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1999/2000 Signees and Commitments01/23/00 | 2000 Prospects01/23/00 | 1997 Signees | 1998 Signees | 1999 Signees

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8/31/00 - Nobody has mentioned this on the internet that I know of but the Memphis Commercial Appeal had a dream team SEC coaching staff in this past Sunday's paper. MSU had three coaches on it; Joe Lee Dunn, Melvin Smith and David Wilson. Coach Wilson shared the recruiting coordinator honors with Alabama's Ronnie Cottrell.

8/30/00 - Click here to check out the latest football stadium expansion pictures.

Here is what he told me after the press conference when I asked him what he liked so much about Curtis that made him decide to use him this year.
Coach Sherrill: "He does a lot of good things on special teams. He has natural ability to block punts and natural ability to hold people up at the line. He has a lot of football instincts."

Here is my interview with Curtis after practice yesterday.

GS: What school did you attend and what position did you play?
Curtis Stowers, Jr.: I played free safety and strong safety at Windsor Forest High School in Savannah, Georgia. (Click on the picture to see a larger version)

GS: How did you wind up in Savannah? I know your dad was originally from Mississippi.
Curtis: We moved to Savannah from Vicksburg, Mississippi about two years ago when he got a management position with Ergon.

GS: Since your dad played football at State, did you grow up a Mississippi State football fan?
Curtis: Pretty much. I was born here while he was playing football here.

GS: Considering how impressed Coach Sherrill is with your ability, it makes me wonder how you fell through the cracks as far as recruiting is concerned?
Curtis: The school that I went to wasn't a football school. It was more of a basketball school than a football school. The Savannah area is mostly a dead area as far as football recruiting is concerned. North Georgia is mostly the football area. I got a couple of offers from schools like Georgia Southern and a lot of big-time D-II schools and I got looks from some D-I schools, but none of them offered me a full scholarship. I guess most of them knew that I was very interested in coming here because my father played here. My coach also knew that I was coming to Mississippi State and told them.

GS: Does it surprise you that you are going to play your first year?
Curtis: My father prepared me for what I would go through. I talked to some of the other players that have walked on like Josh (Morgan) and Billy Cook. They told me what kind of shape that I would have to be in. They told me, strength-wise, I was fine. They said that I would need to pick it up with my conditioning.

GS: How strong are you? What can you bench?
Curtis: At my high school I could bench-press 315. Here, it seems like the weight is a little heavier. I don't know if it is two-a-days or something else but it feels like I lost some of my strength.

GS: Thank you, Curtis.

8/29/00 - From a source who has strong Brookhaven HS connections, I was told that BHS senior football player Fred Perkins has scholarship offers from LSU, Tennessee and MSU.

It will be one hour long and begin two hours prior to the kickoff of each game, home and away. At all home games, the show will be broadcast live from the fanfare tent. It will be co-hosted by Aaron Sones and Jason Crowder. Steve Ellis will have taped interviews.

Each show will contain:
1) Interview with an offensive and defensive player.
2) Offensive and defensive gameplan (interview with off. and def. coach).
3) Live interview with MSU athletic representative.
4) Live interview with MSU media representative.
5) Live interview with another special guest.
6) Live interview with fans.
7) SEC Game of the Week (Ellis recaps the game of the week in the SEC).
8) SEC coverage.
9) Scoreboard updates.
10) Coverage of special events.

MSU Gameday will be broadcast on WFCA, 107.9 FM beginning 2 hrs before kickoff and wrapping up right before the MSU Radio Network hits the air. WFCA is the official flagship station of MSU sports and is a 100,000 watt station which provides service for the entire Golden Triangle area as well as most of north Mississippi.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

8/28/00 (4:00 p.m.) - ATTENTION ALL MSU STUDENTS:

Mississippi State University is going to have the biggest football pep rally/party in MSU's history Friday night prior to this year's first home football game (the Florida game). Instead of just calling it a pep rally/party, the Athletic Support group of the MSU Student Association wants to make it unique by coming up with a name that equals the significance of this pep rally/party. To come up with this name, they have come up with an idea for a name contest. All MSU students have the opportunity to enter a name for the pep rally/party by going by the table that is set up in front of the MSU Union right across the street from the MSU Post Office this Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. As an incentive to get as many pep rally/party names entries as possible, I have agreed to award the winner of the contest $200 and a free subscription to my premium site.

Due to limited manpower, if you are a student and would like to volunteer your time to work at the table so that the hours can be extended, please contact Lee Beck at 325-8995 or by email at beck100@excite.com.

8/27/00 - MSU Football Fan Day report.

