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| 1997 | Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 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 |
| 2000 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 2001 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov |
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12/31/01 - Starkville High School's first-team All-State wide receiver Tee Milons narrows his list to Mississippi State, Florida and Ole Miss.
12/27/01 - Here are a couple of excerpts from my December 26th interview with Provine HS noseguard Otis Riddley. Otis is an MSU commitment.
When are you set up for your official visits?
"Mississippi State on January 11th. West Virginia on January 18th and Tulane on January 25th. There are a couple of more but I haven't gotten the dates squared away."
What schools are calling you?
"Mississippi State, Tulane, West Virginia, Alabama State, Jackson State, Grambling and schools like that. A lot of the big schools have settled down and are going after who they want."
It sounds like you still have a lot of schools after you.
"Yes, but I'm not going anywhere (laugh)."
You seem to be a really nice guy who I hear a lot of good things about and I'm not just talking about athletics.
"I' didn't play football at Provine for myself. I played for my teammates and my community. When I'm through playing for Provine, I know I need to go back and help anyway that I can. When people need help, I'm going to do it. I'm in the top 15 in my class and I feel it is only right for me to help where I can."
The entire interview, which is a premium interview, can be found on my front page. - Gene
12/25/01 - Don't forget that two MSU football players, offensive guard Tommy Watson and Dog safety Shawn Byrdsong, will play for the South in the Blue-Gray Classic, to be televised nationally by ABC-TV from Montgomery, Ala. today at 11 a.m.
12/19/01 - Starkville, Miss. Mississippi State head football coach Jackie Sherrill announced Wednesday the signing of two student-athletes to National Letters of Intent to play football for the Bulldogs in 2002. Both players will enroll at MSU in January and will be available for spring practice.
2001 MISSISSIPPI STATE FOOTBALL MID-YEAR SIGNEES
Manuel Dickson, OL, 6-4, 290, Greeneville, TN (Greeneville/Georgia Military College) Started at offensive guard for coach Bert Williams at Georgia Military College . . . Helped lead his junior college team to the National Junior College Athletic Association national championship this past season, defeating Butler (Kan.) Community College in the title game . . . Played four years of varsity football and started the final three seasons at Greeneville (Tenn.) High School, playing his senior season for head coach Mike Zeller . . . Started both ways for GTS, playing center on offense and tackle on defense . . . Helped his prep team to the state playoffs all four years, including a 12-1 mark and berth in the state quarterfinals as a junior . . . Earned honorable mention all-state and first-team all-region recognition at the center position during his senior campaign.
Will Prosser, WR, 6-3, 205, Starkville, MS (Starkville Academy) Originally signed with Mississippi State in February 2001, but did not enroll in school full-time this past fall. . . Named the Male Athlete of the Year in North AAAA among all private schools following his prep career at Starkville (Miss.) Academy . . . Was the most valuable player in football, basketball and baseball among North AAAA schools and played in each of those three sports' Mississippi Private School Association all-star game . . . Named to the Columbus Commercial Dispatch all-area football team . . . Outstanding three-sport athlete at Starkville (Miss.) Academy for head football coach Steve Morgan . . . Starred in both basketball and baseball, as well as playing both ways in football . . . Started at quarterback during his senior season at Starkville Academy, leading his team to an 8-2 overall record . . . Completed 70-of-124 passes for 1,296 yards and 16 touchdowns . . . Also rushed for 550 yards and six more scores . . . Named first-team, all-conference and all-state in the Mississippi Private Schools Association . . . Credited with running a 4.6 in the 40-yard dash . . . Selected to the Mississippi Private Schools Association All-Star Game, he made a splash at wide receiver . . . Caught seven passes for 126 yards in the all-star tilt . . . Suffered a broken leg late in his sophomore season at Starkville Academy and did not play his junior football season . . . As a sophomore, he completed 85-of-147 passes for 1,024 yards and nine touchdowns, and rushed for 243 yards and five scores, prior to the injury . . . Also starred on the basketball court and on the baseball diamond, earning all-North AAAA honors in both sports . . . Also an honor student in the classroom and in the community . . . Born William Sidney Prosser, 8-2-83 in Hollandale, Miss. . . . Son of Dr. and Mrs. Sidney Prosser . . . Will's uncle J.B. Sims (1974-75) and cousin Stan Sims (1984-87) played football at MSU.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department
12/14/01 - Here is a small update on a couple of players Mississippi State is recruiting.
12/13/01 - MSU's Coordinator of Football Operations, David Wilson, will be the featured speaker at tonight's Clarksdale High School Football Banquet.
12/08/01 - LEWIS TO BE INDUCTED INTO COLLEGE HALL OF FAME TUESDAY
STARKVILLE, Miss. Former Mississippi State and Dallas Cowboy great linebacker D.D. Lewis will be formally inducted into the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame, Tuesday, Dec. 11.
The ceremonies will take place during the organization's 44th annual awards dinner in the grand ballroom of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City.
Lewis will be joined by 12 other former college great players and three legendary collegiate coaches. Jon Arnell (Southern California), Kevin Butler (Georgia), Anthony Carter (Michigan), Tim Green (Syracuse), Ralph Guglielmi (Notre Dame), John Hicks (Ohio State), Keith Jackson (Oklahoma), Terry Kinard (Clemson), Don McCauley (North Carolina), Glenn Ressler (Penn State), Brad Van Pelt (Michigan State) and Steve Young (Brigham Young) will be inducted as players.
Former college coaching greats Barry Switzer (Oklahoma), Grant Teaff (Baylor) and Bill Yeoman (Houston) will also be enshrined with Lewis.
Lewis lettered at Mississippi State from 1965-67 and is just the second Bulldog player to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Jackie Parker (1952-53) was inducted in 1976. Former coaches Bernie Bierman, Morley Jennings, Allyn McKeen and Darrell Royal have also been enshrined.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department
12/07/01 - From the MSU Media Relations Department.
FIELDS NAMED TO SEC COACHES' ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi State true freshman nose guard Ronald Fields has been named to the Southeastern Conference All-Freshman Team by the league's head coaches, the conference office announced Thursday.
The 6-3, 295-pounder from Bogalusa, La., was one of just three defensive linemen named to the first-team. Fields played in all 11 games for the Bulldogs in 2001, starting three times. He totaled 22 tackles on the season, three of which were for loss (minus 3 yards).
BIVINES JOINS FIELDS ON NEWS-SENTINEL ALL-FROSH SQUAD
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi State redshirt freshman wide receiver Ray Ray Bivines and true freshman nose guard Ronald Fields have been named to the Knoxville News-Sentinel All-Freshman Team, the newspaper released Thursday.
Bivines, a 5-11, 172-pounder from Gautier, Miss., was selected to the team as a punt returner. During the 2001 season, Bivines returned 12 punts for 125 yards, a 10.4-yard average. He also had 14 pass receptions for 170 yards, a 12.1-yard average, and one touchdown, and rushed four times for 29 yards and another score.
Fields, a 6-3, 295-pounder from Bogalusa, La., played in all 11 games for the Bulldogs in 2001, starting three times. He totaled 22 tackles on the season, three of which were for loss (minus 3 yards).
12/06/01 - Here are the names of a couple more high school players that were at the MSU-BYU game. Lawrence County High School's RB/LB Wayne Hardy and TE/OLLuke Thames. Hardy is a Southern Miss commitment while Thames is being looked at by Co-Lin and Southwest MS CC.
Prather, a 6-1, 186-pounder from Falkner, Miss., finished fourth on the team in total tackles (71), but led the team in caused fumbles with two. He had three tackles for loss (minus 14 yards), two of which were quarterback sacks (minus 11 yards). He also had two pass pressures, one pass deflection and an interception.
Prather was MSU's lone all-SEC selection by the league's head coaches.
MSU had four players earn all-SEC mention by the Associated Press, a vote of selected writers throughout the southeastern region, on its teams announced by the wire service Tuesday.
Prather led State's honorees on the AP list, earning a first-team selection at defensive back.
Junior defensive end Mario Haggan (Clarksdale, Miss.) and junior free safety Josh Morgan (Vicksburg, Miss.) earned second-team, all-SEC honors, while senior defensive tackle Dorsett Davis gained honorable mention notice.
WILSON TO TEACH AT SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME YOUTH CLINIC
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi State coordinator of football operations David Wilson will serve as an instructor at the Greyhound Youth Sports Clinic in Atlanta, Ga., in connection with the Southeastern Conference championship game this weekend.
Approximately 300 children between the ages of 7 and 12 from the Atlanta Public School System are expected to participate in the clinic, to be held Friday, Dec. 7, at the Georgia Dome, location of the title game.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department
12/05/01 - 12 BULLDOGS NAMED TO SEC ACADEMIC HONOR ROLL
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi State had 12 football student-athletes named to the Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll for the 2000-01 academic calendar, the league office announced Tuesday.
Senior snapper Michael Bender led all Bulldogs with a 4.00 grade point average in industrial technology, edging classmate place-kicker Scott Westerfield, who recorded a 3.84 GPA in civil engineering.
Other Bulldogs earning a spot on the SEC Academic Honor Roll were: wide receiver Brian Barnes (3.31 in computer engineering), snappers Jon Busby (3.07 in general business) and Jeremiah Dumas (3.23 in landscape architecture), center Michael Fair (3.29 in physical education), quarterback Kevin Fant (3.02 in industrial technology), defensive end Rob Knight (3.05 in physical education), Dog safety Pig Prather (3.14 in interdisciplinary studies), center Kevin Sijansky (3.73 in microbiology), offensive guard Tommy Watson (3.10 in physical education) and Dog safety George White (3.18 in chemistry).
Mississippi State has now had 132 student-athletes selected to the SEC academic honor roll since 1994, second best among all league schools. Only Florida's 134 selections over that time period exceed MSU's total.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department
12/02/01 - Excerpts from Coach Sherrill's post-game press conference.
MISSISSIPPI STATE COACH JACKIE SHERRILL QUOTES:
"You can give credit to the seniors. They have hung in there and fought very hard over and over. I was disappointed that we were not able to hang in there and hold on to this one."
"I have been in the game a long time and (my teams) have played in many difference conferences. I can honestly say this is the first game that the (Mountain West) officials took a game away from a football team. If you look at it and look at the non-penalties (calls that weren't made but should have), it is really ridiculous. There were things that should have been called that they wouldn't call. The personal foul, the slug to the head is an automatic ejection. They didn't have the guts to throw him out of the game. This was a very, very sorry exhibition of officiating. (They) took a great win away from BYU but they took a great game away from two teams competing. When officials do that they don't deserve to be on the field.
"What I'm upset about is they have illegal formations on their punt and extra point formations. I called their commissioner and they knew that. They did that all night and only called it once and didn't call it again. I don't mind if you call something once as long as you continue to call it."
On the team's effort:
"We had a lot of players that played hard. BYU is a very good team. Their quarterback (Brandon Doman) is an outstanding player with tremendous ability who makes big plays.
"We didn't make some plays. The last interference penalty should have been offensive pass interference, but we didn't get that one. I tell our team that you have to be good enough to beat the officials, but tonight the officials took the game away."
On Kevin Fant's play:
"I thought (Kevin) Fant played very, very well. He made the right checks and did a lot of good things."
On Luke Staley:
"Luke (Staley) is a very tough, steady player. We had a lot of respect for him coming into the game. He is a young man who has been consistent all year.
"The guy who makes BYU go is Doman. They certainly wouldn't be 12-0 without him."
On emotions after the Mississippi game:
"You are not going to get up after an emotional rivalry game like we had Thanksgiving night without character and pride. I thought our guys showed a lot of character tonight."
Do you feel that BYU's offensive line wore your defensive line during the fourth quarter?
"I don't know if that was the case. We just weren't able to make some plays. In fact, just like the last pass interference call, that was really offensive pass interference. That wasn't defensive pass interference. We didn't get that call and there were two or three calls on the sidelines that we didn't get. We caught the ball on the sidelines but that was a bad call."