There were quite a few signees at the game.

Some of the visitors that were at the scrimmage included.

There were many others in attendance but these were the only ones that I could recognize.

03/24/01 - The rumor is quite a few of MSU's football signees will be at the spring game Saturday. I have heard rumors that Tommy Kelly, Demetric Wright, Kyle York, Chris McNiel, Rico Bennett, Coco Hodge and Clarence McDougal will be on campus. I'm suspect there will be others. If you see them, tell them thanks for choosing our university.

There is also a rumor that a large number of the top junior football players in the state of Mississippi will also be on campus.

The schedule features a unique Labor Day evening broadcast of State's season-opening game with Memphis (Sept. 3), and Thursday night telecasts of the Bulldogs' Southeastern Conference opener against South Carolina (Sept. 20) and the traditional season-ending game versus Mississippi on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 22).

In addition to the USC and Mississippi games, MSU will also play host to SEC foes LSU (Oct. 20) and Kentucky (Nov. 3) in its seven-game home package. Joining Memphis on the home slate will be non-conference opponents BYU (Sept. 15) and homecoming opponent Troy State (Oct. 13).

State plays road games at Florida (Sept. 29), Auburn (Oct. 6), Alabama (Nov. 10) and Arkansas (Nov. 17).

2001 MISSISSIPPI STATE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
DATE OPPONENT
SEPT. 3 MEMPHIS (ESPN) 7 p.m.
SEPT. 15 BRIGHAM YOUNG 6 p.m.
SEPT. 20 SOUTH CAROLINA (ESPN) 7 p.m.
Sept. 29 at Florida TBA
Oct. 6 at Auburn 1 p.m.
OCT. 13 TROY STATE (HOMECOMING) 1:30 p.m.
OCT. 20 LOUISIANA STATE 6 p.m.
NOV. 3 KENTUCKY 1:30 p.m.
Nov. 10 at Alabama TBA
Nov. 17 at Arkansas 1 p.m.
NOV. 22 MISSISSIPPI (ESPN) 7 p.m.
Dec. 1 SEC Championship (CBS) TBA
All Dates And Times Are Subject To Change

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

03/23/01 - Premium site Thursday practice update.

Monday night practice was very cold and windy. Thursday's practice was just the opposite. Practice, which started at 5 p.m., was done in 60's and 50's temperatures under partly cloudy skies.

As usual, the team started out with their stretching exercises, then went into kicking and punting drills. A walk-on kicker, wearing jersey number 7 (not sure what his name is), kicked several field goals in the 30 and 37-yard range. He showed excellent accuracy with his kicks.

Once again, the team began the regular part of practice with the Oklahoma drill.

Tight ends Donald Lee and Aaron Lumpkin went head to head against several defensive linemen during the drill. Both showed excellent blocking ability and won most of their battles. Donald and Aaron have different personalities. While Donald is more emotional and vocal (kind of reminds me of a smaller version of Dorsett Davis), Aaron is more of a quiet, intense guy who does what he needs to do. Both, however, are becoming excellent blockers. As an example, on one play, Donald not only blocked his man but kept blocking him until he had moved him over two other blocking lanes. Without question the youngster is intense and has no quit in him.

"I feel like I can dominant anybody in front of me," said Lee. "I enjoy the Oklahoma drill. It is very physical and I enjoy playing physical. The Oklahoma drill is one on one. The best guy will win."

Donald doesn't want to just get by in the drill but wants to go against the best. "In the Oklahoma drill I like to go against (All-American) Mario Haggan because I like to go against the best, the guys who are going to make me work."

Donald also commented on his fellow position player, tight end Aaron Lumpkin. "I believe Aaron Lumpkin is going to be one of the best tight ends in the nation one day because he is a hard worker. We are like brothers. He helps me out and I help him out. We watch film late at night when we are in the dorm."

Redshirt freshmen defensive tackle Will Rogers and offensive lineman David Stewart went head to head a few times during the Oklahoma drill with David winning out each time that I watched them. To Rogers' credit, he is showing very good effort. Give him time and he might just become a very good defensive lineman. He has the size, strength and quickness. He just needs more reps.

After the Oklahoma drill was completed, the teams did individual drills.

Dontae Walker, showing the quickness that he exhibited in the Iron Dawg competition, on one play quickly ran through a hole in the line of scrimmage, then was grabbed by a couple of would-be tacklers who had to put forth some effort to bring Walker down. Dontae seems to be showing more toughness than in the past.