There were between 2,500 to 3,500 MSU fans on hand for MSU's year 2000 Fan Day. Included among those in attendance were the outstanding Petal High School offensive lineman (center) Chris McNeil, his good friend Josh Sullivan and one of the top junior offensive linemen in the state of Mississippi, Ackerman High School's Glenn Mason.

Here are a few pictures of the players talking to the crowd, doing the Dog Pound Rock and signing autographs.

George White leading the crowd in doing the nationally known Dog Pound Rock. Click here...
The MSU fans doing the Dog Pound Rock. Click here...
Defensive backs signing autographs. Click here...
Defensive linemen signing autographs. Click here....
Linebackers signing autographs. Click here...
Offensive linemen signing autographs. Click here...
Quarterbacks signing autographs. Click here...
Running backs signing autographs. Click here...
1998 Western Division Champs and 1999 Peach Bowl rings. Click here...

There appeared to be between 500 and 600 Bulldog Club members present.

Larry discussed the excellent academics of the student/athletes at MSU. Either 8 or 10 sports had a grade point average of 3.00 or better this past spring. Of the student/athletes that completed their eligibility last spring (I believe he said last spring), 84% of them graduated.

He mentioned that a second crane is coming in this week and that will cause the road north of the football stadium to be closed. The stadium expansion is going much better than anticipated. He said that the Roy Anderson Contracting Company is the best contractor the MSU athletic department has dealt with during his tenure at MSU.

He mentioned that to help pay for the stadium expansion, the remaining club level seats need to be sold. He hopes MSU fans will buy them prior to the Florida game. If anyone is interested, you can contact the Bulldog Club for additional info.

He talked about how the Southeastern Conference has become such a dominate force in college football that all the networks had a tremendous bidding war for the SEC Championship football game. It was on the same scale as the bidding for the Olympics. CBS, ESPN and the Jefferson Pilot networks will be televising a record number of SEC football games in the future. I believe he said CBS would be televising SEC football games on Saturday afternoon at a time when no other college football game was being televised. In other words, it would be the only game in town and will be great exposure for the two teams involved.

He expects television revenue to become so large that it will very soon be more than the combined revenue MSU earns from season ticket sales and contributions from the Bulldog Club.

8/26/00 - I talked to Chuck Beddingfield of the MSU Athletic Department Friday afternoon. He brought up something very, very interesting.

As most of you know by now, the MSU Bulldog Club has started a Junior Bulldog Club for youngsters 13 years old and younger. The MSU Bulldog Club is also in the process of setting up a Bulldog Club for current MSU students. As part of this youth movement, I have added a junior Bulldog fans message board for Bulldog fans ranging in age from 6 to 13 years old.

From what Chuck told me, it looks like this is just the beginning of something very, very big in regards to MSU and its efforts to reach the youth of Mississippi and, possibly, the Southeast.

Chuck said that last weekend, he, his wife, who works for the MSU Enrollment Services department, Bully, two cheerleaders and three pom pom girls, set up a booth with the MSU Enrollment Services at the Kid's World convention at the Trademart building in Jackson, Mississippi. There were over 12,000 youngsters at the convention. Corporations that were at the convention included the likes of McDonald's, Jitney Jungle, BellSouth and others. MSU was the only university that was represented. Based on what Chuck said, MSU's booth was one of the more popular booths. According to Chuck, there were over 2,000 kids who had Bulldog paws and other Bulldog logos painted on their faces.

8/26/00 - Friday scrimmage tidbit. Uniform numbers are in parentheses.

The team came dressed out in various colors yesterday. The scout team players were wearing red and green jerseys, depending on whether they were offense or defense, while the non-scout team players were wearing the colors maroon and white. Unless I overlooked someone, the only freshmen that were not wearing scout team jerseys were wide receivers Antonio Hargro and McKinley Scott (#83), fullback Darnell Jones (33), halfback Fred Reid (37), linebacker Jason Clark (40), dog safety Bryan Shumaker (7), punter Jared Cook (43), and kicker John Michael Marlin (42). This doesn't mean that they all will play this year. As an example, several true freshmen did not play on the scout team last year until it was decided that they would be redshirted. The offensive linemen Tucker and the Thompson twins come to mind immediately.

Don't forget today is Fans Day. Bring the youngsters and your cameras and meet the players beginning at 2:30 on Scott Field.

8/25/00 - Memphis/MSU Pregame Tailgate Party:

Sponsor: Memphis Maroon Club.
Where: Children's Museum at corner of Central and Hollywood (walking distance to the stadium).
When: Gameday, 11am - 1:30 pm.
Cost: $10, $5 for children under 12.
What: Corky's BBQ w/ Pep Rally at 12:30 pm.

To reserve your spot reply back by email to memphismaroonclub@yahoo.com Sta with the number in your party by Monday, August 28.

Smoot and Prather were named among 40 candidates by the Jim Thorpe Association for the yearly award honoring the nation's best defensive back. Smoot was tagged with more honors, as the organization named him a pre-season favorite for all-American and Thorpe Award honors. The winner of the award will be announced Dec. 7 at ESPN's College Football Awards Show at Disney World in Orlando, Fla.

While Prather and Smoot will be on the field next weekend when the Bulldogs open the 2000 season at Memphis, reserve tight end Adam Joiner will miss eight to 10 weeks with a tibial fracture of the knee joint.

The Bulldogs and Tigers open the season in the Liberty Bowl with a 2:30 p.m. contest to be televised by Fox Sports Net South.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

P.S. The honors keep rolling in for the very talented Fred Smoot. He has been selected to the Dallas Morning News' 1st Team All-American team.

Directions: The Northpointe Barn is located in the Northpointe Subdivision, off Old Canton Road. Approximately 1/2 mile North of the Jitney Premier on Old Canton Road, turn left on Northpointe Parkway. Take a left at the 4th available left-hand turn, follow that road a very short distance and you are there. They'll have a marker in place.

8/24/00 - Practice tidbits:

8/23/00 (11:35 a.m.) - MSU FOOTBALL FAN DAY SET FOR THIS SATURDAY

Defending Chick-fil-a Peach Bowl champion Mississippi State's football players and coaches will meet Bulldog fans this Saturday, Aug. 26.

Posters, schedule cards and refreshments will be available to alumni and fans Saturday beginning at 2:30 p.m. at Scott Field. Fans will also have the opportunity to get autographs and photographs from their favorite Bulldog players and coaches.

After meeting the football Bulldogs, fans can go to the Mississippi State Soccer Field for State's 4 p.m. season-opening match with Samford.

8/23/00 - Newcomer interview:

Jared Cook background info: 5' 10.25", 181 pounds. Born October 3, 1981. Son of Reno and Barbara Cook. A three-year starter at quarterback and punter. During his senior season, averaged 45.6 yards per punt. Named the state of Georgia's all-state punter his final two prep seasons. An honor society student with a 4.0 GPA.

GS: What high school did you attend and what position did you play?
Jared Cook: I went to Jordan High School in Columbus, Georgia and played quarterback, punter and some running back, wide receiver and even defensive back.

GS: Did you grow up a fan of any certain school?
Jared Cook: Being from Georgia, I had always been a Bulldog fan. My family has all kind of Bulldog logos in our house. Now they just tell everybody it is the Mississippi State Bulldogs. A lot of my family has Bulldogs as pets.

GS: Didn't you grow up near Coach Dunn's parents?
Jared Cook: His parents live less than three blocks around the corner from our house. During the recruiting process, he was the one that actually came to my house. He coached my father while my father was in high school.

GS: When did State actually start recruiting you?
Jared Cook: It was late. They had called a few times but didn't really start heavily recruiting me until January.

GS: What other schools recruited you?
Jared Cook: Clemson recruited me a little. Georgia called a few times. Most schools weren't willing to give a scholarship to a kicker. Most schools depend on a soccer player to walk-on and kick.

GS: Did it surprise you that State was willing to give you a scholarship?
Jared Cook: It definitely surprised me. When I came on the visit it actually snowed here. They put the jersey in the locker. When I came out on the field and looked up in the stands my heart just dropped. This was a division-I school.

GS: When did State actually offer a scholarship?
Jared Cook: They offered on my visit.

GS: Did you accept right then?
Jared Cook: Coach Sherrill took me to his office. It had been a long day. He pulled the papers out. My father was sitting right there beside me. He told me it was a scholarship. I didn't hesitate at all in accepting it.

GS: Have you always had such a strong leg? Lately, you have been kicking like Jeff Walker kicked last season.
Jared Cook: I grew up playing soccer. I started playing soccer when I was five years old. I think that is where most of my leg strength came from because I don't lift too much weight. I was twelve was when I played football for the first time.

GS: Up until recently you were a little inconsistent. Has part of the reason for that been two-a-days?
Jared Cook: Two-a-days are really rough on the legs. It is hard to be consistent during two-a-days because your legs are tired and your body is tired. Coach Sherrill has been very patient with all of the kickers. Working on a new form is tough but when you have someone as patient as him, it makes it easier to get through the hard times.

GS: Thank you, Jared.

