May 1998 Unofficial MSU Football Skuttle-Butt

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05/31/98 - The final chapter of the late March fight in Ripley involving MSU signee Edward Prather and several other people has been determined and Prather was found guilty of malicious mischief and fined $99 and will have to make restitution of $457. He has also been placed on 3-months probation by the court. All of the other defendents in the case were either found guilty of simple assault or had the charges dropped. The ones found guilty of simple assault were also fined, told to pay restitution and placed on 3-months probation. Info: The Sentinel

Hopefully, Pig and his friends learned sometimes you have to turn the other cheek when confronted with things beyond their control. They have just learned life is not always fair.

05/31/98 - I received this info from "TopDog":

You may want to post a football skuttle-butt reminder that June 1st (Monday) is the deadline for priority ordering of football season tickets. This is also the last day when you can use the deferred payment plan -- pay 1/3 of the total ticket price now, pay another 1/3 on July 1st, and the final 1/3 on August 1st. This is a great way to spread out the ticket payments.

There is also a special "mini-season ticket" available. This ticket package is ideally suited for large families that watch every penny. Three games (Vanderbilt, East Tennessee, Arkansas) for $20. A family of 5 can go to 3 games for $100. Seating is in the upper deck. I think the kick-off times for these 3 games are fairly well established too. MSU will announce shortly that the Vandy game will start at 6PM, Sep 5. (I've heard that JS told JP-TV he would not play the game at 11:30). The ETSU game begins at 1:30 on Oct 17. The Arkansas game kicks off at 1:30 on Nov 21.

Ticket office telephone number is (601) 325-2600. They accept: Visa, Master Card, American Express, or your personal check.

BTW: Expect to see a lot of activities on campus for game day this fall. Stay tuned for further updates as events warrant.

05/28/98 - David Wilson is helping locate summer jobs (10 maximum) for several of Miss State's football players. If you have a summer job available in the Starkville area (Columbus, West Point, Weir and Ackerman will also be considered), please contact him at his email address DWilson@Academics.Athletics.MsState.Edu or call him at 601-325-2534. The only stipulation is the job cannot interfere with their football conditioning workout which is from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. Call David and he will give you all of the details. These kids chose our school to play football, so let's show our appreciation by providing them with summer jobs. Please help them if you are able to. They are all great kids.

05/28/98 - There was a post on a message board (not Miss State's) about a freshman high school player's father saying a school had talked to him about his son. Someone responded to this post by saying that they thought this was illegal. The response to this post was it is OK for a coach to "make sure he gets introduced to the kid's family" so that the family would know the coach's school is interested in their son. I'm not a NCAA rules expert, but this sounded incorrect to me so I decided to ask a NCAA Director of Compliance about it.

Here is his response: "No in person one-on-one contact can occur between a coach and the prospect (or the prospect's parents or legal guardians) until after their Junior year and then only during certain periods in the sports of football and basketball. College football coaches are permitted to evaluate underclassmen during a Fall period and the period currently going on now, May evaluation; however, there is to be no one-on-one contact with a prospect during this time. The evaluation period does serve a couple of purposes: (1) coaches get a quick chance to evaluate a kid academically and to see his or her skills on the practice field or in a game, (2) also, the prospects get some idea as to who is watching them or who is interested, from a given school."

What I am getting at by posting this is please be careful when posting info on a message board. What you consider to be an innocent little remark may be a NCAA rule violation and could cause your school to be penalized by the NCAA.

05/27/98 - This has nothing to do with football but it is something all MSU folks can be tremendously proud of. I was lucky enough to tour the Joe Frank Sanderson Center a few days ago and there are no words that express the absolute greatness of this building. If you don't know what the Joe Frank Sanderson Center is, it is that HUGE building that is southeast of the Bryan Building directly behind the lake behind the Bryan Building. It is the new recreational sports center for MSU students, staff, faculty and retired faculty. So without further ado let's go on a word and image tour (click on the blue letters to view the images).

First, let me show you how it will look to the students as they walk from their dorms to the center (it lacks landscaping)(click to view). As you get closer to the building, you will notice the wide concrete walkway and the name of the building. Then you walk in the doors to the sign-in and entrance location (sorry for the hall darkness, my scanner's fault). To the right of the entrance is a conference room. You then go down the hall and go in a door on the left which takes you into the strength and aerobic conditioning room which as you can see contains a tremendous amount of state-of-the-art weight and fitness equipment. You then leave that room and go to the next room, which is the large aerobic studio. The next room is a small aerobic room and next to it is the martial arts room (sorry, I didn't take pictures of these two rooms). Around the corner to the left is the food service area and just outside of it is the large outdoor sunning deck. Stepping back into the door, you see part of the food service area and the hallway leading to the olympic size swimming pool. As you see, it really is a magnificent pool. Just outside of the pool are separate locker rooms (500 lockers in each room) for men and women. You then head back toward the front and see the 4-basketball courts as well as the volleyball court. Going up to the second story of the building, you see the 1/8 mile running track overlooking the basketball courts. Here's another view of the courts from the running track. At the back part of the building are the two intramural basketball courts. There is much, much more that I didn't show you: The mountain climbing wall, the 8 racquetball courts, the small aerobic room, the martial arts room, the equipment room, the front desk, the officals' training center and the list goes on. If you want more info on the Center, contact them at recsports@ra.msstate.edu or call them at 601-325-PLAY (7529).

This building is something all MSU fans can be very, very proud of. There is nothing at any of the other state universities or, for that matter, in the state of Mississippi that can compare to it. Because of each one of you, we now have the best rec sports center, baseball stadium, athletic complex building, athletic administrative building, basketball coliseum, M club building, tennis courts, softball field and track facility in the state of Mississippi. With the exception of Humphrey Coliseum, it is due to each one of you making contributions.

With that said, it is now time for each one of you to step forward and do your part once again. The football program needs your help. To continue last year's football success on the field and in recruiting, you must purchase football season tickets. Our budget is at the bottom or near the bottom of the heap in the SEC and for our coaches and athletic administration staff to continue to provide you with one of the best overall sports programs in the SEC, you must provide them with the money to do so. Nothing comes cheap in the SEC, the greatest conference in the nation. By not buying season tickets or contributing to the Bulldog Club, you bind the hands of the very people (Larry Templeton, Jackie Sherrill, Pat McMahon, Rick Stansbury and all of the other coaches) you expect to continue the recent success of our programs. Please do you part, order those football season tickets and contribute to the Bulldog Club.

05/27/98 - James Shelton, a 5-foot-8 running back from Northeast Lauderdale HS, set a state Class 4A record in the 100 meters event at the 1998 Class 4A Championship meet with a time of 10.61. He also won the 200 meters event. And he did this while working out part time with the track team. He was also playing centerfield for the NE Lauderdale HS team. Get this: he also owns a 3.9 grade point average in the classroom, runs a 4.3-forty yard dash and has a 40-inch vertical leap. This past season he accumulated over 1,500+ total yards (rushing, receiving, punt and kickoff returns) for Northeast Lauderdale. Is MSU looking at him. After reading this, what do you think?

05/25/98 - Just thought you would enjoy reading this great Kevin Cooper article by Rusty Hampton.

05/24/98 - Pre-Season Prep All-American TE/DE Casey Gilbert, a senior-to-be from Pascagoula HS, will camp at Miss State, LSU, FSU and Alabama.

05/23/98 - A source of mine had the chance, while attending the MSU game Thursday morning, to talk to a die-hard Texas Aggie fan. According to this Aggie fan, there are folks at Texas A&M that would love to have Coach Sherrill back coaching at Texas A&M. He went on to say that Coach Sherrill put them on the map and taught them how to win.

05/21/98 - For all of you Atlanta Bulldogs, don't forget the below listed Bulldog event:

Date: May 21, Thursday
Location: Atlanta, Ga.
Area: North Georgia Bulldog Club
Site: Westin Atlanta North
Time: Social hour 6:30 p.m., heavy hors' de ouvres 7:30, program to follow, dress casual
Speakers: Jackie Sherrill and Athletic Staff
Contact: Jack/Annette D'Arch (770) 938-8451

05/21/98 - Here are a few things that were said at the Delta Bulldog Club event two nights ago:

Several folks asked Coach Sherrill what he thought about the idea of the football team, prior to each game, getting off of the bus at the Union and walking to the stadium. According to my source, Coach Sherrill loved the idea and said he would look into it. He might even try and coordinate something with the band. (Guys, this is a good idea. Keep bringing it up at the meetings this summer.)

05/20/98 - The word is MSU signee Mario Haggan (Clarksdale HS) has qualified. However, there is more to this story than that Mario has qualified.

Mario, doing his part to help his family's financial situation the past few months, worked the night shift at a local factory. Each day, after school, he would go to work, returning home each night between 9 and 11 p.m. When he got home, he did his homework and studied until he couldn't stay awake any longer. According to my source, the one thing that got Mario through this was knowing he would some day be a Mississippi State Bulldog. To say I am proud to know that this outstanding young man will soon be a part of our Bulldog family can't even come close to how I truly feel about him.

05/20/98 - Don't forget to check my Events page for the latest MSU events going on tonight and tomorrow night.

05/19/98 - Here is some Jerry Bolton (MSU walk on) info from someone who talked to Jerry's head coach:

"He said that it will be hard to keep Jerry on the sideline. Not only is he the finest young man he had ever been around but also the best football player he had ever coached."

For those of you who didn't know it, Jerry is the son of the late Adolph Ducksworth. Ducksworth was one of the best RB's ever to come out of the Laurel area.

BTW, the coach also said Coach Sherrill has always been straight up with him and his players.

05/19/98 - Don't forget, the Delta Bulldog Club event is tonight in Greenville, Mississippi. I'm not sure of the time and place but you can contact Bill Allen at (601) 378-2162 for details. Coach Sherrill , AD Larry Templeton and other members of the athletic department staff will be there. I expect a full report on what was said from some of you Delta Bulldogs.

05/19/98 - Robert Hubbard, President of the Memphis Chapter of the MSU Alumni Association, a.k.a. Memphis Maroon Club, invites all of you Miss State grads in Shelby County (2,000+ strong) to call him and he will give you info on how to join the Memphis Maroon Club. You can telephone him at (901) 763-0482 or email him at thhubs@aol.com . Give him a call Bulldog fans. With so many of you in that area, you could really get things going in regard to getting more MSU coverage via the newsapaper, television, and radio. There is strength in numbers and you have the numbers. All you lack is a coordinated effort with those numbers. Robert and his Club can help you coordinate that effort. BTW, the Memphis Maroon Club is having an event on July 9th. Contact him for additional details or visit my MSU events page.

05/19/98 - The Nashville Tennessean had some early predictions for SEC football in the Sunday edition. They picked MSU to finish 5th in the SEC behind Florida, LSU, Tennessee, and Georgia. We were followed by Ole Miss, Auburn, Alabama, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt. Did you notice that they have Miss State second in the West?

05/19/98 - I found this on a Georgia High School message board. Just thought you guys would like to see what someone in Georgia has to say about Miss State signee Harold Lindsey:

Harold Lindsey - 6-3, 185 4.5, WR/DB
Very athletic, great hands, makes unbelievable grabs, closes on the ball, will hit you.
Recruited by UGA, FLA, FSU and Tennesee.

05/19/98 - From a source in the know: Clinton HS (MS) running back sensation Dontae Walker (a player MSU is recruiting) will be staying in-state.

05/18/98 - Ok Bulldog fans, I do believe it is time we start a campaign. You may have noticed the James Johnson for Heisman words on my front page and this page. Some of you may say, come on Gene, why would J.J. Johnson deserve the Heisman? Let's look at the facts: He rushed for over 1,000 yards last year. He has improved his strength, quickness and speed over the past few months. He will be playing behind, potentially, the best offensive line ever at Miss State. He is, in my opinion, the best running back in the best conference in the country. He impressed the NFL scouts tremendously during the Pro scout day this past spring. Based on these achievements, he deserves to be considered a Heisman candidate. Do your part: promote him throughout the internet, in the newspapers and on the radio talk shows.

05/18/98 - If you are interested in seeing Max Emfinger's Super Dixie Top-100 click here.

05/16/98 - The Lowndes County Alumni Association Shrimp Boil was a huge success Friday night. There was a great crowd and great food. Plus, several officials from Miss State were there. I also had the pleasure of meeting a lot of MSU fans who check out my page. If any of you have the chance to go to one of these Alumni or Booster Club events, by all means do. I am finding out MSU has the nicest bunch of fans you will find anywhere. BTW, a big pat on the back goes out to Debbie Duke and Norman Ford for putting on such a great event.

05/16/98 - Just thought you guys would like to know the word from sources within the athletic department is MSU running back James Johnson will be a strong contender for the top running back in the SEC and possibly nation. One longtime MSU athletic department source said he is the hardest working and most dedicated running back he has ever seen. While you read about all of these so-called 4.4 and 4.5 times in the forty (probably fabricated for the media), James ran a legitimate 4.66 on wet grass with a full uniform on for the NFL scouts this past spring. The word is you will be seeing great things out of James this coming season.

05/15/98 - Clarksdale (MS) HS standouts Tarnaka Counslor (RB/DB, 5-7, 165) and Mandrell McGregory (WR, 6-0, 185, 4.5) both Honorable Mention All-State choices last year are being looked at by Miss State.

05/15/98 - If you live in the Lowndes county area come on out to the Shrimp Boil at Lake Norris in Columbus, Mississippi, tonight beginning at 7 p.m. Several athletic officials will be there. I have also been told that MSU President Portera will, more than likely, be there. Come on out and have a great time with fellow MSU fans. Check my events skuttle-butt for additional details.

05/14/98 - Rome, Georgia, standout defensive lineman Chris Hewitt (6-6, 240) is being looked at by Miss State and Alabama, among others. Chris is an All-Stater who, according to Southeastern Recruiting Alliance is "one of the best looking physical specimens in the state (Georgia)."

05/14/98 - If any of you Jackson, Mississippi, Bulldog fans are looking for insurance, then go no further than Mark Doiron. Mark, a true Bulldog if there ever was one, can help you with all of your insurance needs. Contact Mark by clicking here. Keep those Bulldog dollars in the Bulldog family. Tell him Gene sent you.

05/13/98 - Miss State is looking at two Louisville (MS) High School football players: Emmitt Ellis and Michael Goss.

Ellis is a 6-3, 270, defensive end who is being looked at by the likes of Ole Miss (covets him very, very strongly), Tennessee, Missouri, Florida, Illinois and Indiana, among others. Emmitt runs a 5.0 forty and can bench 325 pounds and squat 485 pounds.

Goss, a big-time athlete who plays wide receiver and wingback, is 6-2, 180 with legitimate 4.4 speed in the forty. He also benches 330 pounds and can squat 440. He is also being looked at by the same schools as Ellis. I was told Florida was so impressed with what they saw on film, they will offer. Michael is very, very close to making a qualifying ACT score and should make it on his next try.

05/13/98 - Check out my new advertiser Monroe-Tufline Mfg. Company, Inc. Sid and his employees make the finest farm implements on the market today.

05/12/98 - Continuing with players Miss State is evaluating for recruiting purposes, here is the name of a player from Tennessee:
James Bradford, a 6-6 junior offensive lineman from Cleveland, Tennessee, unofficially visited Miss State during a couple of their scrimmages. Look for James to be a highly recruited senior next year. BTW, he was the one I thought was going to walk on. My source thought he was a senior instead of a junior this year.

05/12/98 - There was a great turnout for last night's Bulldog Club event in Tupelo. According to one of the members, there were about 170 folks that purchased tickets. There was a great turnout among athletic department personnel as well with football coaches Jackie Sherrill, Craig Stump and David Wilson; basketball head coach Rick Stansbury and his beautiful wife Meo; Assistant Athletic Director/ Administrative Johnie Cooks; Bulldog Club Executive Wesley Reed; and MSU Alumni Executive Director John Correro.

Coach Sherrill's Comments:

Listening to Coach Sherrill last night makes me wish the first game was this coming Saturday. It is going to be a great season. I sure hope you have purchased your season tickets.

05/11/98 - Airline HS (Shreveport, Louisiana) defensive end Adam Bass (6-3, 270) is receiving a lot of interest from Mississippi State, Stanford, LSU and many other universities not only because he is a great lineman but because of his academics (great grades and ACT). My source also told me Adam is a great youngster who comes from an outstanding family.

05/11/98 - I hope all of you Bulldog Club members from Tupelo and the surrounding area can make it to the 10-county Bulldog Club event tonight at the Tupelo Coliseum. Coaches Jackie Sherrill and Rick Stansbury are supposed to be there, as well as On-Campus Recruiting Coordinator David Wilson. It ought to be a great event. BTW, Mary Ann and I are planning on being there with a couple of friends of ours. Hope to see all of you there. See my events page for more details.

05/10/98 - During the Bulldog Club event in New Albany Monday night, the Bulldog Club generated $1,750 from the sale of a trip with the football team to the Oklahoma State game and $700 from the sale of a sideline pass to the Miss State/ Ole Miss game. There was also a door prize which was a chance to guest coach with MSU basketball coach Sharon Fanning.

05/10/98 - Coach Jackie Sherrill will join four other SEC head football coaches on May 15-16 for the 10th annual Huntsville Celebrity Golf and Tennis Classic. The Classic has raised more than $1.5 million for the Huntsville Hospital Foundation. Source: The Huntsville Time.

Coach Sherrill, earlier in the week, played golf in the Wendy's Palmer Home Classic which generates money for the Palmer Home for Children.

05/10/98 - If you are from Pelham, Alabama, I need info on a football player by the name of Blaz Ruciz. Word is he is a D-I prospect that Miss State is interested in.

05/10/98 - Coming next week: Look for football recruiting info on players from the following areas:

05/08/98 - Defensive lineman Walter Young from Purvis and TE/DE Casey Gilbert from Pascagoula are going to get long, hard looks by Miss State's coaching staff this spring is what I am hearing from reliable sources. Both players are going to be Pre-Season All-American selections and will have their choice of colleges as long as their academics are in order. I have it from a reliable source that Gilbert is a good student and will easily qualify.

05/07/98 - Look for Miss State to evaluate, for recruiting purposes, Ackerman's 6-2, 215-lb DE/LB Chad Fondren. Chad, playing every down last year, was very instrumental in helping Ackerman achieve their undefeated season last year.

Tomorrow, I'll discuss two players in southeast Mississippi. Both are defensive linemen.

05/07/98 - Here is additional info on future MSU football walk on Scott Westerfield. A friend of mine told me Scott is a great person, makes A's, very quiet, true team player, very serious about his sports ability, not bothered by pressure at all, made an extremely high ACT score in high school. According to my friend, Scott is going to be a tremendous asset to not only Miss State football but Miss State in general.

05/06/98 - Miss State and many others will be taking a long hard look at two players from Leflore County HS in Itta Bena, Miss. They are twin towers Derrick and Eric Thompson, both 6-6, 270-280 linemen. You can read more info about them by going to my Mississippi High School Skuttle-Butt section. Look for info on an Ackerman player tomorrow.

05/06/98 -During the next few days, Miss State's coaches will be evaluating players in the following locations:

Remember, no coaches can have face to face contact with players during the 20-day May evaluation period. What they can do is talk to the players' coaches, watch practice and check out their academics.

05/06/98 - The rumor is a 6-8 lineman from Cleveland, Tennessee will walk on this fall? Anybody know anything about him like his name maybe? Even without this guy, it continues to amaze me how many quality walk ons we are going to have on campus next fall. This past recruiting season just gets better and better. This MSU staff is fast becoming a force to be reckoned with, folks.

05/06/98 - If you haven't done so, check my MSU Events Section for info on the latest Bulldog Events going on. There is a great one going on in Tupelo Monday night. I am really looking forward to going to it. Coach Jackie Sherrill, On-Campus Recruiting Coordinator David Wilson, most likely Coach Rick Stansbury and other athletic staff will be there. Be a part of a great Bulldog event. Buy a ticket. Let's see if we can get several hundred Bulldog faithful in the Coliseum Monday night.

05/06/98 - If you are in need of formal wear for a party or wedding, check out Bulldog fan, and one of my sponsors, Doug Douglass' Tuxes, Too website on the internet. Keep Miss State money in the Miss State family by supporting my sponsors, all Bulldog fans through and through.

05/05/98 - According to someone who recently talked to Hinds CC First Team All-American Place Kicker Scott Westerfield, Scott plans on walking on at Miss State this coming fall. Since Brian Hazelwood will be a senior next season, Scott would like to redshirt and have two years of eligibilty left. Of course, this is assuming he will make the team. I kind of doubt a First Team All-American will be cut. By the way, my source said Scott is a great kid who is a near 4.0 student in engineering.

BTW, beginning tomorrow I will list several high school players Miss State is evaluating for recruiting purposes.

05/04/98 - Did you know Newman HS in New Orleans has a football player who plays in the backfield and whose dad graduated from a Mississippi college? I know some of you are already saying of course we know about him, his name is Eli Manning, son of the famous Ole Miss quarterback Archie Manning and brother of former Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning. Well, guess what? You are wrong.

1961 Miss State grad Ben Seale has a son by the name of Justin Seale who plays running back for Newman HS. Justin (6-1, 185, 4.5) scored 26 touchdowns last year and can bench 275 pounds and squat 350. Kind of makes me wonder if he and Eli are entertaining thoughts of going to the same school. If anyone has additional info on Justin, email it to me.

05/03/98 - On my message board, someone called Wondering brought up the question directed towards me as to what an authorized institutional staff member is when you are talking about recruiting. An authorized institutional member is a coach that is authorized to recruit, plain and simple.

Another question posted to me (by Wondering) on my message board was what prevented me from going to high school games and then contacting State's coaches and tell them all that I saw and heard about D-I prospects. That question is easy to answer. I post what I hear and see on my skuttle-butt pages. Any coach, inlcuding MSU's, can read it just as all of you do. Miss State, as we saw from last year's recruiting, doesn't need my help. My goal is to help the kids in Mississippi get the attention they deserve. That's why I started my Mississippi High School Skuttle-Butt section.

05/01/98 - Simmons High School 6-8 lineman Lincoln Smith, a football player Miss State is recruiting, is also a very good basketball (center position) player that Miss State is recruiting in basketball also. Lincoln also competes in track in the shot-put event. According to my source, Lincoln has a good head on his shoulders and appears to have good grades. With Lincoln leading the way, look for Simmons HS to be good in both football and basketball next year.

05/01/98 - The latest word on MSU football walkon Joey Hydrick is he is going to work on his conditioning and strength over the summer so that he will be better prepared for the rigors of SEC football. My source also said Joey is really looking forward to the fall.