"I have gotten faster and have added more power," said Walker. " When we come out Saturday, (the defense) is going to have to come up with it because one man is not going to stop me."

Dontae wasn't through. He made a catch, then ran by one would-be tackler before being tackled about five yards down the field.

When I mentioned to Dontae that he seemed to be running with more confidence, he said "it took me about two years to get it under my belt and get it right. People are starting to see the real Dontae Walker. I want to put the team on my back and let them take a ride."

The defensive linemen continue to work to improve, although the offensive linemen continue to win most battles, exclusive of defensive lineman Dorsett Davis. I did see improvement in Demotto Youngblood. Although he needs to add about 40 pounds, he does show good quickness and plays with effort.

I watched the wide receivers run pass patterns during their individual drill. They were focusing on not only running patterns but doing it in sets. The sets range from two wide-outs and a tight end to four wide-outs with no tight end. Each set has a name which is called out, along with the play name, by Coach Woods prior to the play. The players, when they hear the set name and play name called, are expected to go to their assigned locations on the line of scrimmage. This rep is done over and over so that the players can learn the sets and plays and where they are to line up. And I bet you thought the guys just knew where to line up automatically. It is learned by doing rep after rep.

The players ran this drill for about two periods, then eight of the defensive players were lined up against the receivers and tight ends. More reps were done but with the wrinkle of having defensive players making it a little tougher to run the plays.

During this drill, several wide receivers made good catches, including Davey Crawley, Harold Lindsey, Antonio Hargro and Justin Jenkins. Hargro showed very quick moves on a catch and run play. Showing toughness, he got tackled by three players but jumped right up. Harold Lindsey ran a fly pattern, caught the ball and ran it in for a touchdown.

DOG safety Pig Prather, recovering from knee surgery, was dressed out. According to Pig, "I'm not doing anything other than running. They won't let me do any contact. To me, I am alright. I'm ready right now. If they let me put my pads on I would go out there and do it." So much for worrying about the mental part of recovering from a knee injury.

The 16th annual Super Bulldog Weekend begins Friday on the Mississippi State University campus, and promises to be another weekend full of Bulldog fun for the entire family.

Festivities begin with Friday's set-up for the 16th annual pig-cooking contest, to be held again this year just west of Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field, between the stadium and the Bost Extension building. The pig-cooking contest will be in full gear by Friday night when the area serves as the center of Bulldog hospitality. Judging for the pig-cooking contest will be held Saturday morning.

The highlight of this year's Super Bulldog Weekend festivities will be a spring scrimmage by Mississippi Stateıs 2001 football team. Coach Jackie Sherrill's Sanford Independence Bowl champion Bulldogs culminate their second week of spring practice and will scrimmage Saturday the 24th at Scott Field at 1 p.m.

A regular part of Super Bulldog Weekend through the years is a Southeastern Conference baseball series, and 2001 will be no different. Head coach Pat McMahon pits his Diamond Dog squad in a weekend series with SEC West foe and defending national champion LSU. The two teams will meet at 6:30 Friday night, 3:15 p.m. Saturday, and 1:30 p.m. Sunday at Dudy Noble Field/Polk-DeMent Stadium.

But baseball and football will not be the only varsity sports being played as part of the big weekend. Softball will entertain Georgia in a single game Friday at 5 p.m. and in a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m. Menıs tennis will play Vanderbilt at 2 p.m. Friday and Georgia at 1 p.m. Sunday in a pair of key SEC showdowns. And MSU's women's soccer team will host a spring tournament at the MSU Soccer Field all day Saturday.

But all of the athletic endeavors are just part of the weekend fun. State Farm Super Bulldog Fanfare will again take place Saturday from 9:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. near the pig-cooking area west of the football stadium. Fanfare activities will include interactive games for the young and old alike, photograph and autograph opportunities, and the Burger King Kids Club. Drawing from the immense popularity of the Southeastern Conference Fanfare, held regularly at the league championship football game and men's basketball tournament, and from three years experience at past Super Bulldog Weekends, the Fanfare will present various games and activities for the enjoyment of those in attendance.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

03/21/01 - Here are the latest stadium expansion pictures. They were taken Monday, March 19th. Click here to view them.

03/20/01 - I thought you guys would enjoy reading an interview that I did with new MSU assistant football coaches Terry Lewis and Carroll McCray.

Both of the coaches were very, very impressive during the interview and have tremendous football backgrounds.

I first interviewed offensive coordinator Sparky Woods to see what he thought of both coaches.

Talk about the two new assistant coaches.
Coach Sparky Woods: Carroll McCray is a great guy and a great football coach. He is a good teacher and a true team guy. I feel that the kids will really appreciate him. His wife, Angel, is a great person as is his children Trey and Meredith. He was the offensive line coach for us when I was at South Carolina. I think that he will be a great addition to the staff. Coach Sherrill selected two very good guys. Terry Lewis will coach the tackles where we need more help because of so many young players.

What did you like about Terry Lewis?
Coach Sparky Woods: His enthusiasm. I have known Terry for a long time. He is a very knowledgeable guy who brings a world of experience. He has worked for a lot of great coaches. He is a local guy who is from Memphis. He is very familiar with the region as is Carroll.

They are both team guys. Often times two offensive line coaches is not a great idea but in their case it is a great idea. There are no egos involved. They both just want to win.

I had a chance to be with them this weekend. We worked hard to get them ready for Monday night's practice. They learn fast. They have already offered things that will make us better. I think they will enhance our progress. Jerry Fremin is an outstanding coach and we will miss him but we have hired two excellent coaches. We will miss (former tight ends coach) David Wilson on the field (Coach Wilson was promoted to a new position, Director of Football Operations or something similar to that) but the things that he will now do in the office will be immeasurable to this football program.

First up is offensive tackles/tight ends coach Terry Lewis (52 years old). Terry, who coached at the University of North Carolina with Carl Torbush the past three years, has vast experience in the coaching profession, having coached for the likes of Navy's George Welsh, Texas' Mack Brown, former LSU coach Bill Arnsparger, former Colorado coach Bill McCartney, among others. He has coached teams that have gone to 10 bowl games, including 5 New Year's Day bowls. He has coached numerous All-Americans and All-Conference players. A large number of his players have gone on to play in the NFL. He was a small college All-American at Southern University as an offensive tackle. The tight ends that he coached the past three years at North Carolina are both expected to be draft picks this year with Alge Crumpler a possibility as the first tight end to be selected in the the upcoming NFL draft.

Now, my interview with Coach Terry Lewis.

Coach Lewis, I read your bio. You have been to 10 bowl games, worked with numerous great head coaches, coached numerous All-Americans and have seen a lot of your players go on to the NFL. Now, you are working for another great coach in Jackie Sherrill. Talk about what you bring to Mississippi State.
Coach Terry Lewis: One of the things that you mentioned that excites me the most is to have the opportunity to come and work for another proven head coach. There is absolutely no question that Coach Sherrill has done as much as any coach can do on the collegiate level. It gives me a great opportunity to come in and work for a guy who has done anything and everything imaginable on the collegiate level. It bodes well for me to have the opportunity to be a part of a staff like we have here. I am a guy who has an absolute total passion for the game of football. This for me is a labor of love. I have coached the offensive line 27 of my 31 years of college coaching. I have had guys from every socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. I have coached Hawaiian's, black Americans and white Americans. I hold the guys, the offensive linemen, close to my heart. Those guys are as unselfish as anybody in sports. They are truly the hardest working guys on the football team. What I think that I will be able to do is assist in continuing to do what Mississippi State is known for under Coach Sherrill and that is having offensive linemen who are physical and have a passion for the game.

Where there has been two offensive line coaches, I have had more experience coaching tackles and tight ends. During my career, I have coached over 30 guys who have played at least one year in the NFL as offensive linemen. Although he is not an offensive lineman, a player that I coached at North Carolina, Alge Crumpler, might be the first tight end taken this year. The other senior tight end that I coached at North Carolina, Dauntae' Finger, will probably be drafted in the later rounds. One of the things that I told the guys is that I am going to coach them as offensive linemen. We are going to get that blocking up to snuff.

It is a great opportunity for me to be here. Another thing about being here is I am from Memphis. I went to Memphis yesterday to see my mother. She fed me some black-eyed peas, greens, carrots, macaroni and salmon. My mother's people, all of them, are from Webb, Mississippi which is 17 miles east of highway 61. There are a lot of other extra things that I am so happy to be down here at Mississippi State but the big thing is Coach Sherrill and Coach Woods have given me the opportunity to do the thing that I love the most and am most knowledgeable at and that is work with those big guys up front. I can assure you that I am a tireless worker and am absolutely thrilled to be here working with those guys.

Another thing that I know you like because you have mentioned it in an interview with the Tar Heels website is you are back in the SEC.
Coach Terry Lewis: You are right. There are three seasons in the SEC, football season, recruiting season and spring practice. There is no question about it. Having coached against Mississippi State while at LSU, the passion the fans at Mississippi State bring are second to none. In Starkville there is no question that the dadgum Bulldogs rein. I am absolutely thrilled to be back in the SEC.

Next up is offensive guards/centers coach Carroll McCray.

Coach McCray, who is 40 years old, has coached with current MSU offensive coordinator Sparky Woods for ten years during his coaching career. He also coached under Texas' Mack Brown. He had four of his former players on NFL rosters last year. While coaching at South Carolina, he was the position coach for first round draft pick Ernest Dye. Nineteen of his players have played in the Senior Bowl and two in the Blue-Gray and East-West bowl games. He has help lead his teams to numerous playoff games. He was a three-year letter winner at NAIA power Gardner-Webb College as an offensive lineman.

You have coached with Coach Woods for quite a few years. Talk about that and what you bring to Mississippi State.
Coach Carroll McCray: I worked with Coach Woods for ten years at Appalachian State and South Carolina. He knows me inside out and what I can offer him as far as his system is concern. He has a system in place here that has helped them be very successful here. I will teach fundamentals first. I will teach those guys up front to get better. I will make sure they stay on track as to where they already are and also to move on to the next step in the Southeastern Conference, which is the championship game in Atlanta. They want to get back. Once you get there one time you always want to get back for the players, school and fans. We want to help those youngsters up front to continue to develop. We will start with fundamentals, which is what Terry and I have been talking about all morning. I think with two (offensive line coaches), they are going to get more detail. They are going to have four eyes on them. Coach Fremin did an outstanding job. What we want to do is take that and build on that and bring enthusiasm in here. We also want to make sure that they do their best and play with their best effort.

You've had quite a few players on NFL rosters during your career.
Coach Carroll McCray: We still have three on rosters from South Carolina. I think that we had five at one time on NFL rosters. We also had one from Samford that was on the Tennessee Titans Super Bowl team. We've had draft choices and a first round draft pick in Ernest Dye. These players are similar to what we have here. That is why Terry and I are very excited to be here. They already have it going here. We just want to help keep them headed in the right direction.

03/19/01 - Here is an excerpt from my premium site recruiting interview with defensive coordinator Joe Lee Dunn.

Talk about each signee and what you liked about them. The first defensive signee is cornerback Korey Banks.
Coach Dunn: Korey Banks is a very talented individual. He is a really good football player. He moves quickly and catch the football very well. He is a little bigger than what you would think after watching him on film. You think he is a little guy when you watch him on film but when you see him in person you change your opinion because he is not a little guy.

I've heard some people compare him to Fred Smoot in regard to his talent level.
Coach Dunn: That remains to be seen. It is difficult to say that. They look comparable on film but you have to prove yourself on the field before you can compare yourself to somebody like Fred.

Talk about cornerback signee Richard Ball. He has tremendous speed.
Coach Dunn: Richard looked really good on film. The cornerbacks that we signed are all really good football players. They can all run and catch the ball. They are all a little bigger than we thought they were when we saw them on film. We are excited about getting them in here.

The third juco cornerback is Demetric Wright.
Coach Dunn: He is a really good football player. He has been a really good football player for a long time. He could probably play basketball as well. I think that he is going to come in and be a big factor for us. We needed cornerbacks and you can never get too many good ones.

You also signed Walter Burdett, a junior college DOG safety.
Coach Dunn: He plays cornerback, strong safety and blitzed some in junior college. We think that he is going to be a great player. He is a little on the mean size.

Would you compare him in talent and size to former MSU DOG safety Eric Brown?
Coach Dunn: Yes, I would say he would stack up closer to him than anybody else, looks-wise and talent-wise.

Since you are the defensive coordinator, do you have final say-so as to whether MSU recruits a defensive player?
Coach Dunn: Basically, yes. Somebody has to have the final say on a player. I wouldn't have taken the job if that wasn't in the agreement. They could probably go over my head and go to Coach Sherrill but they don't do that. Defensive-wise, we have as good of a situation as we can have. All of us understand each other. We all want to win football games.

Do you watch a lot of film of a player or have you been watching film so long that you can tell very quickly that a possible recruit can play?
Coach Dunn: I have to watch a lot of film. Unless he is a really, really outstanding player, you have to watch a lot of film. You can make a lot of kids stand out with highlight film. I don't really like to watch them on highlight film. I like to watch them play in an entire game. Then I can see what a guy does all of the time instead of just seeing his good plays.

The 16th annual Super Bulldog Weekend will be held on the Mississippi State University campus, Friday, March 23, through Sunday, March 25.

A springtime homecoming for MSU alumni and fans alike, this year's weekend will again provide "fun for the entire family." A staple of past Super Bulldog Weekends, this year's edition will again provide a veritable smorgasbord of athletic events for Bulldog enthusiasts.

The highlight of this year's Super Bulldog Weekend festivities will be a spring scrimmage by Mississippi State's 2001 football team. Coach Jackie Sherrill's Sanford Independence Bowl champion Bulldogs will be in their second week of spring practice and will scrimmage Saturday the 24th at Scott Field.

A regular part of Super Bulldog Weekend through the years is a Southeastern Conference baseball series, and 2001 will be no different. Head coach Pat McMahon will pit his Diamond Dog squad in a weekend series with SEC West foe and defending national champion LSU. The two teams will meet at 6:30 Friday night, 3:15 p.m. Saturday, and 1:30 p.m. Sunday at Dudy Noble Field/Polk-DeMent Stadium.

But baseball and football will not be the only varsity sports being played as part of the big weekend. Softball will entertain Georgia in a single game Friday at 5 p.m. and in a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m. Men's tennis will play Vanderbilt at 2 p.m. Friday and Georgia at 1 p.m. Sunday in a pair of SEC showdowns.

Also back for the 16th straight year is MSU's pig-cooking contest, complete with a Friday night gathering of fellowship and Bulldog fun.

But all of the athletic endeavors are just part of the weekend fun. Another Super Saturday Fanfare is planned, which will bring interactive games for the young and old alike. Drawing from the immense popularity of the Southeastern Conference Fanfare, held regularly at the league championship football game and men's basketball tournament, and from three years experience at past Super Bulldog Weekends, the Fanfare will present various games and activities for the enjoyment of those in attendance.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

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03/15/01 (2:25 p.m.) - Former MSU football players Lamont Woodberry and Kenny Causey have signed contracts with Arena League football teams. Sorry, I'm not sure who they signed with.

03/14/01 - Football tidbits:

03/09/01 - Here is an excerpt from my premium site recruiting interview with defensive back coach Melvin Smith.

Talk about Demetric Wright.
Coach Smith: Korey was the best cornerback in Kansas junior colleges and Demetric is the best cornerback in Mississippi junior colleges. Demetric and Korey are similar in that they both are high energy and great athletes. They are very similar in their style of play. Both are very competitive. Demetric might be a little taller than Korey. Like Korey, Demetric could probably start on our basketball team at point guard. He has the skill to cover people. When I say covering a guy, I want him covering the guy. I want him to be able to shut a receiver down. Demetric is very similar to Fred Smoot. He is a quieter version of Fred Smoot. He is extremely confident, very talented and has the same attitude as Korey and Fred: He can't stand to have someone catch a ball on him.

As an example of what I want in a cornerback, there were several times that (UM wide receiver) Grant Heard had the ball caught against Fred but Fred tore it out of his hands. I want that type attitude in my cornerbacks.

What we want is not only a guy who wants an education but one who wants to be a pro player. The type of defense that we play is liked by the pro teams. The pros like our guys and our guys usually stick with the pro teams.

Having had players like Walt Harris, Robert Bean and Fred Smoot at State, is it now easier to find those type players since you have had those type players on your team?
Coach Smith: Yes, and they find you to. Korey Banks and Demetric Wright wanted to come to Mississippi State. There is no way I could have gotten Demetric Wright had he not wanted to be here.

03/09/01 - Mississippi State's football Bulldogs held their third of 15 spring practice sessions Thursday, the first in full gear. Head coach Jackie Sherrill was pleased with the competitiveness of the practice and with the intensity level.

The 11th-year MSU gridiron mentor said that many of Stateıs veteran players were on the level at which they finished the 2000 season. He noted tailback Dontae Walker, linebacker Mario Haggan, offensive guard/center Tommy Watson, and defensive linemen Dorsett Davis and Conner Stephens in that group.

"The guys competed against each other well today and that's what you want," Sherrill said. "Some of the guys picked up right where they left off last year."

Sherrill also spoke highly of the performance of many of State's younger talents, specifically mentioning receivers Antonio Hargro, McKinley Scott and Ray Ray Bivines.

"McKinley, Ray Ray and Antonio looked good," Sherrill said. "It was good to see our new guys get out there for the first time...I am anxious to see the younger players mature."

Thursday's work was the last for State until Monday, March 19, as the Bulldogs will enjoy their spring break holidays next week. MSU will practice three times after returning from the holidays before holding its first spring scrimmage on Saturday, March 24, as part of Super Bulldog Weekend. The scrimmage has been set for a 1 p.m. start time in Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

03/08/01 (1:00 p.m.) - For those of you who are interested in going to Paul Broussard, Jr.'s services or sending flowers to the church where the visitation and services are being held, please CLICK HERE to read a page that I have set up that includes all of the details. There has also been a memorial fund established in the name of Paul Broussard, Jr. Those details are also on the page.

03/08/01 (12:30 p.m.) - Here are the latest stadium expansion pictures. They were taken Sunday, March 4th, and Wednesday, March 7th. Click here to view them.

03/08/01 - MSU football signee Paul Broussard was shot to death Tuesday in what appeared to be a case of mistaken identity.

BAKER, La. -- A college student from LaPorte who stopped at a fried chicken restaurant with his father was shot to death outside the restaurant Tuesday night, Police Chief Sid Gautreaux said.

Gautreaux identified the victim as Paul Broussard Jr., 21, of LaPorte. Broussard was a student at Rust College in Holly Springs, Miss., his father told police.

Gautreaux said a motive for the 8:40 p.m. shooting was not immediately apparent, but witnesses told police the victim appeared to have exchanged words with the occupants of a car as he walked from his father's truck toward the Main Street restaurant.

The driver of the car got out of the car, fired several shots, hitting Broussard in the chest with several bullets and fled in the car, Gautreaux said.

An hour after the shooting, two men who said they were involved told Baker police they wanted to surrender, Gautreaux said. Baker police detectives were questioning the two late Tuesday.

Broussard was pronounced dead at Lane Memorial Hospital in Zachary a short time after the shooting, Gautreaux said.

The victim's father, Paul Broussard Sr., of Abbeville, told police he was driving his son home in a truck used to pull large trailers when he stopped to buy some food. The senior Broussard said he left his son in the sleeper part of the cab, but his son must have decided to go inside.

While he was ordering his food, the father said he heard shots and went outside to find his son lying on the ground.

03/06/01 - Here is an excerpt from my premium site interview with MSU linebacker coach Jim Tompkins.

Coach Tompkins, talk about this year's linebacker signees starting with Kamau Jackson, the linebacker from Co-Lin CC.
Coach Tompkins: I've been recruiting Kamau since he was a junior in high school. He had a great junior year at Douglas High School. He is a guy who had a lot of problems in high school. He went to three different high schools in Atlanta. He didn't get to play football his senior year because the school board had him in temper control counseling. When you meet him, you see that he is a tremendous kid.

He is a heavy hitter who is a pure inside middle linebacker. He enjoys contact. That is probably the best thing that he likes about football. He had a great year at Co-Lin this year. He was first-team junior college All-American. I believe he led the (junior colleges in Mississippi) in tackles. He was a leader on the team and did his work in the classroom. The people at Co-Lin are very, very impressed with him as a player and a person. He has developed and come a long, long way.

We are excited about Kamau. He loves Mississippi State. He could have visited a lot of schools but he stayed true to his commitment to us. He wasn't interested in visiting other schools because he was going to come to Mississippi State all the time.

Does he have three years to play three?
Coach Tompkins: Yes, he has three to play three. He will be a guy that our fans will love to watch play because he plays with a lot of enthusiasm. He gets excited about playing and really wants to contribute and compete. He will be a favorite of our fans.

03/05/01 - Coach Sherrill talking about the first spring football practice.
The weather conditions weren't what you would like. You would have liked to have dry fields. The first two days you are in head gear and, basically, doing individual drills and polishing. You are not in the full practice mold. We'll work out Monday night, then workout Thursday. We'll work out in full pads Thursday.

The first day we could tell what the players retained from last season. I'm anxious to get into full gear to see the defensive backs and receivers because there is a lot of talent there. I'm anxious to see some of these young linemen.

Just in drill work Derrick and Eric Thompson have shown tremendously quick feet. I have been very impressed with those two guys. Other guys like Donald Tucker and Carl Hutchins should give us help. Itıs time for them to step up. I certainly think that they will give us some help.

Mario Haggan talked about the first day.
We did pretty good as far as going through pad drops and drills. We mainly were out here running drills and loosening up. We have a lot of young guys on defense. We want to see what they can do. We have a lot of learning to do. You have to come in every spring and teach guys and refresh other guys to make sure they have everything down. We have a lot of D-linemen to replace and we have to see what our guys at the cornerback position can do. We are most solid at the linebacker spot.

Will Rogers talked about moving from the offensive line to the defensive line.
I know that it will harder than offense. I want it to be long-term move. (The coaches) want to see what I can do and will decide from that.

What is your height and weight and forty speed?
I'm 6-5 and weigh 315 pounds. My forty speed is around 4.9. I was 340 during the season. I lost 25 pounds in three weeks just so that I could play defense.

03/04/01 - As you know, MSU offensive line coach Jerry Fremin resigned Friday, citing medical reasons. There was a very short mention of his resignation in The Clarion-Ledger Saturday morning. I contacted Coach Fremin to see if he would expand on what led to his resignation. He was gracious enough to agree to my interview request.

In Saturday's Clarion-Ledger article that mentioned your resignation, recruiting violations were discussed. While the article did not say that the violations had anything to do with your resignation, some people might think that they did since they were mentioned in the article. Did the violations, which, according to the article, MSU has reported to the SEC and the NCAA, have anything to do with your resignation?
Coach Fremin: The reported violations referred to in Saturday's Clarion-Ledger article concerned matters that occurred last fall and have been previously addressed. The announcement of those reported incidents at this particular time is somewhat misleading in that they had nothing to do my resignation.

That decision, as I stated Friday, was based solely on health concerns.

Coach Fremin, the article doesn't really go into much depth about your medical condition. Do you mind expanding on it in more detail?
Coach Fremin: I had minor health problems dating back as far back as 1999. They were stress related type health concerns. Things like lack of sleep, hyper all the time, and high blood pressure.

My first real scare was at the end of this year's Kentucky game. I had a very odd feeling. I felt light-headed and had some chest pains. I talked to Dr. Collins, one of our team doctors, on the sidelines about it. I didn't tell him I was feeling that badly but I did ask him for a couple of aspirin. After we went into the lockerroom, I sat down because I was still not feeling very good. Dr. Collins walked in and saw me sitting there and came over and asked me what was wrong. He said that I didn't look so good and wanted to know what was wrong. I told him that I asked him for the aspirin during the game because I felt like I might be having some heart related problems and felt like the aspirin might help. When I said that, he immediately took my blood pressure and checked me out right there.

The very next week he sent me to a cardiologist clinic here in Starkville to have a stress test done. They put me on a treadmill with all these wires on me. I also had some blood work done. Everything seemed to be ok at that point. I then had some blood work done in November and had some irregularities but nothing that was alarming.

Recently, with the season and recruiting over with, I seem to be going downhill again. In fact, I have lost 15 pounds during the past two weeks. They want to do some more tests just to make sure there is nothing physically causing these problems. If they find that there is nothing physically wrong, then what I need is some rest and time away from coaching.

After talking to Coach Fremin, I asked him if it would be ok if I could discuss his medical problem with Dr. Collins, who is Coach Fremin's personal physician. He agreed to my request.

Dr. Collins, please tell me about Coach Fremin's condition and what you recommended that he do to get it under control?
Dr. Collins: His medical problems started back in 1999. He started showing stress-related problems during the season. We started him on medication in an attempt to get control of his condition. We got it under control but it got a lot worse at the Kentucky game this year. He was having some vague chest pains. Given his age (47-years old), the type job he does and the amount of stress that he was dealing with, we went ahead and had either David Irwin or Jack Foster, one of the cardiologists, put him on a treadmill. The treadmill turned out negative but his condition has continued to cause a fair amount of stress. At this point, we all felt that it was best if he would pull back from the rigors of coaching. He may even want to try something else for awhile, regroup, then come back and see how it goes.

After talking to Dr. Collins, I concluded my interview with Coach Fremin by asking him if there was anything else he would like to say.
Coach Fremin: I would like to personally thank both Coach Jackie Sherrill and (MSU Athletic Director) Larry Templeton for the understanding and compassion that they have showed me and my family while I deal with this medical situation.

I would also like to thank all of the fans who have emailed me and called me on the phone expressing their concern for my health. My family and I very much appreciate their concern. We have had four great years at Mississippi State and will miss being part of the Mississippi State family.

03/03/01 - Mississippi State offensive line coach Jerry Fremin announced Friday that he was resigning his position on the football staff for medical reasons.

A search to fill Freminıs vacancy will begin immediately, although a new offensive line coach will not be in place for the beginning of spring practice. Offensive coordinator Sparky Woods will coach the Bulldog linemen when drills open Sunday, March 4.

"Jerry has done an outstanding job developing and coaching offensive linemen at Mississippi State," head football coach Jackie Sherrill said. "This is very evident in the success we have had with our offensive line."

Fremin is a veteran coach of more than 20 years at the collegiate and high school level, including 10 years working in his home state of Mississippi. This past season, Freminıs offensive line paved the way to State leading the Southeastern Conference in rushing offense. His work helped MSU earn a berth in the Sanford Independence Bowl where the Bulldogs defeated Texas A&M 43-41 in overtime. Fremin helped State win 10 games in 1999, including a season-ending Peach Bowl triumph over Clemson, and to the 1998 SEC Championship Game against eventual national champion Tennessee. During his four years at State, he has had six offensive linemen named to various all-SEC teams.

Prior to joining the MSU staff, Fremin served stints as a collegiate assistant at McNeese State, Nicholls State and Southern Mississippi. He also has been a high school athletic director and head coach.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

03/02/01 (12:30 p.m.) - The rumor is between 75 and 100 high school underclassmen football prospects will be unofficially visiting Mississippi State this weekend. Here are the names of a few of the players that I have heard are visiting this weekend.

If you know of others, please email the info to me at swindoll@genespage.com

03/01/01 - Here is the name of another junior football player who will be unofficially visiting MSU this weekend. Michael Gibson, who is from Mooreville (MS) HS, is a punter/kicker.

Coach Hendrick, how about discussing Arizona Western College defensive lineman Dannie Snyder.
Coach Hendrick: Dannie is a very active player who is quick, runs well and makes a lot of plays. He also has good strength and his instincts are excellent. That makes him very good. He was a linebacker before he became a lineman. He grew into being a defensive lineman. Now, he is a 285-pound defensive lineman. He can play noseguard, tackle or end because of his athleticism. We are going to start him out at noseguard. I think he is going to be a really good player for us.

Over the last few years, MSU has become known for having big defensive linemen who move extremely well. Does Dannie also fit into that category?
Coach Hendrick: He has really quick feet and changes directions well. He can really run. He was a linebacker in high school. He is very powerful. I would say he is sort of like Ellis Wyms.

How about Kahlil Nash?
Coach Hendrick: A playmaker. A playmaker. He is the kind of guy who you can put in and he will make quarterback sacks, make tackles for losses, make tackles from one side of the field to the other side. Kahlil, who played basketball in high school, is sort of like Tommy but just not as big. He is in the same type mold. He is going to be a 6-4, 285 to 290-pound defensive lineman for us. He was 278 pounds on his visit. I'm expecting him to be about 290 pounds when he gets here. I'm expecting him to make a huge impact for us. Kahlil can do it all.

The third player from Arizona Western College is Michael Oyebesobi. Talk about what you like about him.
Coach Hendrick: Michael was a tight end in high school. He was ranked as one of the top tight ends in America coming out of high school. Out of high school he was about 230 to 235 pounds. Now, Mike is about 6-5 and will tip the scales at about 310 pounds. Mike is another one who has had good coaching. The thing that really impresses you about Michael is the fact that he played standing up in college. I'm going to play him inside but it shows something about his athleticism. He is a big guy who is very athletic. He reminds me of Toby Golliday but taller. He has the same kind of build but taller.

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