8/22/00 (5:15 p.m.) - Mississippi State University Director of Athletics Larry Templeton announced Sunday a series of title and position changes within the athletic administrative staff.

Dr. David C. Boles has added the title Director of Academic Support and Student Retention in the university's Division of Academic Affairs to his role as the athletic program's Associate AD for Student Services.

In his new role, Boles will oversee the university's tutoring and counseling efforts for the entire student body, similar to the responsibilities he has within the athletic department. Boles is in the 12th year of his second tour of duty at MSU. He previously also worked at State from 1982-84.

Mike Nemeth, a 15-year veteran of the MSU athletic department, has been promoted from Assistant to Associate AD for Media and Public Relations. In addition to supervising the school's athletic media relations office, Nemeth assists in marketing MSU's athletic tickets.

Chuck Beddingfield, hired this past January as Associate AD for Marketing and Promotions, has added the day-to-day supervision of the Bulldog Club to his duties and will now carry the title Associate AD for External Operations. He came to MSU after a 10-year period at a pair of institutions in the Big XII Conference.

Additionally, four athletic staff members have been promoted to the Assistant AD level by Templeton.

Ticket Manager Pat Wallace will now carry the title Assistant AD for Ticket Operations. Wallace is in her 17th season as director of the athletic ticket office and 25th year in the athletic department.

Bobby Tomlinson, who held the title Coordinator of Game Operations, will become Assistant AD for Game Operations/Facilities. Tomlinson is in his 11th year within the athletic program.

Ray Berryhill, who like Boles, is in his second tour of duty at MSU, has been named Assistant AD for Academic Advising. Berryhill is also in his 11th year full-time at State.

Ann Carr has been promoted to Assistant AD for Student Life from her previous role as academic counselor. Carr will work with the personal development of student-athletes and continue in her previous assignment as academic coordinator for the football program under the direction of Berryhill. A former Lady Bulldog basketball player, Carr is in her seventh year at State.

Bo Kerin receives the title change from compliance officer to Coordinator of Compliance. He is in his third year at MSU.

Gretchen Bouton has been hired as Assistant Coordinator of Compliance on Kerin's staff. She is in her second year at Mississippi State.

Former Director of the Madison Fund at James Madison University, Mike Richey joins the Mississippi State family as Assistant AD for Donor Relations.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

8/22/00 - The Memphis Maroon Club will host a barbecue and pep rally for Bulldog fans on September 2, 2000 just prior to the Memphis/MSU football game. The events will be held at the Children's Museum on the corner of Hollywood and Central Ave. which is less than a five minute walk to Liberty Bowl Stadium. The museum will be open, but admission is not included. The barbecue will start at 11:00 a.m. and last until 1:30 p.m. A pep rally with the Miss State cheerleaders and the Famous Maroon Band will start at 12:30 p.m. which coincides with the arrival of the football team buses at the stadium. The buses will come right by the museum. The barbecue will be catered by Corky's of Memphis, and the cost is $10 per person with children under 12 at $5 payable at the door. There will be a radio station broadcasting from the site, and we may have MSU merchandise for sale. Please make reservations for the barbecue in order for us to inform the caterer, but you do not have to pay until you arrive at the barbecue. The pep rally is free. Please RSVP by AUGUST 28 memphismaroonclub@yahoo.com or telephone 901-758-7520

8/21/00 (9:30 p.m.) - MSU FOOTBALL FAN DAY SET FOR THIS SATURDAY

Defending Chick-fil-a Peach Bowl champion Mississippi State's football players and coaches will meet Bulldog fans this Saturday, Aug. 26.

Posters, schedule cards and refreshments will be available to alumni and fans Saturday beginning at 2:30 p.m. at Scott Field. Fans will also have the opportunity to get autographs and photographs from their favorite Bulldog players and coaches.

After meeting the football Bulldogs, fans can go to the Mississippi State Soccer Field for State's 4 p.m. season-opening match with Samford.

The Bulldogs open the 2000 football campaign Sept. 2 at Memphis in a game set for a 2:30 p.m. start on Fox Sports Net South.

MSU TAPS FOUR FOR INDUCTION INTO SPORTS HALL OF FAME

Mississippi State has selected four former Bulldogs to be inducted into the school's sports hall of fame. Glen Collins, Steve Freeman, John Grace and Kent Hull comprise the class of 2000 that will be inducted during pregame ceremonies of the October 7 football game with SEC foe Auburn.

Collins, a Jackson, Miss., native, earned four letters for MSU in football from 1978-81. He earned an opportunity to play in the 1982 East-West Shrine Classic after accumulating all-America and first-team all-SEC honors in 1981.

Following his career at MSU, Collins played professionally for the Cincinnati Bengals (1982-85), the San Francisco 49ers (1987) and the Indianapolis Colts (1988).

Freeman claimed three letters during his career with the football Bulldogs, leading the team in interceptions in 1973 and 1974. During his collegiate career, Freeman, who stands fourth on the Bulldogs' all-time interceptions list, played in the 1974 Sun Bowl and the 1975 Senior Bowl.

A fifth-round draft pick by the New England Patriots, Freeman went on to play 13 years in the NFL, playing 12 of those years with the Buffalo Bills. His 12 years of contribution in Buffalo earned him a spot on the organization's All-Silver Anniversary Team.

Grace was a three-time letterwinner in football and a four-year letterman in baseball at MSU. The New Albany, Miss., native was named to the 1948 all-SEC baseball team after leading the Diamond Dog starters in hits (33-for-88) and average (.375) that year.

He played wingback for the Bulldog football team, playing every game in 1942, 1946 and 1947. Following his stint in Starkville, Grace served as an SEC official for 21 years, officiating 11 bowl games that included two national title games. Currently a legislative consultant for the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation in Jackson, Grace coached football and basketball at East Central Community College following a stellar career playing semi-pro baseball. Grace also served as president of MSU's "M" Club in 1976.

Kent Hull earned four football letters as the Bulldogs' center from 1979-82 before going on to star in the NFL. The Pontotoc, Miss., native started his professional career in 1985 with the American Football League's New Jersey Generals before going on to a stellar 10-year tenure with the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League.

A four-time All-Pro with the Bills, Hull played in four straight Super Bowls and made three Pro Bowl appearances, making him the only Bulldog to play in both the Pro Bowl and the Super Bowl.

The quartet makes up the 138th, 139th, 140th and 141st players selected to the MSU Sports Hall of Fame since its inauguration in 1970.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

8/20/00 - Scrimmage news and observations:

There were between 150 to 250 prospective recruits at the scrimmage. A few that I was able to identify were Fayette (AL.) HS senior quarterback Spencer Pennington (also an excellent, excellent baseball player), Gulfport High School junior quarterback Chris Smith, Gulfport HS kicker Brett Walton, Clinton HS running back CoCo Hodge, Clinton HS defensive back Clarence McDougal, Carrollton (AL.) HS wide receiver Jeff Sullins, New Hope HS senior quarterback Josh Carwile and Hattiesburg HS football/baseball player Chris Heath.

8/19/00 (9:45 p.m.) - Mississippi State culminated its two-a-day work Saturday with a 90-minute scrimmage at 2:30 p.m. in 100-degree heat, and Bulldog head coach Jackie Sherrill was just glad to get it over.

"We have worked hard for two weeks, I think everyone is happy it's over with," Sherrill said. "It was the last day and I think the heat really affected the players. But we're going to play in this kind of heat in two weeks, so we might as well get used to it."

The Bulldogs open the season Saturday, Sept. 2, at 2:30 p.m. against Memphis in the Liberty Bowl.

The defense stifled the offense throughout most of the scrimmage, limiting the attack to 218 yards of total offense on 68 snaps. The offense was hampered by a line playing with a few banged up big men and when quarterback Wayne Madkin was sidelined early with heat troubles, the offense had trouble finding its groove.

Offensive tackles Pork Chop Womack (shoulder) and Kenric Fairchild (knee) returned to the field, but both were hindered. Womack saw little work after the first drive of the scrimmage.

The defense was spurred by a feisty first unit that did not allow a score. State's offense was limited to two field goals by Scott Westerfield and two touchdowns orchestrated by Brandon Butler, in which the drive started on the defense's side of the 50, and a late tally by the third offense.

"We weren't really looking for scores," Sherrill said. "We were looking for effort, execution, and seeing which players made plays. For instance, we didn't use (wide receivers) Terrell (Grindle) or Larry (Huntington) much. We wanted to see what the young guys could do."

Sherrill did single out offensive players Dicenzo Miller, Donald Lee and Clarence Parker, as well as defensive players Pig Prather, Toby Golliday, Josh Morgan and Julius Griffith for their work.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

8/19/00 - Newcomer Ray Ray Bivines interview:

Ray Ray Bivines background info: Height is 5-11. Weight is 160 pounds. Born May 17, 1981. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Odell Bivines. Earned honorable mention All-American status from USA Today. Considered one of the top athletes in the South by all of the recruiting services. His rankings included the number 2 quarterback/super athlete by Max Emfinger, the number 6 athlete according to Prep Star, number 8 wide receiver in the nation according to Bobby Burton, Pigskin Preps' number 3 athlete, named to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super Southern 100 listing of the South's top prospects, listed as SuperPrep's 73rd best player, overall, in the South, Kevin Henderson's top player in the state of Mississippi, ranked 8th in the state by The Clarion-Ledger. During his three-year career at Gautier, his team went undefeated during the regular season. Had a 34' 5" vertical leap and a 9' 9" broad jump during newcomer testing.

GS: What school did you play for and what position did you play?
Ray Ray Bivines: I played for Gautier High School and played quarterback.

GS: During your junior year, what schools did you receive letters from?
Ray Ray Bivines: I got letters from Tennessee, Alabama, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, LSU and other SEC schools.

GS: Did you grow up a fan of any particular school?
Ray Ray Bivines: Not really. I really focused on what I was playing and not on any school or NFL team.

GS: During your senior year, what schools actively recruited you?
Ray Ray Bivines: The schools that I officially visited were Arkansas, LSU and Mississippi State. It came down to Mississippi State and LSU.

GS: When you visited, what did you like about Mississippi State?
Ray Ray Bivines: I liked the people and the facilities.

GS: When did you decide on Mississippi State?
Ray Ray Bivines: After my visit, I talked about it with my parents.

GS: Thank you, Ray Ray.

8/18/00 (1:00 p.m.) - Representative Chip Pickering, his family and members of his staff took time out of their busy schedule to attend Wednesday's Mississippi State football scrimmage. Chip and his children are big MSU fans. After the scrimmage, Chip's children and nephew got autographs on their shirts. Chip, who I talked to for a few minutes prior to the scrimmage, is a great guy. Hank Moseley, who is regular viewer of Gene's Page, told me Chip dons his MSU clothing when playing in the annual softball game in Washington, D.C.

P.S. Chip and his staff members, Stanley Shows and Hank Moseley all check out Gene's Page for the lastest on MSU sports.

Here are a few pics that I took.

8/18/00 (Noon) - More newcomer interviews.

Fred Reid background info: Is 5-9 tall and weighs 175 pounds. Born March 16, 1982. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Eddie Reid. Named honorable mention All-American by USA Today. Max Emfinger ranked him as one of the 10 best combo RB/WR in the South. Rushed for over 2,000 yards his senior season.

GS: What school did you attend and what position or positions did you play?
Fred Reid: I attended King High School in Tampa, Florida and played running back.

GS: Your speed is your greatest attribute. What is your time in the 40-yard dash and 100 meters?
Fred Reid: I have run a low 4.4 and have run the 100 meters in 10.8 seconds.

GS: Who did you officially visit and did they all offer?
Fred Reid: Missouri, Marshall and Mississippi State. They all offered.

GS: Why did you wind up choosing Mississippi State?
Fred Reid: It is a good school and I had a few coaches who attended Mississippi State. When I visited, I had fun and felt like I fit in good.

GS: What specific things did you like about Mississippi State?
Fred Reid: The facilities are great. The coaches are wonderful. The players stick by each other.

GS: Thank you, Fred.

---

Darnell Jones background info: 5-11, 237 pounds. Born December 16, 1981. Son of Mrs. Ruth Jones. Ranked number 4 among all fullbacks in the South according to Pigskin Preps. Max Emfinger had him ranked among the top 6 fullbacks in the South. Had a 32" vertical leap and benched 225 pounds 18 times during the newcomer testing.

GS: Darnell, what school did you attend and what position did you play?
Darnell Jones: I attended Greenwood (MS) High School. I played fullback, tailback and linebacker in high school.

GS: During your senior year, who actively recruited you?
Darnell Jones: Ole Miss, Arkansas, Mississippi State, Southern Miss was about it.

GS: Who did you officially visit?
Darnell Jones: I went to Southern Miss, Ole Miss and Mississippi State.

GS: Did they all offer a scholarship?
Darnell Jones: They all offered.

GS: What ultimately led you to choose Mississippi State?
Darnell Jones: I had visited the other schools first and Mississippi State was my last visit. I weighed them all out and this was the place that I most fit in. It was my type of people, the people that I enjoyed being around. No one categorized you. Like everybody was treated the same way. On my visit, you felt like you were part of the family.

GS: Thank you, Darnell.

8/17/00 - Wednesday scrimmage comments from Coach Sherrill:

"We had a set number of plays that we wanted to run. We were really looking for execution. We really wanted to look at the young guys to see if we could fine the playmakers. There were some very good things. I thought the ones (number one defense and offense) went after each other very well. There were some good plays on both sides."

Coach Sherrill also mentioned that he was impressed with the spring in the legs of the players after practicing in the heat for seven straight days.

He also commented that the holder position was settled with running back Dicenzo Miller taking over that position. He said that Dicenzo has outstanding hands and is a very good athlete who could make some things happen.

He said that the punters are making progress and he feels good about them.

Q&A with Coach Sherrill:
I know that the freshmen have been impressing you during two-a-days. Did any of them stand out during today's scrimmage?
Coach Sherrill: We had quite a few. Bell made a big play. Jason Clark is really having a good fall and doing exceptionally well during two-a-days.

GS: How had Jake Hambrick done since you have moved him to defensive tackle? I noticed he was playing on the second-team at times today.
Coach Sherrill: Jake has been impressive. He made some plays today.

GS: Antonio Hargro caught a long touchdown pass today. How has he been doing so far this fall?
Coach Sherrill: Antonio is a player. There is no question that he has an awful lot of talent. With his speed going down the field, there is things that he can do that other people can't.

GS: McKinley Scott has also looked good.
Coach Sherrill: McKinley Scott is a very good receiver. You take those two guys and put them with the freshmen we brought in last year, you have five guys that you can't find too easily.

GS: Do you see some depth developing at the defensive tackle and noseguard positions with players such as Demotto Youngblood and others?
Coach Sherrill: He is going to be able to play. Boone (Darius Brown) made some plays. Boone will be able to give us some depth and help us.

8/16/00 - Tuesday practice tidbits.

A player that was impressive snapping the ball during yesterday's practice was junior college transfer snapper John Busby. John, who is 6-1 and 240-pounds, transferred to State from Hinds CC. Prior to attending Hinds CC, John played his high school ball at Porters Chapel Academy in Vicksburg, MS.

8/15/00 - Here is an interview that I did with freshman wide receiver Antonio Hargro while at practice.

Antonio Hargro background info: Born on October 29, 1981. Son of Mrs. Laura Hargro. 6-3, 175 pounds. Named honorable mention all-America by USA Today. Considered one of the top wide receivers in the country and south by SuperPrep, Max Emfinger, Bobby Burton, Pigskin Preps, Prep Star and Jeff Whitaker. A Clarion-Ledger Dandy Dozen selection. Has run a sub-4.4 forty. Had a 34-5 vertical leap and a 10-3 broad jump during newcomer testing.

GS: Tell me a little about yourself, Antonio?
Antonio Hargro: I was originally from Vicksburg High School but attended Gautier High School starting my 9th grade year. I started playing football for the first time in the 9th grade. I was a defensive end. I decided that this isn't working out so I quit. I played basketball and ran track my 10th and 11th grade years. When my 11th grade year came around the football coach asked me to come out for football. I told him I would come out and try. But there was a guy who already had the position. I just worked hard everday. I didn't know anything. Everyday, after everybody had gone home, I would stay after practice catching passes. That really helped me out a lot.

GS: When did you realize you had exceptional football talent?
Antonio Hargro: When so many people started telling me that I did. I said yes, alright. Then I started reading magazines about this kid named Moss. I thought this cat is awesome. He was playing basketball, running track and playing football. I read one article where he ran a 21.0 flat. I told myself that my goal was to beat his record. My senior year I was running track in the finals and ran a 20.97.

GS: You didn't have a facility to practice on did you?
Antonio Hargro: I ran on the parking lot, a high school parking lot. The only time that we got to run on a track was when we ran in a track meet. It was hard but we managed.

GS: Do you feel you can become even faster?
Antonio Hargro: Yes, we have more equipment and people to encourage you to get faster.

GS: Switching over to recruiting. Did you grow up a fan of any particular college?
Antonio Hargro: I didn't have a particular school that I was interested in, especially for football. In basketball I liked North Carolina. In track, I did that for myself.

GS: During your junior year, who sent you recruiting letters?
Antonio Hargro: I first started receiving letters from LSU. I went to their camp and they wanted me to come to LSU. That was my first option. Then the politics started down there. I then started receiving letters from Ole Miss, State, Miami, South Carolina, Duke and just about everywhere else.

GS: During your senior season, what schools did you narrow it down to?
Antonio Hargro: I was going to visit Miami but the snow caused my flight to be canceled. The Lord must have intended me not to go to Miami. I visited Ole Miss. I liked them. They were cool. I had love for the entire staff. LSU recruited me and it wasn't but about two hours away from home. During my 11th grade year, I told them that I was coming to LSU but then everything went down there. People got fired and I told myself that I didn't want their politics in my life.

I liked everwhere that I visited but I knew in the back of my mind where I wanted to go. I just wanted to stay instate. I think that I look good in maroon and white (smiled when he said this).

GS: You officially visited Ole Miss, LSU and MSU. And you had a trip scheduled for Miami but that was canceled due to the snowstorm. When did you decide on State?
Antonio Hargro: I visited State and had a visit set for Miami but the snowstorm canceled that. I was reading about different schools on the internet and magazines and how they were lying about people. I kept in touch with the players in Mississippi that I had met on visits. I would call them and they would say look on the internet. They are lying that I committed here. I didn't want to have anything to do with a school that lied about me. Mississippi State did everything but lie.

GS: So, they were up front with you?
Antonio Hargro: Yes, they said if you are good, you will play.

GS: Thank you, Antonio.

8/14/00 (11:10 a.m.) - Here is the injury situation per MSU Assistant AD for Media/Public Relations Mike Nemeth.

GS: What is the injury situation with DE/LB Rob Knight and DB Bryan Shumaker?
Mike Nemeth: Rob Knight has two dislocated fingers and will be out a minimum of one week, probably closer to two weeks. It will depend on what they can do to protect them. They may put his hand in a club where you can't even see it and let him play with it on.

Bryan Shumaker will have a bone scan done today because they couldn't find anything wrong in the X-ray. He still has a lot of pain in his shoulder so they want to do a bone scan to see if they detect a stress fracture. He is day to day, depending on the results of the bone scan.

8/14/00 - You've read what all the other magazines had to say about MSU. No respect is the two words that come to mind. Guess what? There is a Mississippi owned and operated publication called Mississippi Division I Football Guide that, in my opinion, is one of the most accurate ones available on the market and gives MSU the respect it deserves. The guide, which is published for football and basketball (comes out in October) by Wesley Wells of Tupelo, Mississippi, has many great features including articles about each D-I Mississippi school, projected national top-25 (yes, all three Mississippi schools are projected to be in it), a look at each SEC school by division (MSU is picked 3rd in the West, OM 2nd), complete SEC schedules, quick facts about each SEC school, a preview of each game on MSU's and OM's schedules, bowl projections and much more. I highly recommend this publication because, based on what I read, Wesley did not try to be the first publication on the newstand but the most accurate one.

Here are a few tidbits from the guide:

Schedule format:
Mississippi State
Division: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Ole Miss.
Permanent Non-Division: Kentucky and South Carolina.
Rotating Non-Division: 2000 Florida, 2001 at Florida, 2002 Tennessee, 2003 at Tennessee, 2004 Georgia, 2005 at Georgia.

National Projection: Mississippi State 24th

Record Projection: Mississippi State (5-3, 8-3)

There are many other excellent features in the guide. It will be in bookstores this week. If you are interested in purchasing the guides by phone or email contact Wesley Wells at 662-844-2602 or by email at zlegend@netdoor.com. You can purchase a one or two-year subscription for $7 (two guides) or $13 (four issues).

8/12/00 - Here are a few practice tidbits from premium site writer Bo Bounds. His entire article is on the premium site.

From there, the players turned it up a notch. In one-on-one drills, Smoot handed everybody their jock including our blue-chip freshman Hargro. Justin Jenkins looked real good getting off the line and running routes. He looks like a combination of Mardy McDole and Eric Moulds rolled into one. Also, Milas Randle is coming of age and getting better everyday. I look for some big time competition at this position in the coming weeks.

Let me make it clear that I'm not an expert, but Madkin looks a lot better with the offense. Wayne seems confident, and he knows where everyone is going and where he should be. "You can tell he's more comfortable in every aspect of his game. Wayne should have a big year. If the line comes together he could put up big numbers," John Bond, On-campus recruiting coordinator/Administrative Assistant, said this morning.

It was an unbelievable experience watching Dunn's Army this morning. Guys who were in superior shape (Clinton, Smoot, and Haggan) tried to encourage everyone else. Clinton has taken over the leadership role on defense, and he should. Haggan is in real good shape. Smoot never slowed down (his mouth or his body).

Back on offense, Brandon Butler was impressive pulling dual roles at quarterback and wide receiver. "I'm excited about playing wide out. Knowing the playbook has helped tremendously. I will do anything to get on the field this year," Butler said, a little winded after practice.

Butler looked comfortable in another role, which was returning punts. "Returning punts is a lot of fun. Breaking one would be great. I like playing football so whatever it takes I'm willing to do," Butler said. Butler is a great looking athlete who should find a spot somewhere over the next three weeks.

8/11/00 - Click here to check out the latest football stadium expansion pictures.

8/10/00 - MSU football media day comments.

Comments made by Mike Nemeth:

Comments made by Coach Jackie Sherrill: