, my sources feel that he has a very good chance to be an impact player very, very soon in his career because he is such a great cover cornerback. I know a lot of you are probably saying this can't be true, Gene. If he is so good why haven't we even heard of the guy? Just remember this, no one had heard of such former Bulldog greats Robert Hicks and Randy Thomas and a few other players that we signed out of high school, but look at what they did at State and then the NFL. Thomas and Hicks are now starters in the NFL. To take it a step farther, how many of you older recruiting junkies remember Lynn Thomas, a defensive back who played on the same Pascagoula HS team as Rooster Jones? When the University of Pittsburgh signed Jones and Thomas many years ago most folks, including me, thought Thomas was part of a package deal to get Jones and wasn't any good. Well, it turned out he wound up starring at Pittsburgh and then going on and playing in the NFL. Do you remember who signed Thomas coming out of high school? None other than our present head football coach Jackie Sherrill, who was coaching at Pittsburgh at the time. According to NFL folks, Coach Sherrill is one of the best evaluators of talent in the college game today. Based on the success of the players that he has signed and the success that he has had at the colleges that he has coached, he has proven them right time and time again.
01/06/00 - Recruiting rumors (MSU and others):
01/06/00 - According to a source of mine Amite HS (LA.) running back C. J. Batiste (5-10, 210, 4.6) is interested in Mississippi State. He set the LA State championship game record for rushing this year.
01/05/00 (3:00 p.m.) - Click here to see my updated MSU recruiting prospects list.
01/05/00 - Doug Buckles Update: According to a source very close to the Buckles family, Doug has the following schools on his list: Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Tennessee.
01/05/00 - Here is another name to add to the list of players Mississippi State is recruiting. His name is Demotto Youngblood. You may remember this name since we recruited him last year. Demotto, who is a defensive end, is now 6-5, 240-lbs and runs in the 4.6 to 4.8 range. Not sure which, but he is currently at a prep school. He signed with Kentucky last season but failed to qualify and went the prep school route.
01/04/00 - What my sources are saying about the Dandy Dozen. The top player info is my opinion:
Dandy Dozen players that have committed or are interested in us are:
Bryan Shumaker (Committed to MSU). Top DB in the state.
Doug Buckles (MSU or Tenn). Top OL in the state. I feel good about State's chances with Buckles.
Antonio Hargro (Interested in MSU and many others). Top WR in the state. We have as good a chance as anyone else. My sources say he is a Randy Moss clone in looks and ability. In fact, some folks call him Antonio "Moss".
Ray Ray Bivines (Interested in MSU and many others). Top athlete in the state. Injured his knee during the season but State still loves the guy and stand firm with their offer, according to my sources.
Cornelius Wortham (Interested in MSU, Tenn, and OM). I have heard a shaky rumor that Tennessee has received a commitment from him. State has been in the picture for the entire time.
Jason Clark (MSU or South Carolina). Possibly the top LB in the state.
Marvin Vaughn (Interested in MSU and many others). Top RB in the state. Until recently appeared to be heading out of state but now I'm not so sure. Seems to have developed a real interest in MSU. Has unofficially visited one of MSU's practices and was, supposedly, seen at the Peach Bowl by a source of mine.
Other Dandy Dozen players:
Trey Fryfogle committed to Ole Miss. MSU showed interest but never offered. MSU showed a strong interest in these four Dandy Dozen players: Jason Campbell (top QB in the state) to Auburn, James Campbell and Leon Collins to Ole Miss and Chris Young to Ole Miss, Vandy or Alabama.
01/03/00 (10:00 a.m.) - Spencer Pennington, junior QB from Fayette, AL. (used to play QB at Lamar County HS in Vernon, AL.), went to the Peach Bowl to see the Bulldogs. He went with some of his New Hope friends (played summer baseball with them) and their parents. I consider Spencer to be one of the top junior quarterbacks in Alabama. His brother, Jeremy, played football at Alabama.
01/03/00 - It will be mid-January before defensive secondary player Kendall Roberson will know if he will be granted a sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA.
01/03/00 - Post-game Peach Bowl comments:
MSU fan Mark Doiron:
GP: How important is this bowl win to you as an MSU fan?
Doiron: Man, I love it. I'm not going to sleep for two or three weeks. It is great for all Mississippi State fans. The enthusiasm out there; the fan support was incredible. It is great for recruiting.
GP: Do you feel that this takes the bowl game monkey off of Mississippi State's back?
Doiron: Yes, it does. Yes, it does.
MSU punter and kicker Jeff Walker:
GP: You were pretty sick tonight weren't you?
Walker: I've been sick since Sunday. I probably had a 102 fever tonight. Coach Sherrill came up to me prior to the game and asked me if I could do it? I told him there was no doubt about it. It was something where I had to reach deep down inside because my body wasn't willing. Once I got out there and felt the atmosphere and saw the look in the guys eyes, I knew that I had to do it.
GP: How significant was it to win this bowl game?
Walker: It was a great way to cap off a great season. This team is only the second team in Mississippi State history to win ten games. I love the guys on this team. The heart that we played with, a lot of teams don't possess. The way we came back three or four times showed the character of this team. I was just happy to be a part of this team.
GP: What does it mean to you to be a Mississippi State Bulldog?
Walker: To be a Mississippi State Bulldog is really about love. The love you have for your teammates, your coaches. We have really come together. These past five years have gone by so quick. And to be able to have accomplished what we have in such a short period of time says a lot about us. When I say that I am a Mississippi State Bulldog, it makes me proud and I actually get chill bumps and tear up. I swear if you would cut me right now, I would bleed maroon and white.
GP: What is the difference in Mississippi State football now as compared to when you first got here?
Walker: Confidence. You could see it in our eyes. The way we practiced. It is a complete turnaround. The way we competed showed it. We had that look in our eyes. We seniors had that burning desire and it really paid off for us.
The last couple of years we have had some tragedies. With the death of Keffer (McGee), we came together. We have seen a lot of changes among each other. What I mean by that is we have great leaders like Barrin Simpson and Edward Yeates who have showed us the way the Lord would want us to be. This team tries to walk in that path. I think that the Lord has really blessed us and really shined down on us. I really think that the Lord has brought us closer together.
GP: What would you tell a recruit why he should chose Mississippi State?
Walker: I would tell a recruit the way we play here is hard-nosed. It's not finesse. It's hard-nosed football. When you play hard-nosed, you give it all that you have. That's what we have here. When a recruit gets around us, he will see that. He will get that sense of confidence that we have. If you are a mediocre player, you will become a good player. If you are a good player, you will become a great player. That's the kind of confidence that we have at Mississippi State.
MSU cornerback Fred Smoot:
GP: How much did it bother you guys to be a 9-2 SEC team and an underdog to a 6-5 ACC team?
Smoot: It bothered us enough to beat them 17 to 7.
MSU offensive lineman Wes Shivers:
GP: What would you tell a recruit why he should come to Mississippi State?
Shivers: I would tell him how close-knit the team is, how great the fans are. I would tell him how the coaching staff really cares about you. They want you to do your best. I can't think of any better place to play.
01/01/00 - Recruiting tidbits: