PLAYER PROFILES

Derek Brian AMBROSE ANDERSON

Running Back Offensive Guard 6-0 • 197 • Sr. • 2L 6-6 • 300 • Sr. • 3L New Orleans, La. 26 Butler, Ala. 55 Copiah-Lincoln (Miss.) CC Patrician Academy

CAREER: Has played in 14 games after arriving at Mississippi State in 2004 from Copiah- CAREER: Has played in 29 games during his Mississippi State career, earning 18 straight Lincoln (Miss.) Community College . . . Has served primarily on special teams, but has also starting calls on the offensive line from early in his sophomore season on . . . Has started worked as a reserve in the running back picture . . . Has rushed 17 times for 100 yards, seven times at left offensive guard and 11 at left offensive tackle . . . Saw immediate ac- a 5.9-yard average. tion as a reserve at the tight end position upon his arrival at State . . . Worked primarily 2006: Rebounded from off-season anterior cruciate knee ligament surgery to have a during short-yardage situations in his fi rst season on campus . . . Made the move inside solid spring and return to State’s running back picture . . . Rushed 17 times for 75 yards, at the line of scrimmage prior to his second season at State . . . Came to MSU follow- a 4.4-yard average, and one touchdown during three spring scrimmages . . . Applied for ing a standout high school career on the offensive line in the Alabama private school and was granted a sixth year of eligibility to restore his 2005 senior season . . . Gives the association. Bulldogs a veteran runner as pre-season drills commence. 2006: Opened the 2006 spring practice session at his fourth offensive position in four 2005: Played in three games before having his season ended by a knee injury and years . . . Held the fi rst unit’s berth at offensive right guard throughout the spring and will resulting surgery . . . Rushed 15 times for 90 yards, a 6-yard average per rush, before open two-a-days at that spot. being sidelined . . . Also returned one kickoff (28 yards) . . . Played himself into the rota- 2005: Started all 11 games for Mississippi State at left offensive tackle . . . Played every tion of halfbacks from the outset of his senior season and had a solid fi rst game of the snap four times during the year and played his best football from midseason on . . . ’05 campaign . . . Rushed nine times for 49 yards, a 5.4-yard per rush average, in State’s Responded with a solid game in his fi rst outing at his new position . . . Was on the fi eld season-opening win over Murray State . . . Carried the pigskin nine straight times during for 51 of a possible 71 offensive snaps in MSU’s 38-6 win over Murray State to open the the Bulldogs’ fi nal drive of the 38-6 victory, taking the ball from the Mississippi State 48 season . . . Graded out at an 88 percent clip against the Racers with two knockdown to the Murray 8 before the Bulldogs downed the ball on their fi nal snap . . . Had a second- blocks . . . Helped pave the way for State to grind out 249 yards on the ground on 44 straight productive performance in State’s attempts, a 5.7-yard per rush average . . . Scored a 78 percent blocking rating with nine SEC opener at Auburn in Week 2 . . . Led knockdown blocks at Auburn in State’s SEC opener in Week 2 . . . Was on the fi eld for the team with 41 yards on the ground on six all but nine of the 59 offensive snaps against the Tigers . . . Was in on all 60 offensive carries, a 6.8-yard per rush average . . . Suf- snaps in MSU’s Week 3 win over Tulane at Shreveport . . . Scored a 77 percent blocking fered an anterior cruciate ligament (knee) grade against the Green Wave with four knockdown blocks . . . Was again on the fi eld injury on the opening kickoff of State’s for every snap (59 plays) vs. Georgia in Week 4 . . . Tallied a 75 percent blocking grade Week 3 victory over Tulane and sat out the with a team-best seven knockdown blocks . . . Raised his blocking grade to 78 percent remainder of the season . . . Remained in in the Bulldogs’ game one week later vs. LSU . . . Was on the fi eld for 43 of a possible the running back rotation and as a special 56 plays against the Tigers and had two knockdown blocks . . . Registered an 86 percent teams performer during State’s four-week blocking grade during a three-week stretch at midseason, Weeks 6-8 . . . Again improved spring drills. his blocking grade during the Bulldogs’ Week 6 game at Florida . . . Tallied an 80 percent 2004: Played in all 11 games for the Bull- score with fi ve knockdown blocks against the Gators . . . Was on the fi eld for all but eight dogs during his fi rst season on campus . . . of the 57 offensive snaps in the contest . . . Registered a career-best performance in Worked primarily with MSU’s special teams, State’s Week 7 game against Houston . . . Was on the fi eld for all 72 offensive snaps and but did see action as a reserve at running tallied a 94 percent blocking grade against the Cougars, a total that includes a team-high back . . . Rushed twice for 10 yards on of- nine knockdown blocks . . . Made it two straight weeks with a sterling blocking grade at fense and contributed eight special teams’ Kentucky . . . Registered a team-best 85 percent ratio in the Week 8 game against the RB DEREK AMBROSE tackles . . . Saw action from the outset of Wildcats, tying for the team high with seven knockdown blocks . . . Was on the fi eld for all his fi rst season at State . . . Played, but did 75 snaps against UK . . . Played in all but eight snaps (49 of 57) against Alabama in Week not record statistics, in the Bulldogs’ fi rst 8 . . . Was sidelined during that time with a hamstring strain, but eventually returned to six games of the ’04 season . . . Totaled all the game . . . Registered fi ve knockdown blocks against the Crimson Tide . . . Scored eight of his special teams’ tackles and his rushing statistics during the season’s fi nal fi ve weeks . . . Registered three special teams tackles during the Bulldogs’ Week 7 win over Florida . . . Saw his fi rst work in the offensive backfi eld during the Bulldogs’ Week 8 victory over Kentucky . . . Rushed twice for 10 yards against the Wildcats . . . Also made a pair of special teams tackles vs. UK . . . Made one hit each in the season’s fi nal three games. JUNIOR COLLEGE: Played one season at Copiah-Lincoln (Miss.) Community College for head coach David Poinsette . . . Played safety at the junior college level. HIGH SCHOOL: Starred as a linebacker and strong safety for head coach Billy North at John Ehret High School in Marrero, La. . . . Led the Patriots to a 27-9 overall record and three straight postseason playoff appearances . . . Was a two-sport standout on the prep level, also excelling in track. PERSONAL: Born Derek S. Ambrose, 4-17-83, in Oakland, Calif. . . . Son of Mr. Jesse Ambrose and Mrs. Cyrele Chibberton . . . His cousin, Ashley Ambrose, plays in the Na- tional Football League . . . Another cousin, Christy Burrell, runs track at Grambling Uni- versity . . . Majoring in sport communication. AMBROSE’S CAREER RUSHING STATS YEAR G/GS ATT. YARDS AVG. TD LONG / OPP. OG BRIAN ANDERSON 2004 11/0 2 10 5.0 0 8 / Kentucky 2005 3/0 15 90 6.0 0 15 / Auburn TOTAL 14/0 17 100 5.88 0 15 / AUBURN

46 PLAYER PROFILES

a 75 percent blocking mark, working all but one offensive snap (56 of 57 plays) against . . . Thirty-one of his 60 (.517) full-fi eld kickoffs in his career have gone for touchback . . . Arkansas in Week 10 . . . Helped MSU grind out 304 yards rushing and allow no sacks in Opened his collegiate career working primarily as a reserve behind all-SEC kicker Brent a season-ending 35-14 win over Ole Miss in the Battle for the Golden Egg . . . Held his Smith during his freshman season . . . Used in two games played during his redshirt fresh- fi rst-unit designation at offensive left guard throughout MSU’s spring practice. man campaign to handle kickoffs . . . Came to Mississippi State following a prep career 2004: Played in all 11 games during his sophomore season, earning the starting nod the in which he was named a two-time, all-state kicker in Louisiana. fi nal seven games of the season at offensive left guard . . . Was on the fi eld for 26 offen- 2006: Continued his rehabilitation from ’05 season-ending groin tear with a produc- sive plays (out of 67 snaps) in the Bulldogs’ season-opening 28-7 win over Tulane . . . Saw tive spring session . . . Made three fi eld goal attempts during three spring scrimmages, somewhat limited duty (12 plays) one week later against Auburn . . . Registered a pair including a 55-yard kick in the spring-ending Maroon and White game. of knockdown blocks in those dozen plays . . . Was on the fi eld for eight offensive snaps 2005: Started seven games at place-kicker and kickoff specialist during his junior season, during Week 3 reserve work against Maine . . . After seeing action on just 46 offensive a campaign that was shortened by a groin injury . . . Converted fi ve-of-eight fi eld goal plays during the season’s fi rst three weeks, his role with the offense began to expand . . attempts (62.5 percent) and all 11 extra-point kicks during his reduced activity, scoring . Saw the most work of the early portion of his sophomore season one week later at LSU 26 points . . . Eleven of his 23 kickoffs (47.8 percent) went for touchbacks . . . Opened the . . . Was on the fi eld for 30 offensive snaps against the Tigers with a pair of knockdown year with a solid performance in MSU’s 38-6 win over Murray State . . . Made all fi ve extra- blocks . . . Continued to receive increased playing time during Week 5 action at Vander- point kicks and converted his only fi eld goal attempt, a 37-yarder to open State’s scoring, bilt, gaining his fi rst collegiate start in Nashville . . . Was on the fi eld for 43 offensive snaps in the victory over the Racers . . . Ran his streak of successful points after touchdown to 26 against the Commodores . . . Recorded fi ve knockdown blocks before having his evening straight with the fi ve conversions . . . Two of his seven kickoffs went for touchback against cut short by a severe ankle sprain . . . From that point on, he only missed game action on Murray . . . His lone fi eld goal attempt vs. Auburn in Week 2 hit the crossbar from 48 yards nine plays over the season’s fi nal six weeks . . . Despite not practicing until Wednesday out . . . Was one-for-one on kickoffs for touchback against the Tigers . . . Tacked on three of game week due to his ankle injury, he was on the fi eld for all 64 snaps against UAB in more extra-point conversions in State’s 21-14 win over Tulane in Week 3 . . . Was two- Week 6 . . . Tallied an early season best 75 percent blocking grade against the Blazers for-four on kickoffs for touchback against the Green Wave . . . Connected on a 34-yard with six knockdown blocks . . . Raised his score to an 81 percent blocking mark during fi eld goal on MSU’s fi rst possession of its Week 4 game with Georgia, his lone three-point the Bulldogs’ Week 7 win over Florida . . . Was on the fi eld for all but fi ve offensive snaps attempt of the game . . . Also converted his only extra point kick . . . Was one-of-two on due to equipment failure against the Gators . . . Helped the Bulldogs rush for 251 yards full-fi eld kickoffs against the Bulldogs . . . Made his lone extra-point try in State’s Week 5 on 47 plays, a 5.3-yard rush average in the win . . . Played all 70 offensive snaps during game with LSU, but missed his only fi eld goal attempt . . . Was one-of-two on kickoffs for the team’s Week 8 win over Kentucky, with 61 of his assignments coming at the center touchback against the Tigers . . . Made one-of-two fi eld goal attempts at Florida in Week position in relief of an injured Chris McNeil . . . Helped the Bulldogs rush for 340 yards 6 . . . His career-long, 49-yard, three-pointer came with 4:08 left in the fi rst quarter and on 49 carries against UK, the most yards rushing in a game since the 2000 team gained tied the game at 3-3 at the time . . . Was one-for-three on full-fi eld kickoffs against the 351 yards on the ground against Florida . . . Played all but four snaps (65 of 69 plays) Gators . . . Until sidelined with a groin strain, he had one of the top games of his career of State’s Week 9 game at Alabama . . . Matched his season-high blocking grade, an 81 in Week 7 against Houston, connecting on a pair of fi eld goals and an extra-point kick percent mark, in the Bulldogs’ home-season concluding game against Arkansas . . . Was . . . His 35-yard fi eld goal came with 3:45 remaining in the fi rst quarter and his 44-yard on the fi eld for all 61 offensive snaps and was second on the club with a season-high six three-pointer occurred just into the second period, a pair of kicks that handed MSU a 6-0 knockdown blocks . . . Played all 54 snaps in the season-concluding game vs. Mississippi lead at the time . . . Three of his four kickoffs against the Cougars went for touchback . . . . . Added work at offensive guard to his resume during preseason camp, and opened . His leg injury occurred on the one that did not, to open the second half . . . Continued the season as a reserve at both guard and center . . . Made the move from tight end to rehab the groin injury in Week 8 and did not make the trip to Kentucky . . . Eventually to center to open spring drills and immediately moved to second on the depth chart sidelined for the remainder of the year with the injury . . . Selected to the prestigious Mis- at the position . . . Assumed duty with the fi rst offensive unit when Chris McNeil was sissippi State University Society of Scholars for his work in the classroom during his junior suspended midway through those drills . . . Concluded spring at the top of the depth season . . . Solid spring workout kept him at the top of the depth chart . . . Despite being chart at center. limited to just an extra-point kick in the Maroon and White spring game, he connected 2003: Played in seven games during his fi rst season at Mississippi State, seeing all of his on three-of-three fi eld goals in the school’s second spring scrimmage one week earlier . . action as a reserve tight end . . . Utilized in a multiple tight ends formation in short-yard- . Earned the football team’s Newsom Award, given annually to the top student-athlete in age situations . . . After sitting out the fi rst month of his true freshman season, he saw each sport, and won the department’s overall male academic award. action in seven of the fi nal eight weeks of the year . . . Made his collegiate debut during 2004: Started all 11 games during his sophomore season as the team’s place-kicker State’s Week 5 win over Vanderbilt . . . Only missed seeing action during those fi nal two months at Arkansas in Week 11. ANDREWS’ CAREER KICKING STATS HIGH SCHOOL: Named fi rst-team, all-state on the offensive line by the Alabama Sports YEAR G/GS PAT/ATT PCT. FG/ATT PCT. PTS. LP / OPP. Writers Association in the AISA/Independent division . . . Played in the AISA All-Star 2003 2/0 0/0 .000 0/0 .000 0 0 / NONE Game and was named the game’s most valuable defensive lineman . . . Was named the independent organization’s lineman of the year . . . Two-way starter for head coach Jim 2004 11/11 21/21 1.000 6/10 .600 39 48 / UAB Archibald at Patrician Academy in Butler, Ala. . . . Credited with a 300-pound bench press 2005 7/7 11/11 1.000 5/8 .625 26 49 / Florida and with running a 5.0 in the 40-yard dash by Rivals.com . . . Considered a multi-posi- TOTALS 20/18 32/32 1.000 11/18 .611 65 49 / FLORIDA tional player by that publication, who can also long snap . . . Three-sport standout on the prep level . . . Started his high school career at 1A Sweetwater High School in Alabama . DATE OPPONENT PAT/ATT FG/ATT PTS LONG FG . . . . . National Honor Society student on the high school level. 9/4/04 * TULANE 4/4 — 4 — PERSONAL: Born Brian Keith Anderson, 10-17-84, in Livingston, Ala. . . . Son of Mr. and 9/11/04 * AUBURN 2/2 0/0 2 — Mrs. Keith Anderson . . . His father played football at Livingston University (1977-78) . . . 9/18/04 * MAINE 1/1 0/1 1 — Majoring in teaching and coaching. 9/25/04 * at LSU — 0/0 — — 10/2/04 * at Vanderbilt 1/1 0/0 1 — Keith 10/9/04 * UAB 1/1 2/3 7 48 10/23/04 * FLORIDA 5/5 1/1 8 40 ANDREWS 10/30/04 * KENTUCKY 2/2 2/2 8 33 11/6/04 * at Alabama 2/2 0/0 2 — Kicker 11/20/04 * ARKANSAS 3/3 0/1 3 — 11/27/04 * at Mississippi 0/0 1/2 3 23 6-1 • 199 • Sr. • 3L 9/3/05 * MURRAY STATE 5/5 1/1 8 37 Bastrop, La. 46 9/10/05 * at Auburn 0/0 0/1 0 — Ouachita Christian 9/17/05 * vs. Tulane 3/3 0/0 3 — 9/24/05 * GEORGIA 1/1 1/1 4 34 CAREER: Has played in 20 games during his Mississippi State career, serving as the 10/1/05 * LSU 1/1 0/1 1 — team’s regular place-kicker and kickoff specialist for 18 games, beginning at the start 10/8/05 * at Florida 0/0 1/2 3 49 of his sophomore season until injury stopped that streak during the latter stages of his 10/22/05 * HOUSTON 1/1 2/2 7 44 junior year . . . Has made 11-of-18 fi eld goal attempts (.611) and all 32 extra-point kicks

47 PLAYER PROFILES

and kickoff specialist . . . Made six-of-10 fi eld goal attempts, with a season-long 48-yard fi eld goal attempts, including four of more than 52 yards, and 141-of-159 extra point three-pointer . . . Was three-of-four on fi eld-goal kicks over 40 yards . . . Also made all 21 kicks during his prep career . . . Scored a state-record 220 career points . . . Converted extra-point kicks on the season . . . Finished the year second on the team in scoring with 13-of-21 fi eld goal attempts during his senior season for head coach Steven Fitzhugh at 39 points scored . . . Was especially effective on kickoffs . . . For the season, 20 of his 37 Ouachita Christian High School in Monroe, La., but more impressively 12-of-14 three- kickoffs (.541) went for touchbacks . . . Credited with three special teams tackles on the pointers inside 53 yards . . . Made three fi eld goals of 50 yards or more . . . Included in year (one each against Florida, Kentucky and Ole Miss) . . . Converted all four extra-point his fi eld goal total was a Louisiana state-record, 59-yard fi eld goal . . . Additionally, 50 attempts in State’s season-opening win over Tulane . . . Also proved to be a weapon as of his 55 kickoffs went for touchbacks . . . Also averaged 41.6 yards per punt, including the team’s kickoff specialist . . . Four of his fi ve kickoffs against the Green Wave went for a school-record 62-yard boot . . . Led his team to the Class 2A state championship dur- touchbacks . . . Added two more extra points (on two attempts) during Week 2 game ing his senior campaign . . . Made eight fi eld goals during his junior season, four as a with Auburn . . . One of his three kickoffs against the Tigers went for a touchback . . . Also sophomore and one during his freshman campaign . . . Also averaged 38 yards per punt had a pooch punt of 23 yards that went out of bounds at the AU 7-yard line . . . Made his during his junior season . . . Also a standout baseball player at the prep level . . . Honor seventh-straight PAT to open the season during Week 3 game with Maine, but missed his Roll student on the prep level who was named Academic All-State . . . He was one of fi rst fi eld goal attempt of the year . . . One of his two kickoffs went for touchback against six students chosen in northeast Louisiana as a scholar athlete for the National Football the Black Bears . . . His lone kickoff one week later at LSU went into the end zone, but Foundation and College Hall of Fame. was returned . . . One of his two full-fi eld kickoffs went for touchback and made his lone PERSONAL: Born Keith Ryne Andrews, 7-29-84, in Monroe, La. . . . Son of Mr. and Mrs. extra-point kick against Vanderbilt in Week 5 . . . Made two-of-three fi eld goals against Max Andrews . . . Majoring in biological sciences. UAB one week later, his fi rst two made fi eld goals of the ’04 season . . . His 48-yard fi eld goal just 2:55 into the game gave MSU an early 3-0 lead against the Blazers . . . His 42-yard fi eld goal just into the fourth quarter pulled State within 17-13 at the time . . . His lone miss in the game, a 37-yard effort, hit the upright . . . Two of his three full-fi eld Aubrey kickoffs went for touchbacks . . . Was solid in the Bulldogs’ Week 7 win over Florida . . . Made his only fi eld goal attempt against the Gators, a 40-yard three-pointer . . . That BELL connection with 5:27 remaining in the fi rst half gave State a 17-7 lead over UF at the time . . . In addition, fi ve of his seven kickoffs in the game went for touchback . . . Connected Wide Receiver on his only two fi eld goal attempts during State’s 22-7 victory over Kentucky in Week 8 6-3 • 224 • So. • 1L . . . Hit a 33-yarder just before halftime to hand MSU a 10-0 lead at the time . . . His 32- yard three-pointer came just into the fourth period and built the lead to 13-0 . . . Three Prichard, Ala. 87 of his fi ve kickoffs went Blount for touchbacks . . . One of his three kickoffs went for touchback against Ala- CAREER: Has played in all 11 games during his still-young Mississippi State career, earn- bama in Week 9 . . . Had ing one starting call at wide receiver . . . Has caught two passes for 25 yards, a 12.5-yard his only fi eld goal attempt per catch average . . . Pressed into immediate service in the Bulldog wide receiver corps vs. Arkansas in Week 10 from the outset of his collegiate career . . . Came to State as a wide receiver candidate, blocked and returned for moved to defensive back upon his arrival, but returned to wide receiver prior to his fi rst a touchdown . . . Two of collegiate game . . . Was a two-way star in the Mobile, Ala., prep ranks. his four kickoffs went for 2006: Still trying to establish himself in the wide receiver rotation, he had an inconsistent touchback against the Ra- spring practice period . . . Made one catch for 11 yards in spring scrimmage situations . . zorbacks . . . Accounted . Did contribute a blocked punt in those game-like sessions. for the team’s only points 2005: Played in all 11 games during his true freshman season and started one time in the season-ending loss (Alabama) . . . Served on Bulldog special teams and as a reserve in the wide receiver to Ole Miss, converting corps . . . Caught two passes for 25 yards on the season . . . Made his only two collegiate on a 23-yard fi eld goal . . . catches during Week 9 action against home-state school Alabama . . . Gained 25 yards Missed on a 48-yard three- on the two receptions. point attempt in the third HIGH SCHOOL: Bama On Line ranked him the No. 13 prospect in the state of Alabama quarter . . . Was 0 for 2 on following his senior season . . . Auburnsports.com ranked him No. 14 on the state’s list kickoffs against the Rebels of the top players . . . Rated No. 18 in the state by Superprep Magazine, the third-best . . . Assumed the lead for wide receiver in its rankings . . . Rivals.com recruiting web site ranked him as the No. 23 the place-kicker’s job when prospect in the state of Alabama following his senior season . . . Credited with running spring drills opened and a 4.52 in the 40-yard dash and with a 245-pound bench press max by Rivals . . . That he maintained that status K KEITH ANDREWS 40-yard dash time was the second-fastest among all wide receivers at the Baton Rouge throughout the four-week (La.) NIKE Training Camp . . . His 12 repetitions of 185 pounds on the bench press were session . . . Made a spring- the sixth-most among all wide outs . . . Four-year starter for head coach Ben Harris at long, 50-yard fi eld goal Class 5A Prichard (Ala.) Blount High School, just outside Mobile . . . Had 52 catches for during the team’s second scrimmage. 996 yards and nine touchdowns during his senior season . . . Also started at free safety 2003: Played in two games during his redshirt freshman season, working as a reserve at for the Leopards . . . Had 40 catches for 700 yards and four scores during his junior place-kicker . . . Handled kickoff duties in the two games in which he worked . . . Saw the campaign, including a season-best 11 catches for 258 yards and a touchdown against fi rst action of his collegiate career in his personal homecoming game during Week 2 at Pensacola (Fla.) Tate . . . Registered 12 TD receptions during his sophomore season . . . Tulane . . . Subbing for an injured Brent Smith on kickoffs, he blasted two kicks against the Broke into the starting lineup in the ninth grade . . . Also a standout basketball player at Green Wave in the Superdome . . . His fi rst effort went for a touchback and his second, Blount, leading his prep team to the state regional fi nals in his junior season . . . Solid, after an offsides penalty, carried 70 yards to the goal line . . . Worked in the same capacity near-3.0 grade point average in the high school classroom . . . Other top scholarship of- one week later at Houston . . . One of his four kickoffs carried for touchback against the fers: Kentucky and Louisville. Cougars . . . Made 11 fi eld goals during three spring scrimmages, connecting three times PERSONAL: Born Aubrey Jermaine Bell, 12-9-86, in Mobile, Ala.. . . . Son of Ms. Minnie from more than 50 yards away (50, 52, and 56 yards) . . . Listed second on the spring-end- Welch . . . Majoring in sport communication. ing depth chart at the place-kicking position . . . Could also handle kickoff duties. 2002: Redshirted his true freshman season. HIGH SCHOOL: Rated with the top seven place-kickers in the nation by Max Emfi nger in his November national bluechips newsletter . . . Listed No. 4 among place-kickers in the southeast by PrepStar magazine/CBS Sportsline.com . . . Said to have “one of the strongest legs among high schoolers in America” by that publication . . . Two-time, all-state in Louisiana as a place-kicker and punter . . . Posted outstanding career kicking numbers during his four years as his high school team’s place-kicker . . . Finished his prep career ranked #6 nationally in career kick scoring with 219 points . . . Converted 26-of-47

48 PLAYER PROFILES

week later vs. Auburn, recording 15 offensive snaps against the Tigers . . . Was back on the fi eld for fi ve late-game snaps against LSU in Week 4 . . . Returned to the playing fi eld Royce for one snap against UAB two weeks later . . . Full spring drill session kept his develop- ment intact along the offensive line . . . Listed third at right guard on the fall-opening BLACKLEDGE depth chart. 2003: Sat out his true freshman season. Center HIGH SCHOOL: Named fi rst-team, all-state by the Jackson Clarion-Ledger on the of- 6-4 • 293 • Jr. • 2L fensive line following his senior season at Northeast Jones High School in Laurel, Miss. . . . Ranked with the top 40 recruits in the state of Mississippi by the Clarion-Ledger . . Sandersville, Miss. 76 . Earned fi rst-team, all-Region 5-4A honors as selected by the region coaches for head Northeast Jones coach Randy Martin . . . Was named district most valuable lineman . . . Played both of- fensive guard and tackle during his prep career . . . Credited with running a 5.0 in the 40-yard dash by Rivals.com . . . Solid student in the high school classroom . . . Named to CAREER: Has played in 13 games during his still-young collegiate career, earning six the Bernard Blackwell All-Star classic, Mississippi’s North-South all-star game. starting calls at right offensive guard to close his sophomore season . . . Worked as a PERSONAL: Born Royce Martin Blackledge, 5-10-85, in Sandersville . . . Son of Mr. Marty reserve at both center and offensive guard until breaking into the starting lineup . . . Red- and Mrs. Debbie Blackledge . . . Majoring in construction management. shirted his true freshman season . . . Came to MSU after being named fi rst-team, all-state on the offensive line during his senior prep season. 2006: Made the move from offensive guard to center prior to spring drills and had a Demario solid spring in the middle of the offensive line . . . Will open the fall at the top of the depth chart at that position. BOBO 2005: Played in nine games during his sophomore season, opening the year at the center position . . . Made a midseason move to offensive guard and started the fi nal six games of the year at right offensive guard . . . Played in all but the Tulane and Georgia Defensive Back games in Weeks 3 and 4 . . . Had moved from the guard position to center during August 6-0 • 180 • Jr. • 2L two-a-days and worked his way to second on the depth chart to start his sophomore sea- Courtland, Miss. son . . . Was on the fi eld for 25 offensive snaps (out of 71) and registered a pair of knock- 6 down blocks against Murray State to open the season . . . Scored a 75 percent blocking South Panola grade at Auburn in Week 2, seeing action on eight late-game snaps in the Bulldogs’ SEC opener . . . Was back on the playing fi eld in Week 5 vs. LSU . . . Saw action on 13 offensive CAREER: Has played in 20 of a possible 22 games during his Mississippi State career, snaps against the Tigers, registering an 84 percent blocking mark . . . After working as a earning 12 starting calls in the defensive secondary . . . Started three times at a cor- reserve during the early portion of the ’05 season, he played all but seven snaps during nerback position during his initial year on campus and nine times at strong safety as a a fi ve-week stretch from Week 6-10 . . . Made a game week move to offensive guard in sophomore . . . Has recorded 65 tackles, including two for loss (minus 4 yards) . . . Also preparation for State’s Week 6 action at Florida . . . Earned his fi rst collegiate start at the credited with two pass defl ections, two caused fumbles and one recovery . . . Came to new position against the Gators . . . Responded with a solid showing at UF, registering MSU after helping his high school team to a state championship by being named all-state an 80 percent blocking grade on 48 of a possible 55 offensive snaps . . . Also tied for as a senior. second on the team with fi ve knockdown blocks in the game . . . Was on the fi eld for all 2006: Sat out the entire 2006 spring practice session while rehabbing an off-season 72 offensive snaps against Houston in Week 7 . . . Had six knockdown blocks against the knee surgery . . . Will be back in the strong safety mix when two-a-day drills commence Cougars . . . Posted a 74 percent blocking mark in Week 8 work vs. Kentucky . . . Tied in August. for a team high with seven knockdown blocks against the Wildcats . . . Was on the fi eld 2005: Played in 10 games during his sophomore season, earning nine starting calls in for all 75 offensive snaps against UK . . . Played all 57 snaps with fi ve knockdown blocks the defensive secondary . . . Saw action in all but the Florida game (Week 6) and started vs. Alabama in Week 9 . . . Again played all 57 offensive snaps and led the club with four every other game but LSU (Week 5) . . . Finished seventh on the team and third among knockdown blocks against Arkansas in Week 10 . . . Helped MSU grind out 304 yards defensive backs in total tackles with 38 hits . . . Made one tackle for loss (minus 2 yards) . . rushing and allow no sacks in a season-ending 35-14 win over Ole Miss in the Battle for . Credited with two pass defl ections and a fumble recovery . . . After seeing considerable the Golden Egg . . . Listed second at offensive left guard coming out of spring practice playing time at the cornerback position during his true freshman campaign, he opened 2005 . . . An injury-free four-week spring workout kept him in the hunt for playing time his second season at MState as the starter at strong safety . . . Was a hit at his new posi- along the offensive line. tion from the beginning of the ’05 campaign, registering 21 tackles during the fi rst four 2004: Played in four games during his redshirt freshman campaign . . . Received game weeks of the season (5.3 per game) . . . Was second on the club with seven tackles and action in three of the season’s fi rst four weeks and in the midseason homecoming contest had a fumble recovery in the Bulldogs’ season-opening 38-6 victory over Murray State . . . Saw the fi rst action of his career in the opening game of his redshirt freshman cam- . . . His fumble recovery came toward the end of the second quarter just after MSU had paign . . . Was on the fi eld for the fi nal series of the Bulldogs’ 28-7 win over Tulane in the taken a 10-6 lead in the game . . . It came on a second-and-10 play from the Murray 49 ’04 lidlifter, working three plays with one knockdown block . . . Saw increased work one . . . One play later, State scored again to build a 17-6 margin . . . Helped hold the Rac- ers to just 141 yards passing and the 6 points allowed by the defense was the lowest in the Croom Era and the fewest points surrendered since a season-opening 17-3 win over Memphis in 2000 . . . Tied for third on the team with fi ve tackles in State’s SEC opener at Auburn in Week 2 . . . Had one tackle for loss (minus 2 yards) against the Tigers . . . Reg- istered three tackles and a pass defl ection in the Bulldogs’ Week 3 victory over Tulane in Shreveport . . . Tied for second on the team with six tackles against Georgia in Week 4 . . . Also credited with one pass defl ection against the Bulldogs . . . Did not start and had his playing time limited one week later by a knee sprain incurred during the Georgia game . . . Recorded one tackle against LSU in Week 5 . . . Suspended indefi nitely during game week preparations for Florida one week later and did not make the trip to Gainesville, Fla. . . . Returned to the playing fi eld and had one hit against Houston in Week 7 . . . Gained more playing time a week later at Kentucky and totaled three tackles . . . Matched that tackle total in Week 9 vs. Alabama . . . Tied for fourth on the club with six tackles at Arkansas one week later . . . Culminated the year with three tackles against Ole Miss in the Battle for the Golden Egg . . . Made a pre-spring move from cornerback to safety . . . A solid four-week session, though limited at times by injury, vaulted him to fi rst on the depth chart on the strong side. 2004: Named to the Southeastern Conference All-Freshman team . . . Played in all but C ROYCE BLACKLEDGE one game (10 of 11) during his true freshman season, earning three starting calls at a cornerback position . . . Only missed seeing game action during the Bulldogs’ midseason win over Florida due to injury . . . Earned his three starting assignments over a four-week

49 PLAYER PROFILES

fi rst-team, all-state during his fi nal season at South Panola . . . Selected to play in the Mis- sissippi-Alabama High School all-star game . . . Three-year starter at the prep level, his fi rst two seasons at cornerback and the fi nal at free safety . . . Recorded 85 tackles and seven pass interceptions during his senior season, helping his high school team to a state championship . . . Made 90 tackles and six interceptions during his junior campaign. PERSONAL: Born Demario A. Bobo, 2-9-86, in Oxford, Miss. . . . Son of Mr. Perry Cosby and Ms. Patricia Bobo . . . Major is general business administration. Tay BOWSER

Defensive Back DB DEMARIO BOBO 6-3 • 179 • RFr. • RS Gilmer, Texas 81 Gilmer span (Weeks 3-6) . . . Totaled 27 tackles on the year, including one for loss (minus 2 yards) . . . Also credited with a pair of caused fumbles . . . Registered 18 of his tackles during the opening four weeks of the season . . . Pressed into immediate service from the outset CAREER: Still awaiting his fi rst opportunity to help Mississippi State on the game fi eld . of his true freshman season . . . Saw action on both special teams and as a reserve at . . Came to Starkville as a standout, two-way threat who helped his high school team to the cornerback position . . . Recorded four tackles in the Bulldogs’ season-opening 28-7 a state championship in the Texas prep ranks. win over Tulane, including one hit behind the line of scrimmage (minus 2 yards) . . . Put 2006: Showed fl ashes of excitement at wide receiver but inconsistency led to his move together a second-straight impressive weekend against Auburn in Week 2 . . . Recorded to defensive back as spring ball concluded . . . Made one catch for 21 yards during scrim- six tackles against the Tigers . . .Earned his fi rst career start one week later against Maine mage work at wide out . . . Will open the fall as a reserve at left cornerback. . . . Recorded a pair of tackles against the Black Bears . . . Did not start, but turned in 2005: Redshirted his true freshman season. another solid performance in Week 4 at LSU . . . Tallied six tackles and registered a forced HIGH SCHOOL: Started at both cornerback and wide receiver in high school . . . Ranked fumble in Baton Rouge . . . Returned to his starting role one week later at Vanderbilt . as the No. 28 prospect in East Texas, the fi fth-best defensive back, by the Smoaky.com . . Registered two tackles against the Commodores and forced one fumble, his second recruiting web site . . . Named fi rst-team all-East Texas at wide receiver by the Texas Prep- in two weeks . . . Also had a pair of hits in Week 6 game with UAB . . . Suffered a pulled Xtra.com web site . . . Credited with running a 4.41 in the 40-yard dash by the Rivals.com groin muscle during the UAB game and missed most of the following open week practice recruiting web site . . . Led coach Jeff Traylor’s Gilmer (Texas) Buckeyes to a 16-0 record . . . When he did return, during Week 7 preparations for the Florida game, he suffered an and the Texas Class 3A Division II state championship as a senior . . . Had 47 receptions ankle sprain and did not dress for the Bulldogs’ win over the Florida Gators . . . Though for 1,119 yards, a 23.3-yard per catch average, and 12 touchdowns during his senior cam- he did see action one week later against Kentucky, he was still limited and recorded no paign . . . Caught four passes for 122 yards and the game-winning 65-yard touchdown in defensive statistics . . . Made two tackles at Alabama in Week 9 . . . Added two more the state title-winning 49-47 win over Jasper . . . Made four catches for 170 yards and a one week later vs. Arkansas . . . Culminated his initial season on campus with one hit pair of scores (68 and 74 yards) in the team’s quarterfi nal victory . . . Also a key member of against Ole Miss. a Gilmer defense which ranked No. 1 in its class in total defense and scoring defense . . . HIGH SCHOOL: Listed #16 on the state of Mississippi’s top recruits by the Insiders.com Although he did not start as a junior, he earned honorable mention all-district honors . . . online recruiting site . . . Credited with running a 4.48 in the 40-yard dash by that site . . . Recorded 23 tackles in the defensive backfi eld during his junior campaign . . . Also a high Ranked with the top 25 recruits in the state of Mississippi by the Jackson Clarion-Ledger jumper at the high school level, he has cleared 6-7 in that event, according to his coach . following his senior season at South Panola High School in Batesville, Miss. . . . Named . . Also a member of Gilmer’s 4x400 relay team . . . Solid in the classroom . . . Committed to MSU in August 2004 after receiving a scholarship offer in June. BOBO’S CAREER DEFENSIVE STATS PERSONAL: Born Antaveon Durrell Bowser, 8-24-87, in Tyler, Texas . . . Son of Mrs. YEAR G/GS TT UT AT TFL-YDS SCK-YDS FF/FR PD INT-YDS Shanda Bowser . . . Majoring in general business administration. 2004 10/3 27 19 8 1.0-2 0.0-0 2/0 0 0-0 2005 10/9 38 27 11 1.0-2 0.0-0 0/1 2 0-0 TOTALS 20/12 65 46 19 2.0-4 0.0-0 2/1 2 0-0 Titus BROWN DATE OPPONENT TT UT AT PBU INT-YDS 9/4/04 TULANE 4 4 0 0 0-0 9/11/04 AUBURN 6 4 2 0 0-0 Defensive End 9/18/04 * MAINE 2 1 1 0 0-0 6-3 • 247 • Jr. • 2L 9/25/04 at LSU 6 4 2 0 0-0 Tuscaloosa, Ala. 54 10/2/04 * at Vanderbilt 2 2 0 0 0-0 Hillcrest 10/9/04 * UAB 2 1 1 0 0-0 10/30/04 KENTUCKY 0 0 0 0 0-0 11/6/04 at Alabama 2 0 2 0 0-0 CAREER: Has played in 19 of a possible 22 games during his still-young Mississippi State career, earning a total of seven starts -- two at defensive end during his sopho- 11/20/04 ARKANSAS 2 2 0 0 0-0 more season after gaining fi ve at the middle linebacker position as a freshman . . . Has 11/27/04 at Mississippi 1 1 0 0 0-0 recorded 89 total tackles, including nine for loss (minus 28 yards), three of which were 9/3/05 * MURRAY STATE 7 4 3 0 0-0 quarterback sacks (minus 12 yards) . . . Returned one fumble recovery 44 yards . . . Also 9/10/05 * at Auburn 5 3 2 0 0-0 credited with two pass break ups . . . Came to State following a solid high school career 9/17/05 * vs. Tulane 3 3 0 1 0-0 in Tuscaloosa, Ala. 9/24/05 * GEORGIA 6 3 3 1 0-0 2006: Registered eight tackles, including two for loss, one of which was a quarterback 10/1/05 * LSU 1 0 1 0 0-0 sack, during three spring scrimmages . . . Listed in the rotation at left defensive end 10/22/05 * HOUSTON 1 1 0 0 0-0 heading into fall practice. 10/29/05 * at Kentucky 3 2 1 0 0-0 2005: Played in 10 games during his sophomore campaign, earning two starting assign- ments at defensive end . . . Only missed seeing action one time (season ender vs. Ole 11/05/05 * ALABAMA 3 2 1 0 0-0 Miss) . . . Started at one defensive end against Houston at midseason and on the other 11/19/05 * vs. Arkansas 6 6 0 0 0-0 side during Week 10 at Arkansas . . . Finished the year with 30 total tackles, including fi ve 11/26/05 * OLE MISS 3 3 0 0 0-0 and one-half for loss (minus 21 yards), one and one-half of which were quarterback sacks

50 PLAYER PROFILES

2004: Named to the Southeastern Conference All-Freshman and The Sporting News 2004 Freshman All-SEC teams . . . Played in nine games during his fi rst season on the MSU campus, earning fi ve starting calls at the middle linebacker position . . . Only missed seeing action during his initial campaign in the season’s fi rst two games, vs. Tulane and Auburn . . . Totaled 59 tackles during the year, including three and one-half for loss (minus 7 yards), one and one-half of which were quarterback sacks (minus 4 yards) . . . Also had a pass defl ection on the year . . . Saw game action for the fi rst time in his career during Week 3 action against Maine, but recorded no statistics against the Black Bears . . . Made all 59 of his fi rst-year hits over an eight-week span (7.4 tackles per game) . . . Made his fi rst two tackles of the season, including one for loss (minus 1 yard) in Week 4 at LSU . . . Doubled his output a week later in a reserve role during Game 5 at Vanderbilt . . . Totaled four tackles against the Commodores . . . Had his best game of the fi rst half of the ’04 season against UAB one week later . . . Tallied six tackles against the Blazers . . . Earned the fi rst start of his Bulldog career during the team’s Week 7 win over Florida and held DE TITUS BROWN that designation for the remainder of the year . . . Over his fi ve-week stretch as a starter, he totaled 47 of his tackles (9.4 tackles per year) . . . Responded to the fi rst opening call by making four tackles against the Gators, including a hit behind the line of scrimmage (minus 2 yards) . . .His tackle for loss came on a second-and-5 rush attempt by Ciatrick Fa- (minus 8 yards) . . . Registered one pass defl ection and returned one fumble 44 yards . . . son midway through the third quarter and preceded Jonathan Lowe’s 73-yard punt return Opened his sophomore season in the regular rotation of defensive ends for the Bulldogs that handed MSU a 24-17 lead at the time . . . Had the best game of his true freshman . . . Began the ’05 campaign with a solid performance in the team’s 38-6 win over Murray season at the time during the team’s Week 8 win over Kentucky . . . Tied for third on the State . . . Made three hits against the Racers, including two and one-half tackles for loss team with seven tackles in the 22-7 win over the Wildcats . . . Registered a quarterback (minus 8 yards), one and one-half quarterback sacks (minus 8 yards) . . . Recorded two sack (minus 2 yards) against UK, a QB fall that resulted in a safety that built MSU’s lead tackles at Auburn in Week 2, a total that included one hit behind the line of scrimmage to 15-7 at the time . . . It was the fi rst safety for MSU since the Jacksonville State game in (minus 3 yards) . . . Returned to the stats sheet with four tackles against Georgia in Week 2002 . . . Was second on the club with seven hits in his personal homecoming to Tusca- 4 . . . Recorded two tackles, including one for loss (minus 1 yard), against LSU one week loosa in Week 9 . . . Recorded the fi rst double-digit tackle game of his college career one later . . . Registered three tackles at Florida in Week 6 . . . Had a pair of tackles and one week later in the Bulldogs’ home-season concluding game against Arkansas . . . Totaled pass defl ection against Houston one game later . . . Recorded one tackle at Kentucky a team season-high 18 tackles against the Razorbacks, including one half quarterback in Week 8 . . . Finished the year with a pair of standout performances, the best of his sack (minus 2 yards) . . . It was the most tackles by a Bulldog since Mario Haggan had 20 second year on campus . . . Had the best game of his sophomore season one week later stops against Arkansas in 2000 . . . Concluded his initial season on campus with a second- against his hometown school, Alabama . . . Led the Bulldogs with seven tackles against consecutive double-digit tackle performance in State’s season-ending game at Ole Miss the Crimson Tide, one and one-half of which were behind the line of scrimmage (minus . . . Totaled 11 tackles and a pass defl ection against the Rebels. 2 yards) . . . Also credited with a 44-yard fumble recovery return against UA . . . Tied for HIGH SCHOOL: Ranked as one of the top 60 linebackers in the southeast by PrepStar fourth on the team with six tackles at Arkansas in Week 10, a total that included one magazine in its pre-season edition . . . Credited with running a 4.66 in the 40-yard dash tackle for loss (minus 7 yards) . . . Missed most of the second half against the Razorbacks by the Insiders.com online recruiting website . . . Played outside linebacker at Hillcrest after sustaining a medial collateral ligament sprain . . . Did not play in the Bulldogs’ High School in Tuscaloosa, Ala. . . . Registered more than 90 tackles, including 10 quar- season-ending win over Ole Miss while beginning rehabilitation on his injured knee . . terback sacks, during his senior season . . . Helped lead Hillcrest to a 10-3 overall record .Made a pre-spring move from inside linebacker to defensive end to get more speed at and into the Alabama Class 6A quarterfi nals . . . Registered 86 tackles with a region-best the line of scrimmage . . . Sat out the beginning of spring practice while rehabbing minor 13 quarterback sacks, four tackles for loss and two forced fumbles . . . Made 80 tackles off-season knee surgery . . . Made two tackles, including a half quarterback sack (minus as a junior, including four quarterback sacks, four caused fumbles and a pair of fumble 1 yard), in State’s Maroon and White fi nal spring scrimmage . . . Listed fi rst at left end recoveries. following spring drills. PERSONAL: Born Titus Markeith Brown, 3-27-86, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. . . . Son of Mr. and Mrs. James Brown Jr. . . . Major is general business administration. BROWN’S CAREER DEFENSIVE STATS YEAR G/GS TT UT AT TFL-YDS SCK-YDS FF/FR PD INT-YDS Tony 2004 9/5 59 34 25 3.5-7 1.5-4 0/0 1 0-0 2005 10/2 30 17 13 5.5-21 1.5-8 0/1 1 0-0 BURKS TOTALS 19/7 89 51 38 9.0-28 3.0-12 0/1 2 0-0 Wide Receiver DATE OPPONENT TT UT AT TFL-YDS SCK-YDS 6-4 • 219 • Jr. • TR 9/18/04 MAINE 0 0 0 0.0-0 0.0-0 9/25/04 at LSU 2 0 2 1.0-1 0.0-0 Gulfport, Miss. 4 10/2/04 at Vanderbilt 4 3 1 0.0-0 0.0-0 Miss. Gulf Coast CC 10/9/04 UAB 6 3 3 0.0-0 0.0-0 10/23/04 * FLORIDA 4 4 0 1.0-2 0.0-0 CAREER: Enrolled at MSU in January and participated in spring practice. 10/30/04 * KENTUCKY 7 4 3 1.0-2 1.0-2 2006: Showed his ability during the fi rst week of spring work, but suffered a hamstring 11/6/04 * at Alabama 7 3 4 0.0-0 0.0-0 injury and was held out of all contact work from that point on as a precautionary measure 11/20/04 * ARKANSAS 18 9 9 0.5-2 0.5-2 . . . Listed in the rotation at wide receiver heading into fall. 11/27/04 * at Mississippi 11 8 3 0.0-0 0.0-0 JUNIOR COLLEGE: Rated the No. 54 prospect, regardless of position, the seventh-best 9/3/05 MURRAY STATE 3 1 2 1.0-8 1.5-8 wide receiver in the country, on the Rivals.com top 100 players in junior college following 9/10/05 at Auburn 2 1 1 1.0-3 0.0-0 his sophomore season at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College . . . Credited with 9/17/05 vs. Tulane 0 0 0 0.0-0 0.0-0 running a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash by the Rivals recruiting website . . . Bench-pressed 9/24/05 GEORGIA 4 3 1 0.0-0 0.0-0 225 pounds six times and jumped 32 inches in the vertical leap while at Gulf Coast . . . Named to the J.C. Gridwire magazine preseason fi rst-team, all-America squad prior to 10/1/05 LSU 2 1 1 1.0-1 0.0-0 his sophomore campaign . . . Ranked No. 4 on the Jackson Clarion-Ledger list of the 10/8/05 at Florida 3 2 1 0.0-0 0.0-0 state’s top junior college prospects . . . Helped lead coach Steve Campbell’s team to a 10/22/05 * HOUSTON 2 2 0 0.0-0 0.0-0 7-3 overall record, a divisional championship and into the state junior college title game 10/29/05 at Kentucky 1 0 1 0.0-0 0.0-0 as a sophomore . . . Caught 44 passes for 638 yards, a 14.5-yard average, and three 11/05/05 ALABAMA 7 5 2 1.5-2 0.0-0 touchdowns during his sophomore campaign . . . Was named fi rst-team, all-South Divi- 11/19/05 * vs. Arkansas 6 2 4 1.0-7 0.0-0 sion in the Mississippi junior college ranks (no all-state team was announced) . . . Opened his sophomore season with fi ve catches for 135 yards, a 27-yard average per catch, in his

51 PLAYER PROFILES

fi rst two games . . . Among several other outstanding games during that season, he had Baton Rouge . . . Finished among the nine pass receptions for 156 yards against Itawamba (Miss.) Community College, and two top fi ve players among all defensive catches for 62 yards, including a 54-yard touchdown grab, against Holmes (Miss.) Com- ends in all four measured categories munity College . . . In the title game vs. Pearl River (Miss.) Community College, he caught (40-yard dash, shuttle run, bench press an 11-yard TD pass . . . The Bulldogs fi nished the year ranked No. 9 nationally by the Na- and vertical leap) at the camp . . . His tional Junior College Athletic Association . . . Led MGCCC with four pass receptions for 21 repetitions of 185 pounds on the 44 yards in the team’s season-ending postseason game, a Dalton Defenders Bowl game bench was the best among all ends . . against Northeastern Oklahoma Community College . . . Had 380 yards receiving with . Played defensive end for head coach four touchdowns in the fi nal four games of his freshman season at Gulf Coast. . . Earned Buddy Duke at Hattiesburg (Miss.) second-team, all-South Division recognition following his fi rst JC season . . . Committed High School until his senior season to State on Dec. 17 . . . Other top offers: Arkansas, Oklahoma State and Ole Miss. when he moved to inside linebacker . . HIGH SCHOOL: Ranked as the No. 64 player, regardless of position, the ninth-best wide . Selected to play in the Bernard Black- receiver, following his senior season by USA Today newspaper . . . Rated the No. 19 wide well all-star classic following his senior receiver in the country following his senior season by collegefootballnews.com . . . Listed season . . . Started for four years at among the top 50 receivers in the southeast by Prep Star magazine in its pre-senior sea- HHS . . . Overcame an injury-plagued son issue . . . Considered among the top four prospects in the Magnolia State following beginning to his high school career to his senior season by the Forrest Davis Recruiting Annual, the highest-rated wide receiver have a standout senior season . . . Suf- . . . Named third-team, all-South by that publication . . . Rated No. 5 by recruiting web- fered torn medial collateral and poste- site TheInsiders.com (now Scout.com) in the state of Mississippi, the top-ranked wide rior collateral ligament injuries during DE CHARLES BURNS receiver . . . Ranked No. 6 in Superprep magazine’s all-America issue listing of the top his sophomore season and underwent players in the state of Mississippi, the top-ranked wide receiver . . . Rated No. 7 on the hernia surgery during his junior cam- Jackson Clarion-Ledger list of the state’s 10 Most Wanted prospects following his senior paign . . . Registered six sacks during season, the top wide receiver . . . That newspaper listed him among their preseason that injury-marred junior year in which he played just four games . . . Had 11 sacks as a Dandy Dozen ranking of the top 12 players in the state, the only wide out on the list . sophomore . . . Also an outstanding shot putter on the HHS track team . . . Carried a 3.2 . . Was the only high school senior from the state of Mississippi selected to play in the grade point average in the classroom . . . Other top scholarship offers: West Virginia, U.S. Army All-American Bowl at San Antonio, Texas, a game which pits the nation’s top Notre Dame and Ole Miss . . . Committed to MSU in December 2004. high school players against one another . . . Selected to play in the Mississippi-Alabama PERSONAL: Born Charles Jerome Burns, 5-8-86, in Hattiesburg, Miss. . . . Son of Mr. and High School All-Star game . . . Made 30 catches for 300 yards and four touchdowns Mrs. Douglas Smith . . . Majoring in general business administration. during his senior season for head coach Donny Bentz at Harrison Central High School in Gulfport, Miss. . . . Named second-team, all-state by the Clarion-Ledger following his BURNS’ CAREER DEFENSIVE STATS senior campaign . . . Recorded 49 receptions for 999 yards, a 20.4-yard average, and 15 YEAR G/GS TT UT AT TFL-YDS SCK-YDS FF/FR PD INT-YDS touchdowns during a breakout junior season at Harrison Central . . . Max Emfi nger had 2005 11/1 2 1 1 0.0-0 0.0-0 0/0 0 0-0 him listed with the top 25 fl ankers in the country in his preseason listing of the top high TOTALS 11/1 2 1 1 0.0-0 0.0-0 0/0 0 0-0 school players in the country . . . Three-year starter in high school . . . Signed with Ole Miss out of high school. PERSONAL: Born Antoine Burks, 6-10-85, in Gulfport, Miss. . . . Son of Ms. Janice Bouldin . . . Majoring in general business administration. Eric Charles BUTLER BURNS Tight End 6-3 • 251 • Jr. • 2L Defensive End Moss Point, Miss. 88 6-3 • 264 • So. • 1L Moss Point Hattiesburg, Miss. 92 Hattiesburg CAREER: Opened his Mississippi State football career with a bang during his redshirt freshman campaign and has continued to be a big-play threat in the passing game ever since . . . Has played in 21 games, earning 17 starting calls at tight end in his fi rst two CAREER: Pressed into immediate service at Mississippi State on the defensive line from seasons . . . Has caught 29 passes for 354 yards, an 12.2-yard average, and seven touch- the beginning of his collegiate career . . . Has played in all 11 games of his career at a downs . . . In just his fi rst season, he became the school’s single-season touchdown recep- defensive end position, starting one time . . . Has made two tackles in limited reserve tions leader for a tight end, surpassing Treddis Anderson, who had three in 1990 . . . In work . . . Came to State following a solid high school career in which he earned plaudits his second, he became the school’s career touchdown leader for that position, passing for his work at linebacker. Anderson who had fi ve from 1989-91 . . . Came to the Bulldogs following a standout two- 2006: Missed all contact work during spring practice while recuperating from off-season sport high school career on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. shoulder surgery . . . Will compete for the starting job at left defensive end when two- 2006: Held out of all contact work during the spring while rehabbing an off-season a-days begin. shoulder surgery . . . Should be full-speed by the time two-a-days begin in August. 2005: Outstanding August practice session catapulted him into the rotation of defensive 2005: Played in all 11 games during his sophomore season, starting at tight end eight ends during his true freshman campaign . . . Impressed the coaching staff with his quick- times . . . Only failed to make the opening call when the team opted to open in multiple ness and work ethic . . . Played in all 11 games during his true freshman season, working wide receiver sets . . . Caught 14 passes for 188 yards, a 13.4-yard average, and three both on special teams and as a valuable reserve at defensive end . . . Earned his fi rst col- touchdowns . . . Hauled in 10 of those passes for 125 yards and all three scores in the legiate start in the season’s fi nal game . . . Registered two tackles on the year . . . Made season’s fi rst four weeks . . . Opened his sophomore season the way he closed his initial his fi rst collegiate tackle in Week 3 work against Tulane in Shreveport . . . Added another campaign for the Bulldogs . . . Recorded three catches for 29 yards, one of which was an in the season-ending 35-14 victory over Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl. 8-yard touchdown reception, against Murray State . . . His TD catch of an Omarr Conner HIGH SCHOOL: Rated the No. 41 inside linebacker in the country by the Rivals.com pass came midway through the third quarter and handed the Bulldogs a 31-6 lead at recruiting web site . . . Credited with a 315-pound bench press max by Rivals . . . That the time . . . It was his fi fth career touchdown reception, tying the MSU record for career site rated him as the No. 16 prospect in the state of Mississippi, the list’s second-best TDs by a tight end (5, Treddis Anderson, 1989-91) . . . Rebounded from an ankle sprain linebacker . . . Superprep rated him No. 12 among the top prospects in the state in its incurred during practice leading up to State’s Week 2 SEC opener at Auburn to make two pre-signing day all-America issue . . . Rated No. 15 on the Scout.com postseason list of catches for 25 yards against the Tigers . . . Broke the career touchdown receiving record the state’s top 30 players . . . Ranked among the top 25 most sought-after recruits in for tight ends in Week 3 win over Tulane . . . His sixth career TD catch was an 18-yard re- the state by the Jackson Clarion-Ledger . . . Had a standout spring 2004 NIKE camp at ception from Omarr Conner midway through the third quarter that handed the Bulldogs

52 PLAYER PROFILES

. . . Hauled in three passes for 32 yards and a touchdown against the Black Bears . . . His 18-yard TD catch of an Omarr Conner pass gave MSU a 7-0 fi rst quarter lead in the game . . . Limited by a bruised foot, he was held to a 25-yard pass reception at LSU in Week 4 . . . Did not start when the team opted to open in a multiple wide receiver set and was held without a reception at Vanderbilt one week later . . . Had one catch, an 8-yard scoring reception, against UAB in Week 6 . . . His catch of a Kyle York toss with 4:40 left in the second quarter tied the game at 10 . . .That TD catch was his third of the season . . . He tied the single-season MSU touchdown reception record with that score (Treddis Ander- son, 1990) . . . Played that game with a persistent knee malady that continued to bother him through open week work . . . Also suffered an ankle sprain that eventually caused his inactivity during State’s Week 7 win over Florida, the only game he was to miss on the season . . . Despite being limited by that ankle injury, he returned to work one week later against Kentucky . . . Had a 21-yard pass reception in the 22-7 win over UK . . . Caught a career-best four passes for 19 yards and one score in the Bulldogs’ home-season ending game with Arkansas in Week 10 . . . His 2-yard TD reception from Omarr Conner early in TE ERIC BUTLER the fourth period pulled State within the game’s fi nal outcome (24-21) . . . It was his fourth scoring reception of the season, the most ever in a single season by a Bulldog tight end . . . Held without a catch for just the third time in games he played during the season (also Vanderbilt and Alabama) in the season-ending game vs. Ole Miss . . . Sat out all of a 14-0 lead at the time . . . It was his only catch of the night . . . Tied for the team lead with MSU’s spring practice after undergoing off-season shoulder surgery . . . His rehabilitation four catches for a team-best 53 yards and a touchdown in State’s Week 4 contest with process kept him out of all contact and drill work during the spring . . . Listed third on the Georgia . . . His 4-yard TD catch from Omarr Conner came midway through the fourth pe- depth chart at tight end as fall drills commenced. riod and closed out the game’s scoring . . . Made his fi rst catch in four weeks at Kentucky 2003: Redshirted his true freshman season. in Week 8, a 27-yard aerial . . . Had two catches for 20 yards two weeks later at Arkansas HIGH SCHOOL: Ranked with the top 25 recruits in the state of Mississippi by the Jackson . . . Concluded his sophomore season with a 16-yard reception during State’s campaign- Clarion-Ledger newspaper . . . Caught 24 passes for 520 yards, a 21.7-yard average, and closing 35-14 victory over Ole Miss . . . Bothered by minor maladies throughout spring, fi ve touchdowns during a breakout senior season . . . Credited with running a 4.54 in the his work during full-speed scrimmages was limited . . . Entered August two-a-day work 40-yard dash by the Jackson Clarion-Ledger . . . Named to the Mississippi Association of second on the depth chart at the tight end position. Coaches all-region team at tight end . . . Also a standout baseball player at Moss Point . . 2004: Named to the Southeastern Conference All-Freshman and The Sporting News . Solid student in the classroom on the prep level . . . Selected to play in the Mississippi- 2004 Freshman All-SEC teams . . . Played in all but one game (10 of 11) during his redshirt Alabama High School all-star game. freshman campaign, missing time only due to injury . . . Started nine times . . .Finished PERSONAL: Born Michael Eric Butler, 9-13-84, in Pascagoula, Miss. . . . Son of Mr. John third on the club with 15 receptions for 166 yards, an 11.1-yard average, and a team-best and Mrs. Shirley Butler . . . Majoring in teaching and coaching. four touchdowns . . . His scoring receptions were a single-season high for a tight end . . . Rebounded from injury maladies to earn the starting nod at the tight end position as just a redshirt freshman . . . Opened his Mississippi State career with a standout performance Adam in the team’s season-opening win over Tulane . . . Tied for the team lead with two catches for a club-best 38 yards and a touchdown against the Green Wave . . . His 11-yard TD CARLSON reception from Omarr Conner came midway through the third quarter and gave the Bulldogs a 14-0 lead at the time . . . It was his fi rst career touchdown reception . . . Again Kicker / Punter tied for the team lead in receiving one week later vs. Auburn, catching three passes for 6-4 • 191 • So. • 1L 23 yards against the Tigers . . . Made his third career start in Week 3 work against Maine Gulfport, Miss. 37 BUTLER’S CAREER RECEIVING STATS Gulfport YEAR G/GS REC YARDS AVG TD LONG / OPP. 2004 10/9 15 166 11.1 4 27 / Tulane CAREER: Pressed into service during the latter stages of his redshirt freshman campaign 2005 11/8 14 188 13.4 3 44 / Georgia when regular place-kicker Keith Andrews was sidelined by a leg injury . . . Has played TOTAL 21/17 29 354 12.2 7 44 / GEORGIA in four games for Mississippi State, serving as the regular kicker three times . . . Has converted two-of-four fi eld goals and all seven extra-point kicks . . . Has a career-long, DATE OPPONENT REC YARDS AVG TD LONG 39-yard fi eld goal to his credit . . . Came to MSU as a punter and place-kicker from the 9/4/04 * TULANE 2 38 19.0 1 27 Mississippi Gulf Coast. 2006: Continued his battle for the regular place-kicking job throughout spring practice 9/11/04 * AUBURN 3 23 7.7 0 12 and had a productive period . . . Converted fi ve fi eld goals during three spring scrim- 9/18/04 * MAINE 3 32 10.7 1 18 mages, including a spring-long 47-yarder during the session’s second scrimmage . . . Also 9/25/04 * at LSU 1 25 25.0 0 25 remains an option at punter. 10/2/04 at Vanderbilt 0 0 — 0 — 2005: Played in four games, earning three starting calls as the team’s regular place-kick- 10/9/04 * UAB 1 8 8.0 1 8 er, during his redshirt freshman season . . . Made two-of-four fi eld goals and all seven of 10/30/04 * KENTUCKY 1 21 21.0 0 21 his extra-point kick attempts during the year . . . Had a season-long, 39-yard fi eld goal . . 11/6/04 * at Alabama 0 0 — 0 — . Was one-for-three on kickoffs for touchback on the year . . . Scored 13 points on the year 11/20/04 * ARKANSAS 4 19 4.8 1 10 . . . Pressed into service for the fi rst time during Week 7 work against Houston . . . Sub- 9/3/05 MURRAY STATE 3 29 9.7 1 13 bing for an injured Keith Andrews, he connected on his lone fi eld goal attempt, a 20-yard three-pointer with 1:29 left in the third quarter that cut Houston’s lead to 21-16 at the 9/10/05 at Auburn 2 25 12.5 0 24 time . . . His succeeding kickoff went for touchback . . . Kicked for Andrews in Week 8 and 9/17/05 vs. Tulane 1 18 18.0 1 18 the remainder of the season . . . Made an extra-point attempt, but was zero-for-one on 9/24/05 GEORGIA 4 53 17.7 1 44 fi eld goal tries at Kentucky . . . Was zero-for-two on kickoffs for touchback in Lexington . . 10/1/05 LSU 0 0 — 0 — . Made his lone fi eld goal attempt, a 39-yard effort, and a point after touchdown in Week 10/8/05 at Florida 0 0 — 0 — 10 game at Arkansas . . . Converted all fi ve point-after-touchdown kicks in the Bulldogs’ 10/22/05 * HOUSTON 0 0 — 0 — season-ending 35-14 win over Ole Miss . . . Competed for work at both place-kicker and 10/29/05 at Kentucky 1 27 27.0 0 27 punter during MSU’s four-week spring practice session . . . Punted three times for a 40- 11/05/05 ALABAMA 0 0 — 0 — yard average during the spring-ending Maroon and White game . . . Listed behind Keith 11/19/05 * vs. Arkansas 2 20 10.0 0 11 Andrews at kicker coming out of those drills. 2004: Sat out his true freshman season. 11/26/05 * OLE MISS 1 16 16.0 0 16 HIGH SCHOOL: Earned fi rst-team, all-state honors by the Mississippi Association of

53 PLAYER PROFILES

Coaches . . . Named second-team, all-state by the Jackson Clarion-Led- ger as a punter . . . Selected to play Adron in the Mississippi High School all-star game . . . Averaged 41.3 yards per CHAMBERS punt on 40 kicks during his senior season at Gulfport . . . As a place- Defensive Back kicker, he connected on fi ve-of-eight 5-9 • 189 • RFr. • RS fi eld goal attempts and made 18-of- 21 extra point tries . . . Was also a Pensacola, Fla. 40 part-time quarterback on the prep Pensacola level . . . Did not start playing football until his junior year in high school . . CAREER: Still awaiting his fi rst chance to help Mississippi State on the game fi eld . . . . Also played baseball and soccer on Has seen practice time at both wide receiver and defensive back . . . Came to the Bulldog the high school level, earning fi ve let- program as a two-sport standout from Pensacola, Fla. ters in soccer . . . Honor roll student 2006: Made the move from wide receiver to defensive back early in spring drills and K/P ADAM CARLSON in the high school classroom. made his mark at the new position in short order . . . Registered 12 tackles during three PERSONAL: Born Adam Ross Carl- spring scrimmage situations, including two hits for loss . . . Also had a pass defl ection . . son, 10-19-85, in Gulfport, Miss. . . . . Will open the fall second on the depth chart at right cornerback. Son of Mr. Denis Carlson and Mrs. Kathy Matthews . . . Majoring in banking and fi nance. 2005: Redshirted his true freshman season, working initially as a wide receiver candidate, but making the shift to defensive back midway through his initial season on campus. CARLSON’S CAREER KICKING STATS HIGH SCHOOL: Rated the No. 49 prospect in the state of Florida by the Orlando Sen- YEAR G/GS PAT/ATT PCT. FG/ATT PCT. PTS. LONG / OPP. tinel following his senior season . . . Credited with running a 4.56 in the 40-yard dash by 2005 4/3 7/7 1.000 2/4 .500 13 39 / Arkansas the Rivals.com web site, but clocked in 4.32 at a college camp prior to his senior season . TOTALS 4/3 7/7 1.000 2/4 .500 13 39/ARKANSAS . . Finished among the top four quarterbacks in all four categories (40-yard dash, shuttle speed, bench press and vertical leap) at the Baton Rouge NIKE Training Camp . . . His DATE OPPONENT PAT/ATT FG/ATT PTS LONG FG 40-yard dash time and vertical leap were the second-best among all QBs at the camp 10/22/05 HOUSTON 0/0 1/1 3 20 . . . Superprep Magazine rated him No. 62 among the top prospects in the state in its pre-signing day all-America issue . . . Listed among the top 215 prospects in the state 10/29/05 * at Kentucky 1/1 0/1 1 — of Florida by fl oridakids.us recruiting web site . . . All-around offensive threat for head 11/19/05 * vs. Arkansas 1/1 1/1 4 39 coach Mike Bennett at Class 4A Pensacola (Fla.) High School . . . Helped PHS to a 21-5 11/26/05 * OLE MISS 5/5 0/1 5 — record over his fi nal two seasons at the prep level . . . Accounted for 2,800 yards and scored 25 touchdowns during his senior season in which he led the 11-2 Tigers to the state semifi nals . . . Although primarily the team’s quarterback, he also caught 16 passes for more than 400 yards and fi ve touchdowns . . . Also completed 108-of-175 passes Johnny (.617) for 1,820 yards and 17 scores and rushed for 1,417 more with 13 TDs . . . Rushed 29 times for 226 yards and two touchdowns, and threw for 97 yards in a regional semifi nal CARPENTER win over Tallahassee Lincoln High School . . . Selected to play in the California-Florida All- Star Game, but was unable to play due to an injury suffered in the Emerald Coast All-Star Game . . . Chosen the Pensacola News Journal All-Area Offensive Player of the Year . . . Offensive Guard / Center Had eight catches for 163 yards receiving and three touchdowns, and averaged better 6-2 • 281 • RFr. • RS than 34 yards per kick (punt and kickoff) return as a junior . . . Also an outstanding prep Citronelle, Ala. 59 baseball player who is a left-handed pitcher/centerfi elder . . . Carried a 3.3 grade point average in the high school classroom . . .Other top scholarship offers: Auburn, Ole Miss Citronelle and Vanderbilt . . . Committed to MSU in June 2004. PERSONAL: Born Adron Lamar Chambers, 10-8-86, in Pensacola, Fla.. . . Son of Mr. Aaron Chambers and Ms. Romero Caracter . . . Majoring in general business administra- CAREER: Still awaiting his fi rst opportunity to help Mississippi State on the game fi eld . . tion. . Has seen practice time at both offensive guard and center during his collegiate career . . . Came to MSU as a standout high school lineman from the Mobile-area prep ranks. 2006: Injury-free spring practice moved him into the back-up role at center, after work- Jamar ing at both guard and center during his initial season on campus. 2005: Redshirted his true freshman season. CHANEY HIGH SCHOOL: Was one of three fi nalists for the Alabama Class 5A Lineman of the Year, given annually by the Associated Press to the state’s best lineman (offensive and defensive linemen considered) . . . Superprep Magazine rated him No. 19 among the top Linebacker prospects in the state in its pre-signing day all-America issue . . . Ranked No. 22 among 6-1 • 229 • So. • 1L the top prospects in the state of Alabama following his senior season by the Rivals. Fort Pierce, Fla. 22 com recruiting web site, the second-best offensive lineman listed . . . Credited with a 340-pound bench press max by recruiting web site Scout.com . . . Rated the 29th-best West Centennial (St. Lucie, Fla.) prospect in Alabama by Scout, the fourth-best offensive lineman . . . Named fi rst-team, Class 5A all-state on the offensive line by the Alabama Sports Writers Association . . . CAREER: Earned immediate playing time from the outset of his collegiate career at line- Four-year starter on the offensive line for head coach Ashley Johnson at Citronelle (Ala.) backer for Mississippi State . . . Has played in all 11 games during his still-infant playing High School, playing offensive guard his senior season . . . Graded out at better than 90 career for the Bulldogs . . . Has earned three starting assignments at the weak linebacker percent during his senior season with more than 70 pancake blocks, helping his team to position . . . Has made 31 total tackles while at State . . . Came to MSU following a stand- a 10-2 overall record and a berth in the state’s postseason playoffs . . . Had 58 pancake out high school career in the state of Florida. blocks and graded out at 80 percent during his junior campaign, when he was named 2006: Continued his rapid progression in the team’s linebacker picture with a standout second-team, all-Mobile County . . . Solid student in the classroom . . . Other top scholar- spring session . . . Led the club with 18 tackles during the three spring scrimmages, in- ship offers: West Virginia and Ole Miss . . . Committed to MSU in December 2004. cluding six for loss, three of which were quarterback sacks . . . Also returned a fumble 32 PERSONAL: Born John Anthony Carpenter, 1-3-87, in Citronelle, Ala. . . . Son of Mr. and yards for a score and had one pass interception . . . Will report in August at the top of the Mrs. Anthony Carpenter . . . Majoring in teaching and coaching. depth chart at weak-side linebacker. 2005: Played in all 11 games during his true freshman season, earning three starting calls at weakside linebacker to close the campaign . . . Made 31 total tackles on the

54 PLAYER PROFILES

at that camp . . . Credited with a 335-pound bench press max and with 15 repetitions of 225 pounds in the bench at the Miami NIKE camp prior to his senior campaign . . . Tied for the fourth-fastest 40-yard dash time (4.63) at that camp, the sixth-best shuttle speed (4.28) and the third-best vertical leap (33 inches) . . . Selected to play in the Florida-Cali- fornia High School All-Star game . . . Played basketball at the high school level as well . . . A 2.8 grade point average student on the high school level . . . Signed with the Bulldogs in late July . . . Other top scholarship offers: Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina State, Maryland, South Carolina, Iowa and West Virginia. PERSONAL: Born Jamar Antwon Chaney, 10-11-86, in Fort Pierce, Fla. . . . Son of Mr. Gary and Ms. Alice Chaney . . . Major is fi tness management. Omarr CONNER

Wide Receiver 6-0 • 223 • Sr. • 3L Macon, Miss. 14 Noxubee County

LB JAMAR CHANEY CAREER: Made an immediate impact for Mississippi State upon his arrival on campus . . . Became a factor from the outset in the Bulldog receiving corps and on special teams, but made a second-year move to quarterback . . . Returned to the wide receiver position season . . . Saw immediate action in the linebacker rotation from the outset of his true near the end of his junior season,. . . Has played in 31 games (17 at QB and 14 at WR) freshman season, making 14 tackles over the season’s fi rst four weeks . . . Registered a with 21 starting calls to his credit (17 at QB, 4 at WR) . . . Only missed playing time due pair of tackles in State’s season-opening 38-6 win over Murray State . . . Had four hits one to injury . . . Has completed 193-of-373 passes (.517) for 2,127 yards, 14 touchdowns and week later in the Bulldogs’ SEC opener at Auburn . . . Matched that tackle total a week 12 interceptions . . . Has caught 23 passes for 327 yards, a 14.2-yard average and rushed later in Shreveport vs. Tulane and in State’s Week 4 game vs. Georgia . . . Recorded one 113 times for 129 yards (1.1-yard average) and a touchdown . . . Also returned one punt tackle against LSU in Week 5 . . . Totaled four tackles in his personal homecoming game (2 yards) in limited duty in the return game . . . Came to State following a high school at Florida one week later . . . Added two more hits to his tackle total in Week 7 work vs. career in which he was named Mr. Football in the state of Mississippi by the Jackson Houston . . . Registered three tackles one week later at Kentucky . . . Returned to the stats Clarion-Ledger. sheet and tied for second on the team with a season-high six tackles at Arkansas in Week 2006: Continued to make his mark in the wide receiver picture with a productive spring 10 . . . Closed his initial campaign in Maroon and White with one stop in the Bulldogs’ practice . . . Had nine catches for 134 yards, a 14.9-yard average, and one touchdown, 35-14 win over Ole Miss in the Battle for the Golden Egg. working in just two spring scrimmages . . . Held out of the spring-ending Maroon and HIGH SCHOOL: Set his high school career record with 31 quarterback sacks . . . Made White game as an injury precaution . . . Will open the fall at the top of the depth chart at 65 tackles and 10 quarterback sacks in just six games played during his hurricane-re- one wide receiver position. duced senior campaign at linebacker for head coach Jim O’Neal at West Centennial 2005: Played in all 11 games during his junior season, earning nine starting calls – eight High School in St. Lucie, Fla. . . . Added eight pass receptions for 150 yards and three at the quarterback position and one at wide receiver . . . Started the fi rst eight games touchdowns at tight end during his fi nal season at the prep level . . . Earned Class AAAA of the year at the signal-calling position, before making a late-season return to the wide third-team, all-state honors following his senior year . . . Tallied 120 tackles with six sacks, receiver rotation . . . Started the season fi nale vs. Ole Miss at wide out . . . Completed a school-record 22 tackles for loss and fi ve caused fumbles as a defensive end as a junior 86-of-167 passes (.515) for 903 yards, eight touchdowns and fi ve interceptions . . . Also . . . Also returned one interception for a touchdown . . .Had three receiving touchdowns rushed 44 times (minus 15 yards) . . . When he made the move to wide receiver, he caught as a tight end on offense as a junior . . .Rated the #29 outside linebacker prospect in the nine passes for 116 yards, 12.9-yard average . . . Had one of the top games of his young country by Rivals.com following his senior season . . . Also listed as the #44 prospect, career at quarterback and one of the most productive in the history of Mississippi State regardless of position, in the state of Florida by Rivals . . . Ranked #43 among all play- football during the Bulldogs’ season-opening 38-6 win over Murray State . . . Completed ers in the Southeast on the Scout.com regional top 100, the seventh-best linebacker . 17-of-24 passes (.708) for 233 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions, in the win . . Ranked #58 among all players in the state of Florida following his senior season by over the Racers . . . Connected twice with Keon Humphries and once each with Tee SuperPrep Magazine in its all-America Issue . . . Was fi rst among all linebackers at TheIn- Milons and Eric Butler in the victory . . . The four touchdowns were a career high and siders/MSL Combine in Gainesville, Fla., in the vertical jump (34.5 inches) and the broad tied a single-game school record held by both Tony Shell (1988) and Derrick Taite (1994 jump (10 feet, 5 inches) prior to his senior season . . . Also ran a 4.56 in the 40-yard dash and ’95) . . . His 37-yard TD throw to Milons put the Bulldogs ahead for good at 10-6 midway through the second quarter, and the fi rst of his scoring throws to Humphries (49 CHANEY’S CAREER DEFENSIVE STATS yards) came just two minutes later . . . He hooked up with Humphries again (34 yards) YEAR G/GS TT UT AT TFL-YDS SCK-YDS FF/FR PD INT-YDS two minutes after halftime for a 24-6 advantage, and his TD aerial to Butler gave MSU a 2005 11/3 31 14 17 0.0-0 0.0-0 0/0 0 0-0 31-6 lead . . . He also rushed three times for 21 yards against Murray . . . Completed 10- TOTALS 11/3 31 14 17 0.0-0 0.0-0 0/0 0 0-0 of-19 passes for 116 yards and the fi rst interception of his junior season during MState’s SEC opener at Auburn in Week 2 . . . The interception was his fi rst in 44 straight pass DATE OPPONENT TT UT AT TFL-YDS SCK-YDS attempts dating to the fi nal game of the ’04 season . . . Completed 13-of-26 passes for 9/3/05 MURRAY STATE 2 2 0 0.0-0 0.0-0 108 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, in State’s Week 3 win over Tulane . . 9/10/05 at Auburn 4 1 3 0.0-0 0.0-0 . His two scoring tosses, a 3-yarder to halfback Jerious Norwood and an 18-yarder to tight end Eric Butler came in a fi ve and one-half minute stretch during the middle of the 9/17/05 vs. Tulane 4 1 3 0.0-0 0.0-0 third quarter . . . Connected on 19-of-32 passes for 205 yards, one touchdown and one 9/24/05 GEORGIA 4 1 3 0.0-0 0.0-0 interception in Week 4 work against Georgia . . . His 4-yard TD pass to Eric Butler with 10/1/05 LSU 1 1 0 0.0-0 0.0-0 7:18 left in the game closed out the Bulldog scoring . . . Connected on nine-of-22 passes 10/8/05 at Florida 4 1 3 0.0-0 0.0-0 for 141 yards, one touchdown and an interception, in Week 5 action vs. LSU . . . His 66- 10/22/05 HOUSTON 2 1 1 0.0-0 0.0-0 yard touchdown pass to former high school teammate Joey Sanders came on State’s fi rst 10/29/05 at Kentucky 3 2 1 0.0-0 0.0-0 possession of the game and gave the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead on the Tigers . . . It was his 11/05/05 * ALABAMA 0 0 0 0.0-0 0.0-0 career-long TD pass and the longest scoring completion by an MSU quarterback since 11/19/05 * vs. Arkansas 6 3 3 0.0-0 0.0-0 Kevin Fant connected with Justin Jenkins from 70 yards away vs. Tulane in 2003 . . . Had 11/26/05 * OLE MISS 1 1 0 0.0-0 0.0-0 his Week 6 work at Florida cut short by injury . . . Completed just two-of-fi ve passes for 15 yards, with an interception, before being forced to the sideline with a bruised sternum

55 PLAYER PROFILES

against the Gators . . . Completed 14-of-31 passes for 84 yards in State’s Week 7 game with Houston . . . Connected on just one-of-six passes one week later at Kentucky . . . Saw limited duty in Week 9 action vs. Alabama, working for the fi rst time in ’05 as a wide receiver . . . Completed one-of-two passes (minus 1 yard) and rushed three times (1 yard) against the Crimson Tide . . . Once he made the move to wide receiver, he made nine catches for 116 yards, a 12.9-yard average, over the fi nal two weeks of the season . . . Saw almost full-time work at wide out in Week 10 work at Arkansas . . . Made a team-best and career-high fi ve pass receptions for 47 yards against the Razorbacks . . . Earned the fi rst start of his junior campaign at wide receiver in State’s season-ending 35-14 win over Ole Miss in the Battle for the Golden Egg . . . Caught four passes for 69 yards, a 17.3-yard average and rushed three times (3 yards) against the Rebels . . . Caught two passes for 28 yards, each a fi rst-down conversion, on State’s touchdown-producing drive just prior to halftime that handed the team a 21-14 lead it would never relinquish . . . Continued the maturation process for a young quarterback in the West Coast Offense during a relatively injury-free spring . . . Missed the fi rst few workouts with an ankle sprain, but responded with three solid scrimmages . . . Concluded the spring by completing four-of-eight passes for 118 yards in the Maroon and White game. 2004: Started all nine of the games he played at the quarterback position, missing game action only due to injury . . . Completed 107-of-206 passes (.519) for 1,224 yards, six touchdowns and seven interceptions . . . Also rushed 67 times for 115 yards, a 1.7-yard WR OMARR CONNER average, and another score . . . Earned the team’s fi rst-unit status at the quarterback position during preseason camp . . . Completed nine-of-17 passes for 102 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions, in the Bulldogs’ season-opening 28-7 win over Tulane . . . Threw an 11-yard scoring toss to tight end Eric Butler midway through the third quarter to hand the Bulldogs a 14-0 lead at the time . . . He completed three-of-four passes for sequence . . . His 3-yard touchdown pass to McKinley Scott midway through the second 53 yards in the drive . . . Also rushed seven times for 25 yards against the Green Wave . quarter handed MSU a 14-7 lead at the time . . . He led the team 80 yards on eight snaps . . Completed 16-of-26 passes (.615) for 113 yards, no touchdowns, but no interceptions on that possession, completing all four pass attempts for 60 yards and adding a 5-yard during Week 2 work vs. Auburn . . . Connected on his fi rst seven throws against the Tigers run . . . He later engineered an 80-yard, 17-play TD drive and the game-winning 56-yard, and was 14-of-17 through the air in the fi rst half . . . Hit on 21-of-34 passes (.618) for 250 fi ve-snap possession to end the scoring . . . His rushing total against the Gators was the yards, one touchdown and one interception against Maine in Week 3 action . . . His 18- most yards gained on the ground by a Bulldog quarterback since Week 2 of the 2000 yard scoring pass to tight end Eric Butler gave the Bulldogs a 7-0 fi rst quarter lead over season (Wayne Madkin, 104 yards on seven carries vs. BYU) . . . Topped that rushing the Black Bears . . . After spending most of the week prior to the Week 4 game at LSU total one week later, running for 57 yards on nine attempts (6.3 yards per carry) in MSU’s nursing a non-throwing shoulder injury, he completed just four-of-13 passes for 44 yards 22-7 victory over Kentucky . . . Completed seven-of-17 passes for 79 yards and a pair of and three interceptions in Baton Rouge . . . Suffered a knee injury, however, on State’s interceptions against the Wildcats . . . Completed seven-of-20 passes for 114 yards, one fi rst offensive possession of the second half and did not return to the game . . . A mag- touchdown and no interceptions against Alabama in Week 9 . . . His 28-yard scoring pass netic resonance imaging test conducted on 9/26 revealed a sprained medial collateral to Tee Milons came on the Bulldogs’ fi rst possession of the second half and pulled MSU ligament , an injury that sidelined him three weeks (at Vanderbilt in Week 5, UAB in Week within 20-14 at the time . . . Connected on his fi rst eight throws on his way to completing 6 and an open date) . . . Rebounded from his knee injury with a vengeance during the 20-of-27 passes (season-best .741) for 214 yards and two touchdowns against Arkansas team’s Week 7 win over Florida . . . Completed 15-of-24 passes (.625) for 158 yards, one in Week 10 . . . Hit Tee Milons with a 26-yard scoring pass to hand his team a 14-0 lead touchdown and no interceptions . . . Also rushed a career-high 13 times for a career-best with 5:14 left in the fi rst quarter . . . His 2-yard TD toss to tight end Eric Butler just into the 50 yards against the Gators, scoring once on the ground . . . He capped a 12-play, 76- fourth quarter pulled the Bulldogs within the game’s fi nal score, 24-21 . . . Also rushed yard game-opening drive by going 2 yards for a 7-0 Bulldog lead . . . Completed three-of- four times for 22 yards against the Razorbacks . . . His 236 yards of total offense were a four passes on that drive, gaining 42 yards . . . Also rushed four times for 23 yards on that career high and he extended his consecutive pass attempts without an interception to 49 throws . . . Completed eight-of-28 passes for 150 yards and an interception in the team’s season-ending game vs. Ole Miss . . . Made a pre-spring move from wide receiver, CONNER’S CAREER PASSING STATS where he competed as a true freshman, to quarterback . . . Opened the four-week spring YEAR G/GS CMP ATT INT PCT YDS SCK TD LONG / OPP. session fi rst on the depth chart at the new position and closed those drills in like fashion 2004 9/9 107 205 7 .522 1,224 16 6 84 / Ole Miss . . . Completed 18-of-37 passes for 294 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions, 2005 8/8 86 167 5 .515 903 17 8 66 / LSU during three spring scrimmages. TOTALS 17/17 193 372 12 .519 2,127 33 14 84 / OLE MISS CONNER’S CAREER RECEIVING STATS YEAR G/GS REC YARDS AVG TD LONG / OPP. DATE OPPONENT CMP ATT INT YDS TD 2003 11/3 14 211 15.1 0 33 / Kentucky 9/4/04 * TULANE 9 17 0 102 1 2005 3/1 9 116 12.9 0 31 / Arkansas 9/11/04 * AUBURN 16 26 0 113 0 TOTAL 14/4 23 327 14.2 0 33 / KENTUCKY 9/18/04 * MAINE 21 34 1 250 1 9/25/04 * at LSU 4 13 3 44 0 DATE OPPONENT REC YARDS AVG TD LONG 10/23/04 * FLORIDA 15 24 0 158 1 9/13/03 at Tulane 0 0 — 0 — 10/30/04 * KENTUCKY 7 17 2 79 0 9/20/03 at Houston 0 0 — 0 — 11/6/04 * at Alabama 7 20 0 114 1 9/27/03 LSU 1 19 19.0 0 19 11/20/04 * ARKANSAS 20 27 0 214 2 10/4/03 VANDERBILT 0 0 — 0 — 11/27/04 * at Ole Miss 8 28 1 150 0 10/11/03 MEMPHIS 2 34 17.0 0 20 9/3/05 * MURRAY STATE 17 24 0 233 4 10/18/03 * at Auburn 1 32 32.0 0 32 9/10/05 * at Auburn 10 19 1 116 0 10/25/03 at Kentucky 2 44 22.0 0 33 9/17/05 * vs. Tulane 13 26 1 108 2 11/8/03 ALABAMA 2 27 13.5 0 20 9/24/05 * GEORGIA 19 32 1 205 1 11/15/03 at Tennessee 1 8 8.0 0 5 10/1/05 * LSU 9 22 1 141 1 11/22/03 * vs. Arkansas 3 37 12.3 0 8 10/8/05 * at Florida 2 5 1 15 0 11/27/03 * OLE MISS 2 10 5.0 0 21 10/22/05 * HOUSTON 14 31 0 84 0 11/05/05 vs. Alabama 0 0 — 0 — 10/29/05 * at Kentucky 1 6 0 2 0 11/19/05 vs. Arkansas 5 47 9.4 0 31 11/05/05 ALABAMA 1 2 0 -1 0 11/26/05 * OLE MISS 4 69 17.3 0 26

56 PLAYER PROFILES

2003: Played in all but one game during his true freshman season (11 of 12) and earned 2004: Served as the regular snapper for the Bulldogs throughout his sophomore season three starting calls in the wide receiver rotation . . . Only missed seeing action in the . . . Played in all 11 games . . . Registered the only special teams’ tackle of his ’04 season season opener with Oregon . . . Caught 14 passes for 211 yards, a 15.1-yard average vs. UAB in Week 6 . . . Held onto his designation as the team’s top long snapper for punts and rushed twice for 29 yards (14.5-yard average) from the line of scrimmage . . . Also and short snapper for all placements following a productive spring practice. returned one punt (2 yards) . . . Saw his fi rst collegiate action on special teams in the 2003: Played in all 12 games, working as the team’s regular snapper for all place-kicks Bulldogs’ Week 2 game at Tulane . . . Was involved with the “hands” team in late-game and punts . . . Recorded a pair of tackles in special teams’ coverage . . . Served as the onside kickoff prevention . . . Caught his fi rst collegiate pass, working as a wide receiver, team’s top snapper from the outset of his redshirt freshman season . . . Made his fi rst against LSU in Week 4 . . . Gained 19 yards on that completion vs. the Tigers . . . Added collegiate tackle at Auburn during Week 7 action . . . Added another hit two weeks later two receptions for 34 yards in Week 6 win over Memphis . . . Registered a 32-yard recep- vs. Alabama. tion in his fi rst collegiate start against Auburn one week later . . . Caught two passes for 2002: Redshirted his true freshman season. 44 yards at Kentucky in Week 8 . . . Had a pair of pass receptions for 27 yards and led HIGH SCHOOL: Helped University School of Jackson, Tenn., to a four-year, 52-6 record, the team in rushing, carrying once for a 24-yard gain against Alabama in Week 9 . . . Had four region championships and two state runner-up fi nishes as a two-way lineman . . . one catch (8 yards) a week later at Tennessee . . . Earned the other two starting calls of Was named defensive player of the year in the region and all-state during his junior his freshman season in the campaign-closing games with Arkansas and Mississippi . . . campaign, and all-state at defensive end as a senior. Continued to receive increased work during that Week 11 action at Fayetteville . . . Tied PERSONAL: Born William Russell Cook, 4-18-83, in Jackson, Miss. . . . Son of Mr. and for the team lead with three pass receptions (37 yards) against the Razorbacks . . . Had Mrs. Roger Cook . . . Both parents attended Mississippi State University . . . His father two catches for 10 yards in his true-freshman, season-ending game against Mississippi in played football at State, lettering 1971-73 . . . His uncle, George May, lettered in football the Battle for the Golden Egg. at MSU, 1977-79 . . . His brother, Roger, played baseball at Union (Tenn.) University . . . HIGH SCHOOL: Named Mr. Football in the state of Mississippi by the Jackson Clarion- Majoring in general business administration. Ledger newspaper . . . Listed No. 5 on that newspaper’s ranking of the state’s 40 best football recruits . . . Tom Lemming has him ranked as the No. 13 quarterback prospect in the country on ESPN.com . . . Named fi rst-team, all-state at the quarterback posi- Brooks tion by the Clarion-Ledger . . . Credited with running a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash by that newspaper . . . Named to the Clarion-Ledger’s Dandy Dozen as one of the state’s top CRABTREE 12 prospects prior to his senior season . . . Ranked with the top 30 quarterbacks in the nation by Phil Grosz in the preseason G&W Recruiting Report . . . Rated among the top Punter 10 quarterbacks in the Southeast by PrepStar magazine prior to his senior campaign . . . Called the top QB prospect in Mississippi by that publication . . . Named to the Atlanta 5-10 • 181 • Sr. • 1L Journal-Constitution Super Southern 100, a list of the top 100 players in the South . . . Starkville, Miss. 38 Was one of just 10 quarterbacks mentioned on that prestigious team . . . Rated the No. Starkville 7 player overall in the state of Mississippi by SuperPrep in its season-ending all-America issue, the top-rated quarterback . . . Cited as the Mississippi Association of Coaches Class 4A Offensive Player of the Year, Region 2-4A most valuable player, and fi rst-team, CAREER: Non-scholarship student-athlete who walked on the Mississippi State football all-state in that division following the 2002 season . . . Accounted for 9,506 total yards program in 2004 . . . Has played in fi ve games with three starting assignments at the and 110 touchdowns over his four seasons at Noxubee County, including 6,599 passing punter position and has served as the holder for placements during his career . . . Has yards and 59 TD passes . . . Led his prep team to a 26-10 record and three consecutive punted 18 times for 650 yards, a 36.1-yard average, with a career-long 54-yard punt . . . state playoff appearances during his fi nal three seasons at the prep level . . . Accounted Came to MSU following two seasons at the junior college level . . . Played at Hinds (Miss.) for 4,146 yards and a state-record 54 touchdowns during a star-studded senior season Community College following a high school career at nearby Starkville High School. for head coach M.C. Miller at Noxubee County High School . . . Completed 173-of-303 2006: Continued to compete for playing time at both punter and holder during the passes (57.1 percent) for 3,443 yards and 31 touchdowns, and rushed for 703 yards on spring . . . Punted three times for a 35.7-yard average during the spring-ending Maroon 120 carries (5.9 per rush) and 23 more scores in ’02 . . . Led the state in passing yardage . . and White game . . . Will enter two-a-day practice looking for work at his specialties. . Led his team to a 10-2 record and into the second round of the state playoffs as a senior, 2005: Served as the team’s top back-up at punter and holder during his senior season, helping Noxubee County lead the state’s Class 4A schools in total offense (4,933 yards) . but did not see any game action . . . Remained atop the spring-ending depth chart at . . Was second-team, all-state as a junior . . . Paced the team to a 10-2 mark in ’01 as well, punter following State’s four-week session . . . Punted four times for a 38.2-yard average accounting for 2,561 yards and 33 touchdowns . . . He completed 87-of-156 passes (.558) during the spring-ending Maroon and White game. for 1,549 yards and 16 touchdowns . . . Rushed 113 times for 1,012 yards, an 8.9-yard per 2004: Played in fi ve games with three starting assignments at the punter position during carry average, and 17 touchdowns . . . Also a standout basketball player on the prep level his fi rst year of eligibility with the Bulldogs . . . Punted 18 times for 650 yards, a 36.1-yard . . . Selected to play in the Mississippi-Alabama High School all-star game. average . . . Saw the fi rst action of his Mississippi State career in Week 3 game with Maine PERSONAL: Born Omarr Conner, 11-22-84, in Starkville, Miss. . . . Son of Vola Mae Con- . . . Punted twice during the second half of the game, averaging 43.7 yards per kick . . . ner . . . Majoring in interdisciplinary studies. Had a game-best and career-long, 54-yard boot . . . Assumed the role of top punter for State’s Week 4 game at LSU . . . Punted eight times for a 34.5-yard average with one kick being downed inside the Tiger 20-yard line . . . Maintained the starter’s role and kicked Russell three times for a 34.7-yard average at Vanderbilt in Week 5 . . . One of his boots was downed inside the 20-yard line . . . Again, was the fi rst punter called upon and kicked COOK four times for a 34.8-yard average in Week 6 work against UAB . . . Pressed into service as the holder for all placements in Week 10 against Arkansas. Snapper JUNIOR COLLEGE: Played football two years at Hinds (Miss.) Community College . . . Served as the team’s primary punter and holder for all placements for two seasons . . 6-1 • 234 • Sr. • 3L . Averaged 40.5 yards per punt during his junior college career . . . Helped head coach Jackson, Tenn. 62 Gene Murphy’s team to the south state title game as a freshman and head coach J. Mike University School of Jackson Smith’s squad to the state championship game as a sophomore . . . That squad culmi- nated the year with a 9-2 mark and ranked fi fth nationally , and he was named second- team, all-state at punter. . . CAREER: Originally a non-scholarship specialist who won the regular long-snapping HIGH SCHOOL: Two-time all-district punter on the prep level, who earned all-state duties during his redshirt freshman season . . . Earned a scholarship during his second recognition during his senior campaign . . . Helped lead head coach Bill Lee’s Starkville season on campus . . . Has played in all 34 games of his Mississippi State career, working Yellow Jackets to a 14-1 overall record and the state championship during his senior at his specialty . . . Has registered four tackles in kick coverage . . . Walked on the Bulldog season as the team’s punter . . . Led the state of Mississippi with a 42.6-yard average, program in the fall of 2002. averaging 45.2 yards per kick in the state title-winning game . . . Also earned two letters 2006: Opens two-a-day practice at the top of the depth chart at his specialty. in baseball at SHS. 2005: Played in all 11 games during his junior season, serving as the team’s snapper for PERSONAL: Born Brooks Joseph Crabtree, 7-9-83, in Mobile, Ala. . . . Son of Mr. Milo all placements . . . Registered one tackle on the season, a hit in Mississippi State’s Week Crabtree and Ms. Debi Miles . . . Majoring in teaching and coaching. 6 game at Florida . . . Held onto his role as the team’s top deep and short snapper during the 2005 spring practice.

57 PLAYER PROFILES

performance against the Gators . . . Tied for second on the club and posted a season high with seven hits in the game . . . In just his second week starting at the outside linebacker Quinton position, he responded with a game-altering performance in the Bulldogs’ 22-7 win over Kentucky . . . Tied for third on the club with seven tackles, he also had a pass defl ection CULBERSON and his fi rst career interception . . . His theft and subsequent 35-yard touchdown return on UK’s third offensive snap gave MSU an early 7-0 lead . . . It was the fi rst interception Linebacker return for a score by a Bulldog since Michael Gholar and Jason Clark each returned 6-0 • 242 • Sr. • 3L thefts for scores against Memphis in 2002 . . . Registered fi ve tackles at Alabama in Week 9 . . . Tied for second on the club with a career-best 11 tackles against Arkansas Jackson, Miss. 2 in the Bulldogs’ home-season concluding game . . . It was the fi rst double-digit tackle Provine game in just his fourth contest at linebacker during his sophomore season, the second of his career . . . Was also credited with one pass defl ection . . . Registered six hits in the team’s season-ending game vs. Ole Miss . . . Overcame off-season ankle surgery and CAREER: Made an immediate splash in the Mississippi State football program upon his arrival following a scintillating high school career . . . Has played in 30 games for the Bulldogs, earning starts at inside linebacker, both outside linebacker positions and in the secondary during his career . . . Has started 24 times for the MSU defense . . . Started all 11 games at inside linebacker during his junior season, the fi nal fi ve games of his sophomore campaign at outside linebacker, and all eight of the games in which he saw action as a freshman at cornerback . . . Became the fi rst true freshman to start for the Bulldogs since 1986 . . . Had his initial season on campus shortened by a broken leg . . . Has made 176 tackles, including four and one-half for loss (minus 18 yards), one of which was a quarterback sack (minus 7 yards) . . . Has intercepted two passes, returning one for a touchdown and has broken up eight passes . . . Has also been credited with three caused fumbles . . . Came to MSU as a Parade All-America high school defensive back from Jackson Provine High School. 2006: Was ticketed for a standout spring practice until shelved by injury . . . Suffered a hamstring strain in the club’s fi rst scrimmage and did little work the remainder of the spring . . . Had eight tackles and a 12-yard pass interception return in that scrimmage before being sidelined . . . Will return to his customary fi rst-unit spot at middle linebacker in August. 2005: Started all 11 games at inside linebacker for Mississippi State during his junior LB QUINTON CULBERSON season . . . Led the club and tied for 10th in the SEC with 78 total tackles on the season, including one and one-half for loss (minus 9 yards), one of which was a quarterback sack (minus 7 yards) . . . Forced one fumble and recorded one pass interception on the season initial rehabilitation to go through four weeks of spring drills . . . Continued the mending . . . Tied for third on the team with fi ve hits in State’s 38-6 win over Murray State to open process during those practices, but was slowed in his recovery . . . Still managed seven his junior season . . . Also made his second career interception in the win over the Racers tackles and a pass break up during three spring scrimmages . . . Ranked second at left . . . That theft came midway through the third quarter and gave MSU the football at the cornerback coming out of spring. Murray 31-yard line . . . State scored six plays later for the fi nal points in that 32-point win 2003: Named Freshman All-SEC by both The Sporting News magazine and in a vote . . . Led the club with 10 tackles one week later in State’s SEC opener at Auburn . . . It was of the Southeastern Conference head coaches . . . Started the fi rst eight games of the the third double-digit tackle game in his career . . . Was also credited with one forced season for Mississippi State . . . Had his fi rst season on campus interrupted by a broken fumble against the Tigers . . . Tied for second on the team with eight tackles during the leg . . . Concluded the year with 42 tackles, including three for loss (minus 9 yards) and a team’s Week 3 victory over Tulane in Shreveport . . . Again tied for second on the team team-leading six pass defl ections . . . Also credited with one caused fumble . . . Became in tackles one week later against Georgia . . . Made six hits, including one quarterback the fi rst Bulldog true freshman to start the opening game of his career in 17 years when sack (minus 7 yards) . . . Made it three straight weeks fi nishing second on the club with he was on the fi eld for the fi rst snap at right cornerback in the Bulldogs’ season opener a second-consecutive six-tackle performance during the team’s Week 5 game with LSU with Oregon . . . He became the fi rst yearling since Milton Smith started the fi rst game of . . . Added another half-dozen hits one week later at Florida . . .Made it three straight his true freshman campaign in 1986 against Syracuse . . . Turned in a solid performance in weeks with six tackles against Houston in Week 7, tying for second on the club . . . After his premiere, making fi ve tackles against the Ducks . . . Made three tackles one week later making 47 tackles over the season’s fi rst seven games (6.7 per game), he registered 31 against Tulane in the Louisiana Superdome . . . Was on the fi eld for 55 snaps (out of 78) at over the season’s fi nal month (nearly eight per game) . . . Led the team with a career-high Houston during Week 3 work and made three tackles . . . Registered fi ve tackles, includ- 12 tackles at Kentucky one week later . . . It was the second double-digit tackle game ing one for loss (minus 3 yards), and a pass defl ection in State’s Week 4 game against LSU of the season (10 at Auburn) and the fourth of his career (11 vs. Arkansas [11-20-04], 10 . . . Was on the fi eld for all but fi ve of the 60 plays vs. the Tigers . . . Was on the fi eld for vs. Memphis [10-11-03]) . . . Tied for third on the club with six tackles against Alabama in 64 of a possible 74 snaps during the team’s Week 5 win over Vanderbilt . . . Registered Week 9 . . . Tied for the team lead with seven tackles against Arkansas one week later . a season-high nine tackles against the Commodores and topped the team with a pair of . . Was third on the club with six tackles, including a half tackle for loss (minus 2 yards) in pass defl ections . . . Was second on the team, and recorded his fi rst career double-digit State’s season-ending 35-14 win over Ole Miss . . . Keyed a Bulldog defense that allowed tackle game in the Bulldogs’ Week 6 victory over Memphis, with 10 tackles . . . Tied the Rebels just 31 yards rushing on 25 carries . . .Stayed on the move prior to spring for the team lead with two pass defl ections and two tackles for loss against the Tigers practice, making the switch from outside to middle linebacker on State’s defense . . . (minus 6 yards) . . . Played every snap at cornerback against UM (89 plays) . . . Recorded Culminated those drills at the top of the depth chart at his new position . . . Had a pair of three tackles and a pass defl ection at Auburn in Week 7 . . . Registered four tackles and hits in the Maroon and White game. a caused fumble one week later at Kentucky in abbreviated work . . . Was forced to the 2004: Played in all 11 games for Mississippi State during his sophomore season, starting sidelines after just nine plays with a leg injury . . . Suffered a fractured fi bula in his lower the fi nal fi ve games of the year at one outside linebacker position after making the move leg and was sidelined for the remainder of the season. from the secondary . . . Tallied 56 tackles on the season, with one interception return HIGH SCHOOL: Named to the Parade All-America team, one of just four defensive backs (35-yard touchdown), two pass defl ections and a caused fumble . . . Named third-team listed . . . Named to the USA Today Super 25 prior to his senior season, one of just pre-season all-SEC by the league’s head coaches . . . Made the move late in preseason three defensive backs mentioned, and to that newspaper’s second-team, all-America camp from cornerback to safety, where he worked at both free and strong prior to the ’04 list at defensive back following his senior year . . . Tom Lemming has him ranked as the season . . . Opened his sophomore season as a reserve there and recorded three tackles No. 3 safety in the country for ESPN.com . . . Ranked as the No. 10 defensive prospect, in the Bulldogs’ season-opening 28-7 win over Tulane . . . Tallied four hits in the team’s regardless of position, in the country and with the top 20 defensive backs in the nation Week 2 game with Auburn . . . Played, but did not record statistics, in Week 3 game by Phil Grosz in the preseason G&W Recruiting Report . . . Positioned at No. 6 in the against Maine . . . Registered six tackles and a caused fumble at LSU one week later . . . Southeast’s top players by G&W following his senior season . . . Rated with the top six Added three tackles in Week 5 work at Vanderbilt . . . Made four tackles one week later defensive backs in the Southeast in Rivals/PrepStar preseason magazine . . . Considered against UAB . . . Over the next fi ve weeks, he recorded 36 tackles (7.2 per game) . . . the top overall prospect in the state by that publication . . . Named to the Tampa Tribune Made the move to the linebacker rotation and earned his fi rst career start at linebacker newspaper’s Best of the South, a ranking of the top 20 players in that region of the coun- on the weak side during State’s Week 7 win over Florida . . . Responded with a standout

58 PLAYER PROFILES

try . . . Named second-team, all-South by Fox Sports Net as one of the top athletes in the South . . . Named to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super Southern 100, a list of the top 100 players in the South . . . Was one of just 14 defensive backs mentioned on that Bryson prestigious team . . . Named Mississippi’s Gatorade all-American following his senior sea- son . . . Rated the No. 3 player overall in the state of Mississippi by SuperPrep in its sea- DAVIS son-ending all-America issue, the top-rated defensive back . . . That publication has him ranked No. 31 on its all-America listing of the nation’s top defensive backs . . . Named to Fullback the Jackson Clarion-Ledger’s Dandy Dozen as one of the state’s top 12 prospects prior 6-2 • 266 • Sr. • 3L to his senior season . . . Ranked No. 1 on the Clarion-Ledger list of the state’s 10 most wanted football prospects . . . Named fi rst-team, all-state in the defensive backfi eld by Plainview, Texas 41 the Clarion-Ledger following his senior season . . . Was also named the metro Jackson Plainview player of the year by that newspaper . . . Credited with running a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash with a 295-pound bench press by the Clarion-Ledger . . . Named fi rst-team, all-state in CAREER: Has played in all 34 games of his Mississippi State career after redshirting his Class 4A at the safety position by the Mississippi Association of Coaches . . . Registered fi rst season on campus, initially working both as a reserve fullback and on special teams . 10 interceptions during his prep career, helping head coach Willie Collins’ Provine High . . Broke into the starting lineup during his sophomore season and has earned 14 opening School in Jackson to a 26-9 three-year record . . . Recorded 64 tackles, three pass inter- calls in the backfi eld . . . Has rushed 17 times for 56 yards (3.3 yards per carry) and caught ceptions and two fumble recoveries in ’02 . . . Also blocked a pair of punts . . . Helped 26 passes for 181 yards (a 7.0-yard average) and one touchdown . . . Two-sport standout his high school team to an 8-3 record during his senior season . . . Standout on both sides in the Texas prep ranks. of the ball, he had 22 pass receptions for 430 yards and 10 touchdowns during the ’02 2006: Solid spring workout verifi ed his position as one of the top true fullbacks in the season . . . Was fi rst-team, all-state and all-metro by the Clarion-Ledger as a junior and Southeastern Conference . . . Was held out of most contact work during the spring as an was named the Class 4A defensive player of the year following his junior campaign . . . injury precaution, but did catch one pass in the spring-ending Maroon and White game. Helped lead Provine to an 11-1 mark during his junior campaign . . . Made 48 tackles, 2005: Played in all 11 games during his junior season, earning nine starts in the backfi eld three fumble recoveries and had fi ve pass interceptions in ’01 . . . Grabbed 17 passes for for the Bulldogs . . . Was not on the fi eld to open a game (Murray State and Georgia) only 259 yards, a 15.2-yard average, and seven touchdowns during his junior year . . . Was a when the team opted to open in multiple wide receiver lineups . . . Rushed eight times three-time all-metro selection . . . Also a state champion in the Class 4A high jump com- for 24 yards, a 3.0-yard average, and caught 13 passes for 78 yards (6.0-yard average) petition with a 6-10 personal best . . . Solid student in the classroom . . . Selected to play and one touchdown . . . Was solid at the fullback position to open his junior season . . in the Mississippi-Alabama High School all-star game. . Rushed one time for 3 yards and added a pass reception (6 yards) in the team’s 38-6 PERSONAL: Born Quinton Kalep Culberson, 10-21-85, in Jackson, Miss. . . . Son of Mr. victory over Murray State . . . Was instrumental in helping halfback Jerious Norwood and Mrs. Quincy Culberson . . . Majoring in teaching and coaching. surpass the 100-yard rushing mark against the Racers (123 yards, 16 carries) . . . Returned to the stats sheet and tied for the team lead with four pass receptions (28 yards) against CULBERSON’S CAREER DEFENSIVE STATS Georgia in Week 4 . . . Caught one pass (12 yards) against LSU one week later . . . Added YEAR G/GS TT UT AT TFL-YDS SCK-YDS FF/FR PD INT-YDS another pass reception in Week 6 at Florida, gaining 2 yards on the catch . . . After rush- 2003 8/8 42 34 8 3.0-9 0.0-0 1/0 6 0-0 ing just one time in the season’s fi rst six weeks, he carried the pigskin seven times over 2004 11/5 56 41 15 0.0-0 0.0-0 1/0 2 1-35 the last fi ve games . . . Rushed twice (4 yards) and caught one pass for 4 yards one game 2005 11/11 78 49 29 1.5-9 1.0-7 1/0 0 1-0 later vs. Houston . . . Rushed two times (2 yards) and had one pass reception (4 yards) TOTALS 30/24 176 124 52 4.5-18 1.0-7 3/0 8 2-35 at Kentucky in Week 8 . . . Caught two passes (15 yards) a week later against Alabama . . . Culminated the season with three carries for 15 yards in State’s 35-14 win over Ole DATE OPPONENT TT UT AT TFL-YDS INT-YDS Miss in the Battle for the Golden Egg . . . Also caught two passes for 7 yards, including a 1-yard TD reception, against the Rebels . . . Scored his fi rst collegiate touchdown on a 8/31/03 * OREGON 5 2 3 0.0-0 0-0 short pass from Michael Henig midway through the fourth quarter, a score that gave the 9/13/03 * at Tulane 3 3 0 0.0-0 0-0 Bulldogs’ a 28-14 advantage at the time . . . Waged in a battle for the starting fullback call 9/20/03 * at Houston 3 2 1 0.0-0 0-0 throughout spring practice . . . Had two catches for 21 yards in the spring-ending Maroon 9/27/03 * LSU 5 4 1 1.0-3 0-0 and White game . . . Listed second at the position heading into August. 10/4/03 * VANDERBILT 9 8 1 0.0-0 0-0 2004: Played in all 11 games during his sophomore season, earning fi ve starts at the full- 10/11/03 * MEMPHIS 10 9 1 2.0-6 0-0 back position . . . Earned his fi ve starts during the last six weeks of the season . . . Rushed 10/18/03 * at Auburn 3 3 0 0.0-0 0-0 seven times for 28 yards and caught eight passes for 74 yards (9.3 yards per catch) . . . 10/25/03 * at Kentucky 4 3 1 0.0-0 0-0 Opened his sophomore season as the top reserve at the fullback position . . . Caught one 9/4/04 TULANE 3 1 2 0.0-0 0-0 pass (7 yards) in the Bulldogs’ season-opening 28-7 win over Tulane . . . Added two pass receptions for 16 yards during Week 2 work against Auburn . . . Made another catch (8 9/11/04 AUBURN 4 3 1 0.0-0 0-0 yards) during Week 3 action vs. Maine . . . Returned to the stats sheet two weeks later at 9/18/04 MAINE 0 0 0 0.0-0 0-0 Vanderbilt . . . Rushed one time for 4 yards and added one pass reception for 11 yards 9/25/04 at LSU 6 3 3 0.0-0 0-0 10/2/04 at Vanderbilt 3 3 0 0.0-0 0-0 10/9/04 UAB 4 4 0 0.0-0 0-0 10/23/04 * FLORIDA 7 6 1 0.0-0 0-0 10/30/04 * KENTUCKY 7 4 3 0.0-0 1-35 11/6/04 * at Alabama 5 3 2 0.0-0 0-0 11/20/04 * ARKANSAS 11 9 2 0.0-0 0-0 11/27/04 * at Mississippi 6 5 1 0.0-0 0-0 9/3/05 * MURRAY STATE 5 2 3 0.0-0 1-0 9/10/05 * at Auburn 10 6 4 0.0-0 0-0 9/17/05 * vs. Tulane 8 4 4 0.0-0 0-0 9/24/05 * GEORGIA 6 4 2 0.0-0 0-0 10/1/05 * LSU 6 4 2 1.0-7 0-0 10/8/05 * at Florida 6 1 5 0.0-0 0-0 10/22/05 * HOUSTON 6 4 2 0.0-0 0-0 10/29/05 * at Kentucky 12 9 3 0.0-0 0-0 11/05/05 * ALABAMA 6 5 1 0.0-0 0-0 FB BRYSON DAVIS 11/19/05 * vs. Arkansas 7 7 0 0.0-0 0-0 11/26/05 * OLE MISS 6 3 3 0.5-2 0-0

59 PLAYER PROFILES

against the Commodores . . . Had the best game of his sophomore season in Week 6 fi ve passes for 29 yards (a 5.8-yard average) . . . Saw his fi rst collegiate action in State’s when he earned his fi rst career start . . . Rushed four times for 19 yards, a 4.8-yard per season opener against Oregon, but recorded no statistics . . . Recorded statistics for the carry average, against UAB . . . Was also instrumental in Jerious Norwood breaking the fi rst time in his collegiate career during Week 4 work vs. LSU . . . Caught two passes for 200-yard rushing plateau with his blocking effort against the Blazers . . . Again provided 16 passes against the Tigers . . . Rushed one time (4 yards) during the Bulldogs’ Week effective escort service for Norwood one week later in a second straight start, helping 6 win over Memphis . . . Added one reception (3 yards) a week later at Auburn . . . Had the Bulldog gain 174 yards in the team’s win over Florida . . . Also caught two passes for one catch (9 yards) during Week 9 action against Alabama . . . Added another catch (1 15 yards in the 38-31 win over the Gators . . . Missed starting for the only time during yard) a week later at Tennessee . . . Rushed one time (no gain) at Arkansas in Week 11, the fi nal month and a half one week later against Kentucky . . . Had one rush for 4 yards missing some time during the game with a shoulder nerve injury . . . Listed third at the in State’s 22-7 victory over the Wildcats . . . Had one pass reception for 17 yards in the fullback position following spring practice . . . Caught two passes for 11 yards in three Bulldogs’ home-season ending game with Arkansas . . . Rushed once (1 yard) vs. Ole scrimmage situations. Miss . . . Showed signifi cant improvement during a productive spring despite battling 2002: Redshirted his true freshman season. a nagging shoulder injury . . . Listed second in the fullback picture following the spring HIGH SCHOOL: Three-year varsity starter in both football and basketball on the prep . . . Underwent post-spring shoulder surgery, a procedure which did not hamper his level . . . Accounted for nearly 1,000 yards rushing and receiving during his senior season sophomore season. for head coach Marty McClintock at Plainview (Texas) High School . . . Was all-district and 2003: Played in all 12 games during his redshirt freshman season, seeing action as both all-South Plains as a fullback in his senior season . . . Scored 10 touchdowns during that a reserve at fullback and on special teams . . . Rushed two times for 4 yards and caught senior campaign . . . Rushed 111 times for 752 yards and seven touchdowns and caught 16 passes for 185 yards and three more scores . . . Also a standout basketball player, DAVIS’ CAREER RUSHING STATS averaging better than 21 points per game . . . Started for three years in both football YEAR G/GS ATT. YARDS AVG. TD LONG / OPP. and basketball. 2003 12/0 2 4 2.0 0 4 / Memphis PERSONAL: Born Bryson Thomas Davis, 12-13-83, in Hale Center, Texas . . . Son of 2004 11/5 7 28 4.0 0 8 / UAB Mr. and Mrs. Ardis Davis . . . His great uncle Lawrence McCutcheon played professional 2005 11/9 8 24 3.0 0 9 / Ole Miss football . . . Majoring in interdisciplinary studies. TOTAL 34/14 17 56 3.3 0 9 / OLE MISS Anthony DAVIS’ CAREER RECEIVING STATS DUNNING YEAR G/GS REC. YARDS AVG. TD LONG / OPP. 2003 12/0 5 29 5.8 0 10 / LSU Offensive Guard 2004 11/5 8 74 9.3 0 17 / Arkansas 2005 11/9 13 78 6.0 1 13 / Georgia 6-3 • 309 • So. • 1L TOTAL 34/14 26 181 7.0 1 13 / GEORGIA Thomasville, Ala. 72 Coffeeville DATE OPPONENT REC YARDS AVG TD LONG 8/31/03 OREGON 0 0 — 0 — CAREER: Pressed into immediate service on the offensive line from the outset of his col- 9/13/03 at Tulane 0 0 — 0 — legiate career . . . Has played in seven games during his tenure in Starkville, earning one 9/20/03 at Houston 0 0 — 0 — start on the offensive line . . . Had his fi rst season interrupted by a knee injury. 9/27/03 LSU 2 16 8.0 0 10 2006: Injury-free spring kept him in the hunt for playing time along the offensive line . . 10/4/03 VANDERBILT 0 0 — 0 — . Enters the fall second on the depth chart at right offensive guard. 10/11/03 MEMPHIS 0 0 — 0 — 2005: Played in seven games during his true freshman season, earning one start at mid- 10/18/03 at Auburn 1 3 3.0 0 3 season . . . Played in the fi rst fi ve games of the season and in the fi nal two games of the 10/25/03 at Kentucky 0 0 — 0 — year . . . Was on the fi eld for 29 of a possible 71 plays in the fi rst game of his collegiate 11/8/03 ALABAMA 1 9 9.0 0 9 career, a 38-6 win over Murray State in the season opener . . . Saw action on 17 of the 59 offensive snaps State took at Auburn in the SEC opener one week later . . . Was the only 11/15/03 at Tennessee 1 1 1.0 0 1 reserve offensive lineman to see any action in Week 3 win over Tulane, and his appear- 11/22/03 vs. Arkansas 0 0 — 0 — ance on the Shreveport turf was for one play only . . . Was on the fi eld for 21 offensive 11/29/03 OLE MISS 0 0 — 0 — snaps a week later vs. Georgia, making a pair of knockdown blocks . . . Made his fi rst col- 9/4/04 TULANE 1 7 7.0 0 7 legiate start against LSU in Week 5 . . . Was on the fi eld for 41 of a possible 56 offensive 9/11/04 AUBURN 2 16 8.0 0 16 snaps against the Tigers with one knockdown block . . . Had surgery for a torn meniscus 9/18/04 MAINE 1 8 8.0 0 8 (knee cartilage) during game-week preparations for the Florida contest and did not make 9/25/04 at LSU 0 0 — 0 — the trip to Gainesville . . . Returned to the playing fi eld for the fi rst time in more than a 10/2/04 at Vanderbilt 1 11 11.0 0 11 month with seven snaps against Arkansas in Week 10 . . . Culminated the season with a 10/9/04 * UAB 0 0 — 0 — solid showing against Ole Miss in the season-ending Battle for the Golden Egg. HIGH SCHOOL: Named the state of Alabama Class 1A Player of the Year for all positions 10/23/04 * FLORIDA 2 15 7.5 0 10 by the Montgomery Advertiser and selected fi rst-team, all-state on the offensive line by 10/30/04 KENTUCKY 0 0 — 0 — that newspaper . . . Credited with a 285-pound bench press max by recruiting web site Ri- 11/6/04 * at Alabama 0 0 — 0 — vals.com . . . Two-way lineman starter for head coach Robin Tyra at Coffeeville (Ala.) High 11/20/04 * ARKANSAS 1 17 17.0 0 17 School . . . A three-time fi nalist for the Class 1A Offensive Lineman of the Year Award, an 11/27/04 * at Ole Miss 0 0 — 0 — award given annually by the Alabama Sports Writers Association . . . He took home that 9/3/05 MURRAY STATE 1 6 6.0 0 6 honor following his senior season . . . Also selected the top offensive lineman in Class 1A 9/10/05 * at Auburn 0 0 — 0 — by the Alabama prepsports.net online service . . . Also named fi rst-team, all-state on the 9/17/05 * vs. Tulane 0 0 — 0 — offensive line in his classifi cation by the Alabama Sports Writers Association . . . Led his 9/24/05 GEORGIA 4 28 7.0 0 13 team to a 7-3 record and into the fi rst round of the Class 1A state playoffs . . . Graded out at a 92 percent clip at offensive guard and added 69 total tackles, with four sacks and 10/1/05 * LSU 1 12 12.0 0 12 four caused fumbles as a defensive end . . . Made 97 tackles during his junior season . . 10/8/05 * at Florida 1 2 2.0 0 2 . Started since the seventh grade at Coffeeville . . . Started both ways at tackle from the 10/22/05 * HOUSTON 1 4 4.0 0 4 seventh through the ninth grade and offensive guard and defensive end from the 10th 10/29/05 * at Kentucky 1 4 4.0 0 4 grade on . . . Was second-team, all-state as a ninth grader and fi rst-team, all-state the 11/05/05 * ALABAMA 2 15 7.5 0 8 fi nal three seasons . . . Also a standout basketball player on the prep level . . . Committed 11/19/05 * vs. Arkansas 0 0 — 0 — to MSU in December 2004. 11/26/05 * OLE MISS 2 7 3.5 1 6 PERSONAL: Born Anthony Paul Dunning, 1-4-86, in Morvin, Ala. . . . Son of Ms. Georgia Dunning . . . Majoring in general business administration.

60 PLAYER PROFILES

Marcus Keith EVANS FITZHUGH

Defensive Back Defensive Back 5-11 • 197 • Sr. • 1L 5-11 • 207 • So. • 1L Starkville, Miss. 15 Hampton, Ga. 1 Starkville Lovejoy

CAREER: Has played in 11 games during his Mississippi State career after transferring CAREER: Has played in all 11 games of his Mississippi State career, seeing game action from Alcorn (Miss.) State . . . Registered six tackles, contributing primarily on special from the outset of his collegiate career . . . Has earned one start in the defensive back- teams, during that one varsity season . . . Played at nearby Starkville (Miss.) High School fi eld as a true freshman . . . Has made 13 total tackles, including one for loss (minus 1 during his prep career. yard) . . . Has recorded one pass interception . . . Enrolled at Mississippi State in January 2006: Registered fi ve tackles with a pass defl ection during three spring scrimmages to 2005 and participated in spring practice. continue contention for playing time in the secondary and on special teams. 2006: Outstanding spring practice period was cut short when he missed the fi nal week 2005: Played in all 11 games during his junior season, working primarily on special of drills due to a non-injury situation . . . Registered 13 tackles, including one for loss, in teams, but seeing some action as a reserve in the secondary . . . Made six tackles on the the spring’s fi rst two scrimmages . . . Also returned a fumble 56 yards for a touchdown . year . . . Registered one tackle each in the fi rst three games of the season (Murray State, . . Will open the fall fi rst at strong safety. at Auburn and against Tulane in Shreveport) . . . Added a season-best three tackles at 2005: Played in all 11 games during his true freshman season, starting one time in Florida in Week 6. the defensive backfi eld . . . Made 13 tackles 2004: Sat out the season to establish his academic eligibility at Mississippi State. on the year, including one for loss (minus 1 2003: Sat out the season after transferring from Alcorn State University. yard) . . . Also recorded his fi rst collegiate ALCORN STATE: Credited with 35 tackles and a fumble recovery. interception during his fi rst year on cam- HIGH SCHOOL: Helped Starkville (Miss.) High School to a 22-4 record during his fi nal pus . . . Made 11 of his season-total tack- two seasons (1999-2000) at the prep level . . . Played running back and strong safety for les during the season’s fi rst six weeks . . . head coach Chuck Friend’s Yellowjackets . . . During his high school career, he made more Registered one tackle in Mississippi State’s than 250 total tackles with four interceptions . . . Credited with fi ve forced fumbles and season-opening 38-6 win over Murray State three recoveries . . . Also lettered in track and baseball at SHS. . . . Added another hit one week later in the PERSONAL: Born Marcus Allen Evans, 9-15-82, in Starkville, Miss. . . . Son of Ms. Mary team’s SEC opener at Auburn . . . Made two Randle . . . Cousins Jason Clark (2000-03) and Tee Milons (2002-05) lettered in football at tackles against Tulane in the Bulldogs’ 21- State . . . Majoring in teaching and coaching. 14 win over the Green Wave in Week 3 . . . Added two more tackles a week later vs. Georgia . . . Made it three straight weeks Ty with a pair of tackles against LSU in Week 5 . . . One of his hits vs. the Tigers came EVANS behind the line of scrimmage (minus 1 yard) . . . Recorded three tackles in his fi rst career DB KEITH FITZHUGH Quarterback start during Week 6 work at Florida . . . Also 6-3 • 197 • RFr. • RS had his fi rst career pass interception against the Gators . . . Returned to the stats sheet Lexington, Tenn. 16 during Week 8 work at Kentucky with one Lexington hit . . . Added another tackle in State’s sea- son-ending 35-14 win over Ole Miss in the Battle for the Golden Egg . . . Had a standout spring practice session and emerged from those drills second on the depth chart at right CAREER: Still awaiting his fi rst opportunity to help Mississippi State on the game fi eld . . cornerback . . . Was one of the highlights of State’s Maroon and White spring game . . . . Came to the program following a solid high school career in Tennessee. Only had one tackle, but defl ected one pass and had a pass interception (3-yard return) 2006: Benefi ted from his fi rst spring practice at State to continue development in the . . . Also made a brief appearance at wide receiver on offense. West Coast Offense . . . Completed four-of-10 passes for 30 yards and a pair of intercep- HIGH SCHOOL: Listed as the No. 16 cornerback prospect in the country by Rivals.com tions in the spring-closing Maroon and White game. in its mid-November web site release . . . That site also listed him as the No. 19 prospect 2005: Sat out the season as a true freshman redshirt. overall in Georgia, the top-rated defensive back . . . Rivals.com credits him with running HIGH SCHOOL: Attended the Baton Rouge NIKE Training Camp and fi nished second a 4.4 in the 40-yard dash . . . Mentioned with the top 44 defensive backs in the South- among all quarterbacks with 14 repetitions of 185 pounds on the bench press . . . Rated east by the G&W Recruiting Report prior to his senior season . . . Listed as the No. 60 the No. 15 prospect in the state of Tennessee following his senior season by recruiting prospect on the Scout.com preseason chart of the top 100 prospects in the Southeast, web site Rivals.com, the No. 2 ranked quarterback . . . Scout.com listed him as the No. the fi fth-ranked cornerback mentioned . . . Ranked No. 71, regardless of position, on the 19 prospect in Tennessee, again the second-rated quarterback . . . Two-time all-state per- TheInsidersRecruiting.com postseason list of the top 100 players in the Southeast, the former, who did not miss a game in four years as his school’s starting quarterback . . . Led 11th-best defensive back on that chart . . . Rated as the No. 18 prospect, regardless of his prep team to the state playoffs three straight years . . . Completed 303-of-593 passes position, in the state of Georgia by UGAsports.com, the top-rated defensive back in the (.511) in his career for 4,354 yards and 41 touchdowns . . . As a senior for head coach state prior to his senior season . . . Named fi rst-team, Class 5A all-state by the Atlanta Steve Lindsey at Lexington (Tenn.) High School, he completed 88-of-171 passes (.514) Journal-Constitution and to that newspaper’s list of the top 100 players in the South for 1,552 yards and 19 touchdowns and added 300 yards rushing and six more scores . following his senior season . . . Helped guide tradition-rich Lovejoy (Ga.) High School . . Was named fi rst-team, Class 3A all-state by the Tennessee Sports Writers Association to an 8-4 record and into the state playoffs during his senior season . . . Recorded three following his senior season . . . That organization also recognized him as an all-West pass interceptions and returned two fumble recoveries for touchdown . . . Also had 14 Tennessee performer . . . Named honorable mention all-state (all classifi cations) by the pass receptions for 218 yards as a wide receiver . . . Saw some time at running back and Associated Press . . . Selected his region’s Offensive Most Valuable Player following that season . . . Completed 90-of-168 passes (.536) for 1,440 yards and 11 touchdowns with FITZHUGH’S CAREER DEFENSIVE STATS just four interceptions during junior campaign . . . Named honorable mention all-state by YEAR G/GS TT UT AT TFL-YDS SCK-YDS FF/FR PD INT-YDS the TSWA that season . . . Also started at punter during his senior season . . . Three-sport 2005 11/1 13 9 4 1.0-1 0.0-0 0/0 1 1-0 standout on the prep level, excelling in basketball and baseball as well. PERSONAL: Born Tyler James Evans, 2-17-87, in Memphis, Tenn. . . . Son of Mr. and Mrs. TOTALS 11/1 13 9 4 1.0-1 0.0-0 0/0 1 1-0 Wib Evans . . . Majoring in general business administration.

61 PLAYER PROFILES

kick returner as well during his senior campaign . . . Played for head coach Al Hughes . les with three pass defl ections during his still-infant Bulldog tenure . . . Redshirted his true . . Started at safety, but made one pass interception at cornerback, during the Georgia freshman season, working with the scout team in the defensive backfi eld . . . A two-way North-South All-Star Game in Columbus, Ga. . . . Member of a South team that shut out standout on the high school level, he came to MSU from prep talent-rich Atlanta. the North, 13-0 . . . First-team, all-Region 4-AAAAA . . . A two-time, all-Clayton/Henry 2006: Productive spring practice kept him in the hunt for playing time at free safety and County all-star . . . Made 83 tackles and had three pass interceptions during his junior on special teams . . . Led the Maroon team with four tackles in the spring-ending fi nal season, earning honorable mention all-state recognition, and helping lead his team to an scrimmage . . . Listed second at free safety entering August. 11-1 record . . . He returned one interception 96 yards for a touchdown and also returned 2005: Played in all 11 games during his redshirt freshman season, earning three start- a pair of fumbles for scores as a junior . . . Started all four years of his high school career, ing calls in the defensive backfi eld . . . Opened a pair of midseason games (LSU and at helping the Wildcats to a 38-9 record . . . Credited with a 265-pound bench press and a Florida), as well as the season-closer vs. Ole Miss at strong safety . . . Registered 14 total 400-pound squat by Dawgsbite.com . . .Carried a 3.0 grade point average in the class- tackles on the year . . . Also credited with three pass defl ections . . . Recorded one tackle room . . . Other top scholarship offers: Southern Cal, Auburn, Tennessee, Florida, Notre in Mississippi State’s season-opening win over Murray State . . . Added another tackle a Dame, Georgia, and South Carolina . . . Committed to MSU June 2004. week later in the Bulldogs’ SEC opener at Auburn . . . After making just two tackles in the PERSONAL: Born Keith Callay Fitzhugh, 11-11-86, in Jacksonville, Fla. . . . Son of Mr. and season’s fi rst four weeks, he had 12 hits over the season’s fi nal seven games . . . Earned Mrs. Keith Fitzhugh . . . Majoring in general business administration. his fi rst collegiate start, subbing for an injured DeMario Bobo, in Week 5 game with LSU . . . Made a pair of hits against the Tigers . . . Earned his second start one week later against Florida . . Michael . Recorded four tackles and pass break up against the Gators . . . Added two tackles in State’s next GATES game against Houston and in the team’s Week 8 road game at Kentucky . . . Made one tackle and Offensive Tackle registered a pass defl ection against Alabama in 6-4 • 305 • So. • 1L Week 9 . . . Recorded one tackle and one pass break up at Arkansas one week later . . .Earned Fairburn, Ga. 78 the fi nal start of his redshirt freshman campaign Sandy Creek in State’s season-ending 35-14 win over Ole Miss in the Battle for the Golden Egg . . . Registered a pair of tackles in the spring-ending Maroon and CAREER: Was pressed into immediate service during his true freshman campaign along White game . . . Exited those drills third on the the offensive line . . . Has seen action in six games during his still-infant career, working depth chart at the free safety position. as a reserve at offensive tackle . . . Came to the Bulldog football program following one 2004: Sat out the season as a true freshman red- DB DE’MON GLANTON season of high school play at the tight end position. shirt. 2006: Lost his chance to continue in the battle for the fi rst-unit berth at right offensive HIGH SCHOOL: Credited with running a 4.4 in tackle when he missed the fi nal week of spring due to a non-injury related situation . . . the 40-yard dash by the Insiders.com online re- Listed third at the position as two-a-days begin. cruiting website . . . Started for two seasons on both sides of the football at Mays High 2005: Played in six games during his true freshman season, seeing all of his work as School in Atlanta, Ga. . . . As a senior, he had more than 600 yards receiving from his wide a reserve at offensive tackle . . . Despite limited experience on the offensive line, was receiver position, and six interceptions on the defensive side of the ball . . . Was named thrust into action during his fi rst year on campus due to youth and inexperience at of- honorable mention all-state in 2003 . . . Led Mays to an 11-1 overall record and into the fensive tackle . . . Was on the fi eld for 35 offensive snaps against Murray State in the second round of the state playoffs as regional champions . . . An honor roll student, he season opener and recorded three knockdown blocks . . . Saw action on eight snaps in was named “Who’s Who Among High School Students.” the team’s SEC opener at Auburn one week later . . . Returned to the playing fi eld for 13 PERSONAL: Born De’Mon A. Glanton, 7-22-86, in Atlanta, Ga. . . . Son of Ms. Lisa Glan- fourth-quarter snaps against LSU in Week 5 . . . Again played in a limited role one week ton . . . Nicknamed “Red” . . . Majoring in general business administration. later at Florida, participating in eight late-game snaps . . . Concluded his true freshman campaign seeing back-up work in the team’s season-ending 35-14 win over Ole Miss in the Battle for the Golden Egg. Adrian HIGH SCHOOL: Originally from Westchester and New Rochelle, New York, he moved to Georgia prior to his senior year . . . Played tight end for head coach Rodney Walker Sr., GRIFFIN at Sandy Creek High School in Tyrone, Ga. . . . Helped lead his high school team to an 11-1 overall record, into the second round of the Georgia AAAA postseason playoffs and Defensive Back to a ninth-place fi nish in the Class 4A rankings, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitu- tion . . . His team was Region 4-AAAA champions . . . Had 10 catches for more than 200 5-9 • 169 • Jr. • 2L yards receiving and three touchdown passes during his senior season . . . Considered LaGrange Ga. basketball his primary sport until moving south in November 2003 . . . As a sophomore at LaGrange Tuckahoe High School in Westchester, N.Y., he started all but one game and helped lead his team to a 20-5 record as the squad’s third-leading scorer . . . Carried a 3.2 grade point average in the high school classroom . . . Other top scholarship offers: Kentucky and Ole CAREER: Pressed into immediate service upon his arrival on the Mississippi State cam- Miss . . . Committed to MSU in January 2005. pus from the Georgia prep ranks . . . Has played in 15 games during his career, including PERSONAL: Born Michael Jerrod Gates, 10-30-87, in Tyler, Texas . . . Son of Mr. and Mrs. all 12 during his true freshman season . . . Has seen most of his work on special teams, but Clarence Gates . . . Majoring in general business administration. has also served as a reserve at cornerback as well . . . Has made 10 tackles in limited work . . . Came to MSU following a star-studded high school career in Georgia. 2006: Injury short-circuited his spring practice period and slowed his progression in the DeÊMon defensive secondary . . . Looks to return to full-speed for pre-season two-a-days. 2005: Played in six games during his sophomore season, seeing action early vs. Murray GLANTON State and Tulane, and in four of the season’s fi nal fi ve weeks . . . Registered his only tackle of the season on special teams coverage during the team’s Week 3 win over Tulane . . . Defensive Back Returned to the practice fi eld competing for playing time in the defensive backfi eld dur- ing spring practice . . . Made one hit in the spring-ending Maroon and White game . . . 6-1 • 184 • So. • 1L Finished those drills as a reserve at right cornerback. Atlanta, Ga. 8 2004: Sat out the season to re-establish his eligibility at Mississippi State . . . Worked Mays with the scout team throughout the year at cornerback . . . One of the real bright spots during State’s four-week spring practice . . . Culminated those drills at the top of the depth chart at left cornerback . . . Made six tackles and had one pass interception (38- CAREER: Has played in all 11 games of his Mississippi State career, having earned three yard touchdown return in the fi nal spring scrimmage) and a pass defl ection during scrim- starting calls in the secondary during his redshirt freshman season . . . Has made 14 tack- mage work.

62 PLAYER PROFILES

2003: Played in all 12 games during his inaugural season on the MSU campus . . . Saw with one pass pressure . . . After a brief trial at linebacker, he returned to the defensive most of his playing time on special teams, but did work in some reserve duty in the line during camp and entered the ’04 season as a reserve at defensive end . . . Worked secondary at cornerback . . . Made nine tackles on the year, in nine different games . . . as a reserve during the Bulldogs’ season-opening 28-7 win over Tulane and recorded one Made one hit in each of the fi rst fi ve games of the year . . . Wasted little time making his tackle . . . Saw increased playing time one week later against Auburn . . . In late-game presence felt for the Bulldogs during his true freshman season . . . Served as a reserve at duty, he made three tackles, two of which were the team’s only quarterback sacks (minus cornerback in the team’s season opener against Oregon . . . Only missed making a tackle 13 yards) against the Tigers . . . He was credited with a quarterback pressure and a caused in three games (vs. Memphis at mid-season, at Kentucky in Week 8, and in the season- fumble that the offense turned into the second touchdown of the game . . . Recorded a ending game with Mississippi). pair of tackles during Week 3 action against Maine . . . Totaled three tackles one week HIGH SCHOOL: Named to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super Southern 100, a list later at LSU . . . After making nine hits during the season’s fi rst four weeks, he recorded of the top 100 players in the South . . . Was one of just 14 defensive backs mentioned on just one tackle the remainder of the season (vs. Ole Miss) . . . Made a spring-time move that prestigious team . . . The Atlanta paper also listed him among the top 50 players in from a down position on the line of scrimmage to middle linebacker in an effort to give the Peach State, one of just eight defensive backs . . . Named third-team, all-South by him more opportunities on the fi eld . . . Had a standout spring, leading the team with 15 Fox Sports Net as an athlete . . . Rated with the top 50 defensive backs in the southeast tackles in three spring scrimmages . . . Also paced the club with eight hits behind the line by PrepStar magazine in its preseason issue . . . Credited with running a 4.5 in the 40-yard of scrimmage (minus 29 yards), three of which were quarterback sacks (minus 15 yards) . . dash by that publication . . . Rated the No. 24 player overall in the state of Georgia by . Closed the spring second at middle linebacker behind Marvin Byrdsong. SuperPrep in its season-ending, all-America issue, the fourth-rated cornerback in its rank- 2003: Sat out the season as a true freshman redshirt. ings . . . Helped coach Steve Pardue’s LaGrange (Ga.) High School team to a 37-2 record HIGH SCHOOL: Ranked No. 55 among all strongside defensive ends in the country by during his fi nal three prep campaigns, including a 14-0 mark during his junior season and Rivals.com . . . Credited with running a 4.6 in the 40-yard dash by that recruiting service . Class 3A state championship . . . He led LaGrange to a 12-1 overall record during his . . Rated with the top 50 defensive linemen in the Southeast in Rivals/PrepStar preseason senior season and to a Class 6-3A regional championship . . . Made 45 tackles that year, magazine . . . Credited with a 350-pound bench press by that publication . . . Three-year helping the LaGrange defense shut out seven opponents during the season . . . Made 73 starter at defensive tackle for head coach Tommy Walburn at Troup County (Ga.) High tackles and had fi ve interceptions in helping LaGrange to a state title during his junior School in LaGrange . . . A three-time, all-state selection in the Georgia Class 4A ranks . . . campaign as well . . . Also a standout triple jumper on the track team who fi nished sixth Chosen to play in the Georgia-Florida high school all-star game . . . Registered 301 total in the state as a junior . . . Solid student on the prep level. tackles during his high school career, recording 17.5 quarterback sacks and 46 tackles for PERSONAL: Born Adrian Montranez Griffi n, 6-22-85, in LaGrange, Ga. . . . Son of Ms. loss . . . Also caused nine fumbles and recovered fi ve . . . Made 125 tackles, including 13 Tara Davidson and grandson of Ms. Ruby Davidson . . . Major is undeclared. tackles for loss, 10 of which were sacks during his junior season, leading his team to an 11-3 record . . . Also forced three fumbles . . . Was the Georgia Class 4-A state champion wrestler at the 215-pound weight class during his freshman and junior years . . . Gave Avery up the sport during his senior season to concentrate on football despite ranking third nationally in his weight division . . . Honor roll student on the prep level. HANNIBAL PERSONAL: Born Avery Weaver Hannibal, 11-17-83, in Passaic, N.J. . . . Son of Mrs. Joan Bradshaw, he lived with Mr. and Mrs. Ricky Smith (guardians) . . . Majoring in criminal Defensive End justice. 6-1 • 237 • Jr. • 2L LaGrange Ga. 51 Brandon Troup County HART

CAREER: Has played in all 22 games of his Mississippi State career, contributing primar- Running Back ily on special teams but seeing some work as a reserve along the defensive line . . . Has made 16 tackles, including three quarterback sacks (minus 24 yards) . . . Has also caused 5-11 • 238 • So. • 1L a pair of fumbles . . . Redshirted his true freshman season . . . Came to the Bulldogs fol- LaGrange Ga. 35 lowing an all-state high school career in Georgia. Troup County 2006: Big-play spring session kept him in line for playing time along the defensive line . . . Recorded fi ve tackles during three spring scrimmages, including four and one-half for loss, three of which were quarterback sacks . . . Enters August second on the depth CAREER: Pressed into immediate duty as a true freshman at Mississippi State, working chart at right defensive end. as a reserve at the fullback position and on special teams . . . Has played in nine games 2005: Played in all 11 games during his sophomore season, continuing his work on during his still-infant career, missing time only due to injury . . . Has rushed 11 times for special teams and as a valuable reserve on the 24 yards and had one pass reception (4 yards) . . . Came to MSU as a highly regarded defensive front . . . Registered six tackles on the fullback prospect out of the Georgia prep ranks. season, a total that included one quarterback 2006: Received most of his spring work at halfback due teammate injury, although full- sack (minus 11 yards) . . . Recorded one tackle in back is considered his primary position . . . Rushed 34 times during three spring scrim- Mississippi State’s season-opening win over Mur- mages for 67 yards, a 2-yard average per carry . . . Listed third at fullback entering pre- ray State . . . Added another hit one week later at season practice. Auburn in State’s SEC opener . . . Returned to the 2005: Played in nine games during his true fresh- stats sheet in Week 6 at Florida . . . Had one hit man season, missing just twice (Week 3 game vs. against the Gators . . . Increased playing time in Tulane in Shreveport and season-ending contest the Bulldogs’ next game vs. Houston resulted in with Ole Miss) due to injury . . . Rushed 11 times a pair of tackles, including his quarterback sack for 24 yards, a 2.2-yard average, and caught one (minus 11 yards) . . . Made one tackle at Kentucky pass (4 yards) . . . Saw game action from the out- in Week 8 . . . Named the Most Improved Defen- set of his true freshman season in the fullback sive Player on the squad by the coaching staff fol- rotation for the Bulldogs . . . Received his fi rst lowing a standout spring practice . . . Rode that steady diet of rushing attempts during Mississippi four-week performance to second on the depth State’s Week 5 contest against LSU . . . Carried DE AVERY HANNIBAL chart at defensive tackle behind Deljuan Robin- fi ve times for 14 yards against the Tigers, his fi rst son . . . Recorded two tackles in the Maroon and collegiate rushing effort . . . Added four carries White game, one of which was a quarterback sack for 9 yards at Florida in Week 6 . . . Rushed two (minus 2 yards). times (1 yard) in State’s next game vs. Houston . 2004: Played in all 11 games during his fi rst season of work on the game fi eld . . . Served . . Returned to the stats sheet in Week 9 against primarily on special teams, but did see some work on the defensive line . . . Tallied 10 Alabama . . . Made one pass reception for 4 yards RB BRANDON HART tackles on the year, with two quarterback sacks to his credit (minus 13 yards) . . . Despite against the Crimson Tide . . . Saw limited playing limited activity, tied for second on the club with two caused fumbles . . . Also credited time one week later at Arkansas and suffered a

63 PLAYER PROFILES

broken bone in his lower leg to end his true freshman season. two pass break ups in MState’s Week 4 contest with Georgia . . . Recorded three tackles HIGH SCHOOL: Rated the No. 91 player, regardless of position, in the state of Georgia one week later vs. LSU . . . Made nearly half of his tackle total (18 hits) over the four-week prior to his senior season by recruiting web site Scout.com . . . Credited with running a period, Weeks 6-9 . . . Totaled four tackles, including one for loss (minus 3 yards) at 4.75 in the 40-yard dash and with a 330-pound bench press by recruiting web service Florida to open that stretch . . . Tied for second on the club with a season-best six hits in Rivals.com . . . Played for head coach Tommy Walburn at Troup High School in LaGrange, the Bulldogs’ next outing vs. Houston . . . Also had a pass defl ection against the Cougars Ga., helping the Tigers to a 36-13 record during his four seasons of varsity ball . . . Led . . . Recorded three tackles at Kentucky in Week 8 . . . Totaled fi ve tackles vs. Alabama one his prep team into the state’s postseason playoffs and culminating the year with an 8-3 week later . . . Made one tackle at Arkansas in Week 10 . . . Closed his junior campaign overall record . . . Rushed for 1,232 yards and scored 18 touchdowns during his senior with one hit in the team’s 35-14 win over Ole Miss in the Battle for the Golden Egg . . . season . . . Was named honorable mention all-state at fullback following his fi nal prep Maintained his position at the top of the depth chart at right cornerback following spring season by the Atlanta Journal Constitution . . . That newspaper also selected him to the 2005 . . . Had a solid four-week session . . . Culminated those drills with two tackles and top 100 players in the state of Georgia following his senior campaign . . . Selected to play a pair of pass defl ections in the team’s fi nal spring scrimmage. in the Georgia North-South high school all-star game . . . As a junior, he made 108 tack- 2004: Played in all 11 games and earned eight starting assignments at a cornerback les and was an all-area performer at linebacker . . . Also worked as a fullback during the position . . . Tallied 31 tackles on the season, two of which were for loss (minus 7 yards) . second half of his junior campaign, gaining more than 500 yards on just 73 carries with . . Returned one fumble 14 yards and had a pass interception (no return) during his fi rst eight touchdowns . . . Outstanding high school student with a 3.5 grade point average . year as a regular . . . Also credited with a pair of pass defl ections . . . Made the most . . Committed to MSU in November 2004. of his opportunities during preseason camp and locked down the starter’s role at right PERSONAL: Born Brandon Kingsley Hart, 7-27-87, in LaGrange, Ga. . . . Son of Mr. and cornerback to open the ’04 season . . . Recorded a pair of tackles in the team’s season- Mrs. Dwight Kelly . . . Nicknamed “Bubba” . . . Majoring in fi tness management. opening win over Tulane . . . Added three tackles one week later against Auburn . . . After starting the fi rst two weeks at cornerback, he worked in a reserve role, but recorded no statistics, against Maine . . . Registered four tackles as he moved back into the starting David lineup at LSU in Week 4 . . . Added another hit one week later in a reserve role at Van- derbilt . . . Totaled two tackles, one of which was a tackle for loss (minus 5 yards) against HEARD UAB in Week 6 as a substitute . . . Broke back into the starting lineup for the remainder of the year and played his best ball of the year in Week 7 . . . Made 19 tackles during the Cornerback season’s fi nal fi ve weeks . . . His fumble return, interception and both pass defl ections 6-0 • 192 • Sr. • 3L DAVID HEARD’S CAREER DEFENSIVE STATS Vicksburg, Miss. 23 YEAR G/GS TT UT AT TFL-YDS SCK-YDS FF/FR PBU INT-YDS Vicksburg 2003 12/0 10 5 5 0.0-0 0.0-0 0/0 0 0-0 2004 11/8 31 26 5 2.0-7 0.0-0 0/1 2 1-0 2005 11/11 37 31 6 3.0-5 0.0-0 0/0 4 0-0 CAREER: Has worked in all 34 games of his playing career at Mississippi State, and TOTALS 34/19 78 62 16 5.0-12 0.0-0 0/1 6 1-0 has earned 19 starting calls in the defensive secondary, 16 straight starts from midway through his sophomore season . . . Has made 78 tackles as a Bulldog . . . Five of his tackles have occurred behind the line of scrimmage (minus 12 yards) . . . Has also been DATE OPPONENT TT UT AT PBU INT-YDS credited with a fumble return (14 yards), one pass interception (0 yards) and six pass 8/30/03 OREGON 0 0 0 0 0-0 defl ections . . . Originally signed with MSU in February 2002 and reported for two-a-day 9/13/03 at Tulane 0 0 0 0 0-0 practices in August . . . Suffered a ligament injury in his foot during those drills and under- 9/20/03 at Houston 0 0 0 0 0-0 went surgery, suspending his full-time enrollment until ‘03 . . . Came to State following a 9/27/03 LSU 0 0 0 0 0-0 solid prep career in the state of Mississippi. 10/4/03 VANDERBILT 0 0 0 0 0-0 Held out of all spring contact work while rehabbing an off-season shoulder injury . 2006: 10/11/03 MEMPHIS 5 3 2 0 0-0 . . Should return at full-speed to his customary starting assignment at right cornerback. 10/18/03 at Auburn 0 0 0 0 0-0 2005: Started all 11 games at right cornerback for the Bulldog defense during his junior season . . . Totaled 37 tackles on the season, including three for loss (minus 5 yards) . . 10/25/03 at Kentucky 0 0 0 0 0-0 . Also credited with four pass defl ections . . . Registered two tackles, including one hit 11/8/03 ALABAMA 3 1 2 0 0-0 behind the line of scrimmage (minus 1 yard), in State’s season-opening 38-6 win over 11/15/03 at Tennessee 1 0 1 0 0-0 Murray State . . . Recorded four hits in the team’s SEC opener at Auburn in Week 2 . . . 11/22/03 vs. Arkansas 0 0 0 0 0-0 Made fi ve tackles in State’s win over Tulane the following weekend . . . Credited with one 11/27/03 OLE MISS 1 1 0 0 0-0 tackle for loss (minus 1 yard) against the Green Wave . . . Registered three tackles and 9/4/04 * TULANE 2 2 0 0 0-0 9/11/04 * AUBURN 3 2 1 0 0-0 9/18/04 MAINE 0 0 0 0 0-0 9/25/04 * at LSU 4 1 3 0 0-0 10/2/04 at Vanderbilt 1 1 0 0 0-0 10/9/04 UAB 2 2 0 0 0-0 10/23/04 * FLORIDA 4 4 0 1 0-0 10/30/04 * KENTUCKY 1 1 0 0 0-0 11/6/04 * at Alabama 3 3 0 0 1-0 11/20/04 * ARKANSAS 4 3 1 1 0-0 11/27/04 * at Ole Miss 7 7 0 0 0-0 9/3/05 * MURRAY STATE 2 0 2 0 0-0 9/10/05 * at Auburn 4 0 4 0 0-0 9/17/05 * vs. Tulane 5 0 5 1 0-0 9/24/05 * GEORGIA 3 2 1 2 0-0 10/1/05 * LSU 3 0 3 0 0-0 10/8/05 * at Florida 4 0 4 0 0-0 10/22/05 * HOUSTON 6 3 3 1 0-0 10/29/05 * at Kentucky 3 0 3 0 0-0 11/05/05 * ALABAMA 5 0 5 0 0-0 CB DAVID HEARD 11/19/05 * vs. Arkansas 1 1 0 0 0-0 11/26/05 * OLE MISS 1 0 1 0 0-0

64 PLAYER PROFILES

came during the last half of the year . . . Registered four tackles and a pass defl ection in the team’s win over Florida . . . Added one hit in the team’s Week 8 victory over Ken- tucky . . . Had one of the top all-around games of his sophomore season at Alabama in Week 9 . . . Had three hits, one of which was a tackle for loss (minus 2 yards), and his fi rst collegiate interception against the Crimson Tide . . . Registered four tackles and one pass defl ection in the Bulldogs’ home-season ending game vs. Arkansas . . . Posted a career-high seven tackles at Ole Miss in the season fi nale, returning a recovered fumble 14 yards . . . Sat out all contact work during State’s four-week spring practice nursing an off-season shoulder surgery and subsequent rehabilitation . . . Listed third on the depth chart at left cornerback. 2003: Played in all 12 games of his delayed true freshman season . . . Made 10 tackles, working primarily on special teams . . . Played, but did not record defensive statistics, in the Bulldogs’ fi rst four games of the season . . . Registered his fi rst defensive statistic of the season during the Bulldogs’ Week 5 win over Vanderbilt . . . Had four tackles one week later in the team’s win over Memphis . . . Had a pair of tackles vs. Alabama in Week 9 and the same number one week later at Tennessee . . . Was back on the stats sheet in the season-ending game with Mississippi with one tackle . . . Injury-free spring practice DE MICHAEL HEARD put him in the hunt for playing time at right cornerback . . . Listed third at the position coming out of those four-week drills . . . Recorded four tackles, a pass interception (10- yard return) and a pass break up during scrimmage activity. 2002: Was not enrolled at MSU full-time in fall 2002. pair of tackles during Week 5 work against LSU . . . Was credited with one forced fumble HIGH SCHOOL: Two-time, all-county and all-district performer . . . A member of the and one fumble recovery against the Tigers . . . Made fi ve tackles, including one for loss Jackson Clarion-Ledger top 40 recruits list following his high school career . . . Made (minus 1 yard) at Florida in Week 6 . . . Paced the club with seven tackles in the team’s more than 200 tackles with 12 interceptions and fi ve fumble recoveries during his high homecoming game vs. Houston . . . One of those tackles was a half quarterback sack (mi- school career . . . Scored three defensive touchdowns and blocked two punts during his nus 1 yard) . . . Credited with three tackles at Kentucky in Week 8 . . . Had a pair of tackles career . . . Totaled 86 tackles during his senior season for head coach Alonzo Stevens at one week later against Alabama, but was sidelined for most of the game with a lower leg Vicksburg (Miss.) High School . . . Helped lead Vicksburg to a 9-4 record his fi nal prep injury . . . The injury was later diagnosed as a hairline fracture in the lower leg . . . Did not campaign by recording three pass interceptions and a pair of fumble recoveries . . . Also make the trip to Arkansas in Week 10 . . . Did not start, but made a 12-yard quarterback blocked one punt . . . Scored two defensive touchdowns . . . Was third on the team with sack against Ole Miss in the team’s season-ending 35-14 win over the Rebels . . . His QB 86 tackles . . . Selected to play in the Bernard Blackwell North-South All-Star Classic . . . fall came in the second quarter on a fi rst-and-10 snap by Ole Miss from their own 46-yard An outstanding student on the high school level. line and immediately preceded the series that gave MSU the touchdown that provided a PERSONAL: Born David Chong Heard, 2-13-84, in Seoul, South Korea . . . Son of Mr. and 14-7 advantage in the game . . . Another defender who drew coaches’ praise for his work Mrs. Milton Heard . . . Majoring in biological engineering. during spring practice . . . That type play showed up in the Maroon and White game, when he made three tackles for loss (minus 13 yards), one of which was a quarterback Michael sack (minus 10 yards) . . . Held his spot atop the depth chart at right defensive end. 2004: Played in all 11 games during his sophomore season, earning seven starts at HEARD defensive end . . . Totaled 32 tackles on the season, fi ve of which were tackles for loss (minus 11 yards), one being a quarterback sack (minus 1 yard) . . . He led the club with three caused fumbles and recovered one . . . Was also credited with a blocked kick and Defensive End three quarterback pressures . . . Listed as a reserve at the rover position coming out of 6-2 • 270 • Sr. • 3L preseason camp, he made one tackle in Mississippi State’s season-opening 28-7 win over Lovejoy, Ga. Tulane . . . Tallied three tackles one week later against Auburn . . . Earned his fi rst colle- 58 giate start during Week 3 game vs. Maine . . . Made three tackles, including one for loss Lovejoy (minus 4 yards), and a quarterback pressure against the Black Bears . . . Also credited with a blocked kick on Maine’s extra-point attempt following its fourth-quarter touchdown . . . Had a pair of tackles and a pass pressure during Week 4 work at LSU . . . Credited with CAREER: Made an immediate impact with the Mississippi State football program fol- a pass pressure at Vanderbilt in Week 5 . . . Had one hit against UAB one week later . . . lowing his arrival on campus from the Georgia prep ranks . . . Has played in 28 games, After making just 10 tackles in the season’s fi rst six weeks (1.7 per game), most of which having earned 16 starting calls during his sophomore and junior seasons . . . Contributed he played as a reserve, he had 22 hits in the campaign’s fi nal four games (5.5 per game), primarily on special teams and as a reserve at defensive end during his initial season . . . all of which were starts . . . Tallied three tackles and a possession-changing play in the Has made 71 tackles for the Bulldogs, including 10.5 for loss (minus 34 yards), four and Bulldogs’ Week 7 38-31 win over Florida . . . On a second-and-6 play from the UF 26 one-half of which were quarterback sacks (minus 22 yards) . . . Has also been credited midway through the second quarter with MSU holding a 14-7 lead, he tackled Gator run- with one blocked kick, fi ve caused fumbles and three fumble recoveries . . . One of the ning back DeShawn Wynn, stripped him of the football and recovered the loose pigskin top linebacker prospects in the Peach State following his senior season at Lovejoy High at the 24 . . . The Bulldogs kicked a fi eld goal on that possession for a 17-7 fi rst half lead School. . . . Paced the team and had his fi rst double-digit tackle game during MSU’s 22-7 win 2006: Was limited to reduced contact work during the spring as an injury precautionary over Kentucky in Week 8 . . . Made 10 tackles, including two for loss (minus 4 yards), one measure and made three tackles in his lone scrimmage . . . Will assume the fi rst-unit berth of which was a quarterback sack (minus 1 yard) . . . Also credited with a caused fumble at right defensive end when August arrives. on the fi nal-possession sack against the Wildcats . . . Had a pair of tackles, including a 2005: Played in 10 games during his junior season, missing one time (at Arkansas) due tackle for loss (minus 2 yards), at Alabama in Week 9 . . . Made six tackles, including one to injury . . . Started nine of those contests, again only missing opening snaps due to for loss (minus 1 yard), in the Bulldogs’ home-season concluding contest with Arkansas injury or recovery (at Arkansas and in season fi nale vs. Ole Miss) . . . Recorded 35 tackles . . . Added one stop against Ole Miss in the fi nale . . . Solid spring practice propelled on the year, including fi ve and one half for loss (minus 23 yards), three and one-half of him to second on the depth chart behind Willie Evans at one defensive end position . . . which were quarterback sacks (minus 21 yards) . . . Had two forced fumbles and a pair of Led the club with fi ve quarterback sacks (minus 40 yards), and four other tackles for loss recoveries . . . Opened his junior season with four tackles, including a quarterback sack (minus 34 yards). (minus 2 yards), in MState’s season-opening 38-6 win over Murray State . . . Added three 2003: Played in seven games during his true freshman season for the Bulldogs . . . hits one week later in the Bulldogs’ SEC opener at Auburn . . . Recorded four tackles dur- Worked primarily on special teams, but saw some duty as a reserve with the defense . . ing Week 3 work at Shreveport against Tulane, making two one-half quarterback sacks . Saw his fi rst collegiate activity during Week 2 work in the New Orleans Superdome . . . (minus 6 yards) . . . Also credited with a fumble recovery in the 21-14 victory over the Played against Tulane, but did not record any statistics in limited duty . . . Made the fi rst Green Wave . . . Had a half sack in the second and fourth quarters to preserve the seven- hit of his freshman season at Houston in Week 3 . . . Added another tackle during the point win . . . His fumble recovery came on a second-and-8 play at the MSU 26-yard line team’s Week 5 win over Vanderbilt . . . Suffered a torn ligament in his hand, however, in in the second period with the game still scoreless . . . Made four tackles in the Bulldogs’ the win over the Commodores and underwent surgery 10/5 . . . Did not play during the Week 4 game against Georgia, a total that includes one tackle for loss (minus 1 yard) . . following two weeks against Memphis or at Auburn . . . Returned to the playing fi eld at . Also credited with a forced fumble against the Eastern Division Bulldogs . . . Posted a Kentucky in Week 8 . . . Registered a pair of tackles in Week 9 against Alabama.

65 PLAYER PROFILES

HIGH SCHOOL: Rated No. 45 among the nation’s outside linebacker prospects by Ri- vals.com on-line service . . . Ranked No. 38 on the Rivals.com list of Georgia’s top 50 players regardless of position . . . Credited with running a 4.4 in the 40-yard dash, by benching 300 pounds and with a 32-inch vertical jump by that recruiting service . . . The Atlanta Journal-Constitution listed him among the top 50 players in the Peach State, one of just eight linebackers mentioned . . . Named to the Southern Crescent Super 11 Team . . . Two-time, all-state selection and a two-time Region Defensive Player of the Year award winner . . . Totaled 117 tackles, including 21 tackles for loss and 17 quarterback sacks during his junior season. PERSONAL: Born Michael Heard, 5-24-84, in Atlanta, Ga. . . . Son of Mr. and Mrs. Mi- chael Heard . . . Majoring in interdisciplinary studies.

MICHAEL HEARD’S CAREER DEFENSIVE STATS YEAR G/GS TT UT AT TFL-YDS SCK-YDS FF/FR PBU INT-YDS QB MICHAEL HENIG 2003 7/0 4 3 1 0.0-0 0.0-0 0/0 0 0-0 2004 11/7 32 19 13 5.0-11 1.0-1 3/1 0 0-0 2005 10/9 35 23 12 5.5-23 3.5-21 2/2 0 0-0 621 yards, two touchdowns and fi ve interceptions . . . Rushed 25 times (minus 79 yards) TOTALS 28/16 71 45 26 10.5-34 4.5-22 5/3 0 0-0 . . . Saw reserve work in Mississippi State’s season-opening victory over Murray State . . . Was on the fi eld for a pair of fourth-quarter series against the Racers and threw three incomplete passes . . . Worked two more offensive series in the Bulldogs’ SEC opener at DATE OPPONENT TT UT AT TFL-YDS SCK-YDS Auburn in Week 2 . . . Completed two-of-two passes for 10 yards against the Tigers . . 9/4/04 TULANE 1 0 1 0.0-0 0.0-0 . Worked the entire fourth quarter of State’s Week 5 game with LSU in relief of starting 9/11/04 AUBURN 3 2 1 0.0-0 0.0-0 quarterback Omarr Conner . . . Completed two-of-four passes for 32 yards against the 9/18/04 * MAINE 3 2 1 1.0-4 0.0-0 Tigers . . . Saw the most extensive work of the fi rst half of his redshirt freshman season 9/25/04 * at LSU 2 1 1 0.0-0 0.0-0 at Florida in Week 6 . . . Completed nine-of-20 passes for 119 yards against the Gators . 10/2/04 at Vanderbilt 0 0 0 0.0-0 0.0-0 . . Again received substantial work two weeks later at Kentucky . . . Completed 16-of-31 10/9/04 UAB 1 1 0 0.0-0 0.0-0 passes for 200 yards against the Wildcats . . . Came in during the third offensive series of 10/23/04 * FLORIDA 3 1 2 0.0-0 0.0-0 the game and played the rest of the way for the Bulldogs . . . Earned his fi rst collegiate 10/30/04 * KENTUCKY 10 6 4 2.0-4 1.0-1 start in Week 9 match-up with Alabama . . . Completed nine-of-28 passes for 78 yards, with three interceptions, against the Crimson Tide . . . Completed 11-of-27 passes for 11/6/04 * at Alabama 2 1 1 1.0-2 0.0-0 77 yards and an interception in Week 10 work at Arkansas . . . Had the best game of his 11/20/04 * ARKANSAS 6 4 2 1.0-1 0.0-0 redshirt freshman campaign in the Bulldogs’ season-ending 35-14 victory over Ole Miss 11/27/04 * at Ole Miss 1 1 0 0.0-0 0.0-0 in the Battle for the Golden Egg . . . Completed 11-of-20 passes (.550) for 105 yards, two 9/3/05 * MURRAY STATE 4 3 1 1.0-2 1.0-2 touchdowns and one interception . . . Also rushed three times for 7 yards against the 9/10/05 * at Auburn 3 2 1 0.0-0 0.0-0 Rebels . . . Both of his TD throws came in a three-minute stretch of the fourth quarter, a 9/17/05 * vs. Tulane 4 1 3 1.0-6 1.0-6 1-yard pass to Bryson Davis and a 5-yard toss to Jerious Norwood, that expanded a 21-14 9/24/05 * GEORGIA 4 3 1 1.0-1 0.0-0 MSU lead to the game’s fi nal score . . . Those passes were part of a fi ve-of-seven second- 10/1/05 * LSU 2 2 0 0.0-0 0.0-0 half showing . . . Impressed the coaching staff with his play during the spring-ending 10/8/05 * at Florida 5 4 1 1.0-1 0.0-0 Maroon and White game . . . Completed six-of-12 passes for 43 yards against the team’s fi rst defense . . . Ended spring second on the depth chart at quarterback. 10/22/05 * HOUSTON 7 3 4 0.5-1 0.5-1 2004: Played in one game during his true freshman season . . . Completed one-of-four 10/29/05 * at Kentucky 3 2 1 0.0-0 0.0-0 passes for 9 yards, and added two rushes (minus 5 yards) . . . Made the only appearance 11/05/05 * ALABAMA 2 2 0 0.0-0 0.0-0 of his fi rst year on campus at Vanderbilt in Week 5 . . . Completed one-of-four passes for 11/26/05 OLE MISS 1 1 0 1.0-12 1.0-12 9 yards with an interception against the Commodores . . . A medical redshirt has been requested (separated shoulder) to regain his true freshman season. HIGH SCHOOL: Rated the #1 quarterback at the 2003 summer Bowden Quarterback Camp, he won the camp’s long throw competition with a 64 and one-half yard toss . . . Michael He was also selected to the EA Sports Elite 11 quarterback camp that summer, one of just 100 quarterbacks nation-wide to be extended an invitation . . . Credited with running a HENIG 4.6 in the 40-yard dash by the Insiders.com online recruiting website . . . After playing be- hind a three-year starter for his fi rst three years of high school, he led his Jefferson Davis High School team in Montgomery, Ala., to an 8-3 mark, with the three losses coming to Quarterback teams with an aggregate 41-3 record . . . He helped his team reach the second round of 6-0 • 185 • So. • 1L Montgomery, Ala. 7 HENIG’S CAREER PASSING STATS Jefferson Davis YEAR G/GS CMP ATT INT PCT YDS SCK TD LONG / OPP. 2004 1/0 1 4 1 .250 9 1 0 9 / Vanderbilt 2005 8/3 60 135 5 .444 621 16 2 56 / Florida CAREER: Has played in nine games during his Mississippi State career, starting the fi nal TOTALS 9/3 61 139 6 .448 630 17 2 56 / FLORIDA three games of his redshirt freshman season at quarterback . . . Made a brief appearance in one game during his true freshman campaign, but was granted a medical redshirt in DATE OPPONENT CMP ATT INT YDS TD 2005 to regain that true freshman year . . . Has completed 61-of-139 passes (.439) for 10/2/04 at Vanderbilt 1 4 1 9 0 630 yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions . . . Has also rushed 27 times (minus 84 yards) . . . Came to MSU following a senior season in which he led his prep team into the 9/3/05 MURRAY STATE 0 3 0 0 0 second round of the Alabama high school state tournament. 9/10/05 at Auburn 2 2 0 10 0 2006: Was named the Most Improved Offensive Player of the spring by the coaching 10/1/05 LSU 2 4 0 32 0 staff following a standout four-week practice period . . . Completed 33-of-61 passes 10/8/05 at Florida 9 20 0 119 0 (.541) for 333 yards, fi ve touchdowns and just one interception during three spring scrim- 10/29/05 at Kentucky 16 31 0 200 0 mages . . . Enters fall camp fi rmly entrenched as the team’s starter at quarterback. 11/05/05 * ALABAMA 9 28 3 78 0 2005: Played in eight games during his redshirt freshman campaign, earning starts in the 11/19/05 * vs. Arkansas 11 27 1 77 0 fi nal three games of the season (Alabama, at Arkansas, and Ole Miss) . . . Saw action in all 11/26/05 * OLE MISS 11 20 1 105 2 but the Tulane, Georgia and Houston contests . . . Completed 60-of-135 passes (.444) for

66 PLAYER PROFILES

the Alabama Class 6A playoffs in 2003 . . . Completed 71-of-149 passes for 1,339 yards, 14 touchdowns and just seven interceptions during his senior campaign . . . He closed the 2003 season with a fl urry, throwing for 825 yards, eight touchdowns and no interceptions Brad in the fi nal fi ve games. PERSONAL: Born Michael David Henig Jr., 12-7-85, in Montgomery, Ala. . . . Son of Mr. HORTON and Mrs. Mike Henig . . . Majoring in interdisciplinary studies. Linebacker Jonathan 6-0 • 233 • Sr. • 3L Columbus, Ga. 44 HILL Spencer

Defensive Back CAREER: Pressed into immediate service with Mississippi State’s defense following a 5-11 • 196 • Jr. • 2L standout high school career . . . Has played in 32 games in his Bulldog career, seeing Athens, Ala. most of his time on special teams but working as a reserve in the linebacker picture as his 42 career has developed . . . Has made 30 tackles during his college playing career . . . Was East Limestone a fi nalist for the Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year award before enrolling at State. 2006: Registered four tackles and a pass break up during three spring scrimmages, working at the middle linebacker position. CAREER: Has played in 20 games during his Mississippi State career, serving almost 2005: Played in all 11 games during his junior season . . . Registered seven tackles on the exclusively on special teams during his fi rst two seasons on campus . . . Has registered 13 year . . . Recorded two hits against Murray State in MState’s ’05 season opener . . . Made tackles during his still-young career . . . A non-scholarship student-athlete who came to one tackle for the Bulldogs in their SEC opener at Auburn one week later and another the Bulldogs from Athens, Ala. hit during Week 3 win over Tulane . . . Added a pair of tackles during the team’s Week 4 2006: Continued in his battle for playing time both in the defensive secondary and on game against Georgia . . . Returned to the stats sheet with one tackle during Week 8 ac- special teams . . . Made one tackle during the spring-closing Maroon and White game . . tion at Kentucky . . . Another player who caught the coaches’ eye during spring ball with . In the mix at free safety as August commences. a standout four-week session . . . Moved to second on the depth chart behind Quinton 2005: Played in nine games during his sophomore campaign, missing seeing action only Culberson at middle linebacker and assured himself playing time from the line of scrim- in Week 6 at Florida and in Week 10 at Arkansas . . . Registered six hits on the season, mage and on special teams . . . Led the White team with six tackles, two of which were with most of his work coming on Bulldog special teams . . . Made one tackle at Auburn in quarterback sacks (minus 16 yards) with a pass defl ection in the fi nal spring scrimmage. Mississippi State’s SEC opener in the season’s second week . . . Had a career-best outing 2004: Played in nine games during his sophomore season, working primarily with the during the team’s Week 5 contest with LSU . . . Tied for third on the team with fi ve tackles Bulldogs’ special teams . . . Had 10 tackles on the year, with eight coming in the season’s against the Tigers . . . Finished the 2005 spring session second on the depth chart at the fi rst two weeks . . . Returned to the outside linebacker position to open preseason camp strong safety position . . . Continued to excel on special teams . . . Had one tackle during and began the season as a reserve at the position . . . Tallied three tackles in Mississippi the Maroon and White spring game. State’s season-opening 28-7 win over Tulane . . . Registered fi ve tackles during Week 2 2004: Played in all 11 games during his true freshman season, working primarily with work against Auburn . . . Charged with a 1-yard rushing loss on a faked punt attempt in State’s special teams . . . Did see some reserve work in the secondary late in his initial State’s Week 8 victory over Kentucky . . . Added one hit a week later at Alabama . . . campaign in Starkville . . . Earned playing time from the outset of the ’04 season, work- Finished the year with another tackle at Ole Miss . . . Opened State’s four-week spring ing entirely with the Bulldog special teams . . . Recorded fi ve tackles in Week 4 game at practice session at the top of the depth chart at middle linebacker, but closed it fi rst at LSU . . . Made one hit in Week 9 work at Alabama . . . Added another hit at Ole Miss in weak linebacker, with a productive spring . . . Finished second on the team with 14 hits in the season fi nale. three spring scrimmages, a total that included one tackle behind the line of scrimmage. HIGH SCHOOL: Started 45 consecutive games through his high school career at East 2003: Played in all 12 games during his initial season on the Mississippi State campus . . . Limestone in Athens, Ala. . . . Led his prep team to a 27-7 overall record during the fi nal Worked primarily with the Bulldog special teams but did see some action in the lineback- three seasons and into the state playoffs each year . . . Standout wide receiver/defensive ing corps . . . Made 13 tackles during the year . . . Made the fi rst tackle of his inaugural back and kick returner at the prep level . . . Caught 34 passes for 578 yards and six touch- year at Houston in Week 3 . . . After making just one hit in the fi rst half of the season, downs during his senior campaign on offense, had three pass interceptions on defense, he had 12 tackles during the season’s fi nal six weeks . . . Saw the most action of his true and returned 17 punts for 574 yards, an amazing 33.8 yards per run back . . . Also let- freshman campaign to that point at Auburn in Week 7 . . . Was on the fi eld for 16 plays tered four years in track and three times in basketball in a reserve role at linebacker and totaled four hits against the Tigers . . . Had a pair of PERSONAL: Born Jonathan Edwin Hill, 12-6-84, in Starkville, Miss. . . . Son of Mr. and tackles in Week 8 at Kentucky . . . Returned to the stats sheet two weeks later at Tennes- Mrs. Walter Hill Sr. . . . His brother, Walter, played football at Tennessee Tech . . . Majoring see, logging a season-high 17 plays and recording a season-best six tackles. in industrial technology. HIGH SCHOOL: Tallied 176 tackles, made four quarterback sacks, and forced two fumbles during a standout senior season for head coach Collins Jones at Spencer High HILL’S CAREER DEFENSIVE STATS School in Columbus, Ga. . . . Also rushed for 512 yards and had 327 yards receiving with YEAR G/GS TT UT AT TFL-YDS SCK-YDS FF/FR PBU INT-YDS three touchdowns playing on the offensive side of the ball . . . Saw action at tight end, 2004 11/0 7 1 6 0.0-0 0.0-0 0/0 0 0-0 tailback, wingback, and middle linebacker on the prep level . . . Also handled the punting 2005 9/0 6 4 2 0.0-0 0.0-0 0/0 0 0-0 duties, averaging 38 yards per kick . . . Was a fi nalist for the Georgia Gatorade Player TOTALS 20/0 13 5 8 0.0-0 0.0-0 0/0 0 0-0 of the Year award and nominated for the Wendy’s Heisman Trophy award . . . Four-sport athlete and four-year starter in football at Spencer . . . Registered 380 tackles during his four-year prep career . . . Made 156 tackles during his junior season . . . Batted .427 dur- ing his junior season as a baseball player . . . Also an Eagle scout . . . Outstanding high school student who has been named to the National Honor Society and to Who’s Who in America . . . Born Bradley Andrew Horton, 6-8-85, in Columbus, Ga. PERSONAL: Born Bradley Andrew Horton, 6-8-85, in Columbus, Ga. . . . Son of Mr. and Mrs. Antone Benson . . . Brad’s late father played football at Morehouse . . . Majoring in general business administration.

HORTON’S CAREER DEFENSIVE STATS YEAR G/GS TT UT AT TFL-YDS SCK-YDS FF/FR PBU INT-YDS 2003 12/0 13 6 7 0.0-0 0.0-0 0/0 0 0-0 2004 9/0 10 6 4 0.0-0 0.0-0 0/0 0 0-0 2005 11/0 7 2 5 0.0-0 0.0-0 0/0 0 0-0 TOTALS 32/0 30 14 16 0.0-0 0.0-0 0/0 0 0-0

67 PLAYER PROFILES

Alabama” by the Insiders.com online recruiting service, he has run the 40-yard dash in 4.3 seconds, and is consistently in the 4.4 range or better . . . Played baseball, basketball and Keon ran track before joining the football team for his senior season . . . Also an outstanding baseball player, he was named the Gatorade Player of the Year for baseball in the state of HUMPHRIES Alabama as a junior . . . Solid student in the classroom, he earned his school’s GPA Award for basketball, baseball and track . . . Selected for Alabama Boys State. Wide Receiver PERSONAL: Born Keon LaPaul Humphries, 2-27-86, in Jacksonville, N.C. . . . Son of 5-10 • 169 • So. • 1L Mr. and Mrs. Paul Humphries . . . His father played football at the University of Tennes- see-Chattanooga, 1979-82 . . . His uncle Marvin Humphries played football at Alabama Montgomery, Ala. 9 in 1985-86, and a cousin John Humphries III played football at UAB from 2000-02 . . . Lanier Majoring in fi tness management. HUMPHRIES’ CAREER RECEIVING STATS CAREER: Worked himself into Mississippi State’s immediate plans at wide receiver dur- ing his true freshman season, a campaign that was cut short by a leg injury . . . A medical YEAR G/GS REC YARDS AVG TD LONG / OPP. redshirt was granted to restore his freshman season . . .Continued to battle injuries dur- 2005 10/4 11 200 18.2 2 56 / Florida ing his redshirt freshman campaign . . . Has played in 11 games during his MSU career, TOTAL 11/4 11 200 18.2 2 56 / FLORIDA one coming in that redeemed true freshman season . . . He has earned four starting calls . . . Has caught 11 passes for 200 yards, an 18.2-yard average, and a pair of touchdowns DATE OPPONENT REC YARDS AVG TD LONG . . . Came to State after playing just one season of high school football in the Alabama 9/3/05 * MURRAY STATE 5 98 19.6 2 49 state ranks. 9/10/05 * at Auburn 0 0 — 0 — 2006: On the verge of being considered for a move to the defensive secondary prior 9/17/05 vs. Tulane 0 0 — 0 — to spring practice, he responded with a solid four-week session and solidifi ed his stand 9/24/05 * GEORGIA 2 33 16.5 0 22 at the top of one wide receiver position . . . Made nine catches for 88 yards, a 9.8-yard average, and one touchdown during three spring scrimmages. 10/1/05 LSU 0 0 — 0 — 2005: Played in 10 of a possible 11 games at wide receiver during his redshirt freshman 10/8/05 at Florida 1 56 56.0 0 56 season, missing action only in the season-ending win over Ole Miss . . . Earned four starts 10/22/05 HOUSTON 1 2 2.0 0 2 on the year (season’s fi rst two games vs. Murray State and Auburn), Week 4 game with 10/29/05 at Kentucky 1 4 4.0 0 4 Georgia and Week 8 contest at Kentucky . . . Caught 11 passes for 200 yards, an 18.2- 11/05/05 ALABAMA 1 7 7.0 0 7 yard per catch average, and two touchdowns . . . Wasted little time showing that he had 11/19/05 * vs. Arkansas 0 0 — 0 — recovered from off-season surgery by starring in State’s season-opening 38-6 win over Murray State . . . Tied for the team lead with fi ve pass receptions against the Pacers, to- taling 98 yards . . . Caught a pair of touchdown passes from Omarr Conner against Mur- ray, a 49-yarder with 4:39 left in the fi rst half that gave MSU a 17-6 lead at the time and Jason a 34-yarder on the opening drive of the second half that expanded the lead to 24-6 . . . He became the fi rst Bulldog to record two pass receiving touchdowns in one game since HUSBAND teammate Jason Husband accomplished the same feat in 2004 (vs. Auburn) . . . Returned to the stats sheet in State’s Week 4 game with Georgia . . . Had two pass receptions for 33 yards against the Bulldogs . . . Caught one pass for 56 yards at Florida in Week 6 . . Tight End . Added another reception (2 yards) in State’s next game vs. Houston . . . Made it three 6-3 • 224 • Jr. • 2L straight weeks with a single catch (4 yards) at Kentucky in Week 8 . . . Culminated a string Jackson, Miss. of four-straight games with one pass reception (7 yards) against Alabama the following 82 week . . . Proved to be the speed receiver the coaching staff was looking for during the Jim Hill fi rst two weeks of spring ball . . . Stood out at times during the team’s fi rst two scrim- mages . . . Missed the fi nal two weeks of work and the Maroon and White game after CAREER: Has played in 19 games during his Mississippi State career, working primarily having minor knee surgery. on special teams but also serving in the wide receiver rotation . . . Missed time during his 2004: Played in the initial game of his true freshman season, working as a reserve in the sophomore season as he rehabbed a shoulder injury . . .Has started three times . . .Has wide receiver rotation . . . Recorded no statistics . . . Suffered an ankle sprain during the caught six passes for 60 yards and a pair of touchdowns . . . Sat out his true freshman game and missed the Bulldogs’ Week 2 game with Auburn . . . Diagnosed with a bone season as a redshirt . . . Came to MSU following an all-state senior season in the Jackson spur on his ankle and underwent surgery the fi nal week of September. prep ranks. HIGH SCHOOL: Did not play football until his senior season at Lanier High School in 2006: Continued his fi ght for playing time in the tight end rotation and as a slot receiver Montgomery, Ala. . . . Despite that late start, he earned all-metro Montgomery and hon- during spring ball . . . Caught one pass (5 yards) during the spring-concluding Maroon orable mention Alabama Sports Writers Association all-state in his lone season . . . In and White game. just seven games during that senior campaign, he had more than 30 pass receptions for 2005: Played in eight games during his sophomore season, earning two starts and miss- 755 yards and seven touchdowns . . . Called “one of the fastest players in the state of ing action in three of the season’s fi rst four weeks while recuperating from an injury . . . Caught two passes for 33 yards during the year . . . Suffered a shoulder sprain in game-week practice leading up to MSU’s season opener with Murray State . . . Played, but was limited by the injury, against the Racers . . . Missed the next three weeks while recuperating from the shoulder injury . . . Made the fi rst catch of his sophomore season at Florida in Week 6, gaining 12 yards . . . Recorded a 21-yard pass reception against Alabama in Week 9 . . . Made a pre-spring move from wide receiver inside to tight end and the switch proved dividends almost immediately . . . Proved to be a sure-handed receiver and dependable blocker at the new spot, and moved to the head of the depth chart at tight end . . . Caught one pass (2 yards) in the Maroon and White game, and shared the Most Improved Offensive Player Award for the four-week session with wide receiver Will Prosser.

HUSBAND’S CAREER RECEIVING STATS YEAR G/GS REC YARDS AVG TD LONG / OPP. WR KEON HUMPHRIES 2004 11/1 4 27 6.8 2 14 / Auburn 2005 8/2 2 33 16.5 0 21 / Alabama TOTAL 19/3 6 60 10.0 2 21 / ALABAMA

68 PLAYER PROFILES

2004: Played in all 11 games during his . . . Also selected fi rst-team, all-Metro Jackson by the Clarion-Ledger at offensive tackle redshirt freshman season, working primar- . . . Listed with the top 25 most-wanted prospects in the state by that newspaper . . . A ily on special teams, but also seeing some two-time fi rst-team, all-Region 4-4A offensive lineman . . . Also active in state high school work with the wide receiving corps . . . powerlifting circles, he fi nished fourth in the state in his weight class as a junior . . . Well- Earned one start at wide out . . . Caught above average student who carried a 3.27 grade point average . . . Committed to MSU four passes during the year, gaining 27 in October 2004, after receiving his scholarship offer in September. yards, with two touchdowns . . . Had all PERSONAL: Born Craig Jimmar Jenkins, 2-10-87, in Jackson, Miss. . . . Son of Rev. and of his catches in the season’s fi rst three Mrs. Herrie Jenkins Jr. . . . His cousin is former MSU wide receiver Justin Jenkins, who games . . . First extensive duty of his ca- lettered at State from 2000-03 . . . Major is undeclared. reer resulted in a career-highlight game . . . Tied for the team lead with three pass receptions during Week 2 work against Anthony Auburn, with two of his catches going for Bulldog touchdowns . . . Caught a 1-yard JOHNSON TE JASON HUSBAND TD throw from Kyle York with 1:23 left in the game to score the fi rst Bulldog points Cornerback of the day . . . Added a 9-yard scoring reception from York with just 15 seconds 5-10 • 203 • Fr. • HS left in the game . . . Based upon his per- Jackson, Miss. 13 formance in that game, he earned a start Hargrave [Va.] Military Academy one week later against Maine at split end in place of an injured McKinley Scott . . . Caught one pass (3 yards) against the Black Bears . . . Made a move up to third on the CAREER: Enrolled at Mississippi State in January 2006. depth chart at one of the wide out positions with a productive spring . . . Despite missing PREP SCHOOL: Ranked No. 16 on Rivals.com’s list of the top 50 prep school prospects some time due to injury, he caught two passes for 28 yards in scrimmage work. in the country, the top-rated defensive back . . . Rated the No. 20 postgraduate prospect 2003: Sat out his true freshman season at Mississippi State as a redshirt. available in 2005, the second-best cornerback on the chart, by the Scout.com recruiting HIGH SCHOOL: Rated with the top 100 receivers in the nation by Rivals.com . . .Ranked website . . . Played for head coach Lonnie Messick at Hargrave (Va.) Military . . . Ran a with the top 45 wide receivers in the Southeast by PrepStar magazine . . . Called the No. 4.35-second 40-yard dash at the Hargrave combine, the second-fastest time recorded . . 1 wide receiver prospect in the state by that publication . . . Credited with running a 4.6 . Re-committed to Mississippi State in August 2005. in the 40-yard dash by PrepStar . . . Rated the No. 14 player overall in the state of Missis- 2006: Made his presence felt during spring practice upon arriving on campus from prep sippi by SuperPrep in its season-ending all-America issue, the top true wide receiver in school . . . Registered four tackles during three spring scrimmages and returned one its rankings . . . Ranked with the top 25 recruits in the state of Mississippi by the Jackson interception 50 yards for a touchdown in the spring-closing Maroon and White game . Clarion-Ledger newspaper . . . Caught 105 passes for 1,543 yards and 22 touchdowns . . With just four weeks as a Bulldog under his belt, he moved to second on the depth during his prep career . . . Also intercepted seven passes in his career . . . Helped lead chart at left cornerback. Jim Hill High School to an 11-2 overall record during his senior season with 35 catches for HIGH SCHOOL: Rated the No. 34 defensive backfi eld prospect in the nation and No. 534 yards, a 15.3-yard average, and nine touchdowns . . . Made 35 catches for 572 yards, 5 player in the state of Mississippi, regardless of position, by Superprep Magazine, the a 16.3-yard average, and six TDs during his junior campaign . . . An outstanding athlete, second defensive back listed . . . Ranked No. 51 among the top athlete prospects in he also started at free safety, punter and kicker for head coach Daryl Jones at Jim Hill the nation by the Rivals.com recruiting web site . . . That web site also ranked him No. High School in Jackson, Miss. . . . Recorded 31 tackles and four pass interceptions during 12 on its postseason list of the top recruits in the state, the second-rated “athlete” . . . his junior year on defense . . . Solid student on the high school level . . . Named to the BulldogBlitz.com ranked him No. 8 on its postseason list of the state’s top prospects . . . Bernard Blackwell All-Star classic, Mississippi’s North-South all-star game. Recruiting web site Scout.com listed him No. 45 among the top prospects in the south- PERSONAL: Born Jason Wesley Husband, 8-27-85, in Jackson, Miss. . . . Son of Mr. and east, regardless of position, the No. 3 cornerback ranked . . . Dawgs Bite Magazine had Mrs. John Husband . . . Majoring in risk management, insurance. him ranked as the No. 6 prospect in the Magnolia State . . . Credited with running a 4.6 in the 40-yard dash and with a 265-pound bench press max by Rivals.com . . . Attended the Baton Rouge NIKE Camp prior to his senior season . . . Did 15 repetitions of 185 Craig pounds and had a 31-inch vertical leap at that camp . . . His performance on the bench was third best among all defensive backs . . . Selected to the Jackson Clarion-Ledger JENKINS Dandy Dozen prior to his senior season, symbolic of being among the top 12 players in the state . . . Was named the Jackson metro player of the year by the Clarion-Ledger Offensive Tackle . . . That newspaper ranked him as the No. 8 most-wanted prospect in the state and 6-4 • 319 • RFr. • RS fi rst-team, all-state in the defensive secondary following his prep career . . . Selected to play in the Mississippi-Alabama High School all-star game following his senior season . . Pearl, Miss. 75 . Outstanding all-around athlete for head coach Willie Collins at Provine High School in Pearl Jackson, Miss., helping the Rams to a 22-3 record during his senior and junior seasons . . . A two-time all-state football player, he had 53 catches and 15 interceptions during his high school career . . . Had 29 catches for 584 yards and 17 touchdowns while on offense CAREER: Still awaiting his fi rst opportunity to help Mississippi State on the game fi eld during his senior season when Provine qualifi ed for postseason play and fi nished 11-1 ...... Came to MSU following a standout high school career in the metro-Jackson high Had two games with three scoring catches each . . . Added eight pass interceptions that school ranks. year, returning one for a score . . . He was part of a defense that allowed a total of just 2006: Dropped nearly 30 pounds from his reporting weight and responded with a scintil- seven points in 10 regular season games . . . Recorded 24 catches for 639 yards (26.6- lating fi rst spring practice on the campus . . . Moved to the top of the depth chart at right yard average) and 11 touchdowns, and seven pass interceptions during his junior season . offensive tackle following the four-week session. . . Helped the Rams to an 11-2 record that season and to the state’s Class 4A quarterfi nals 2005: Sat out the season as a true freshman redshirt. . . . Finished second in the state triple jump competition as a junior (45-3) and third in the HIGH SCHOOL: Superprep Magazine rated him No. 16 among the top prospects in the state long jump . . . Also boasts a 6-6 high jump and a 21-3 in the long jump . . . Other top state in its pre-signing day all-America issue . . . Credited with a 285-pound bench press scholarship offers: Auburn, Alabama, Ole Miss, Nebraska and Notre Dame. max, he did 19 repetitions of 185 pounds on the bench at the Baton Rouge NIKE Train- PERSONAL: Born Anthony Terrone Johnson, 11-25-86, in Jackson, Miss. . . . Son of Mr. ing Camp . . . That performance was sixth-best among linemen at the camp . . . Selected Anthony T. Perkins and Mrs. Nell Johnson . . . Majoring in fi tness management. to play in the Mississippi-Alabama High School all-star game following his senior season . . . Was a three-year starter on the offensive line for head coach Larry Weems at Pearl (Miss.) High School, helping the Pirates to a 25-10 mark during those years . . . As an offensive guard, he helped lead his prep team into the state’s postseason playoffs as a senior . . . Named fi rst-team, all-state on the offensive line by the Mississippi Association of Coaches . . . Accorded second-team, all-state mention by the Jackson Clarion-Ledger

69 PLAYER PROFILES

Antonio Jeramie JOHNSON JOHNSON

Defensive Tackle Defensive Back 6-3 • 300 • Sr. • 1L 5-11 • 213 • Sr. • 3L Leland, Miss. 90 East Point, Ga. 34 Mississippi Delta CC Booker T. Washington

CAREER: Saw immediate playing time in the middle of the Mississippi State defensive CAREER: Saw immediate work upon his arrival at Mississippi State from the Georgia line following his transfer from junior college . . . Has worked as a reserve at nose and high school ranks . . . Has played in all 34 games of his MSU career, receiving 19 starting defensive tackle and has seen game action in all 11 contests . . . Has made 15 tackles, calls in his career at one of two safety positions . . . Has made 150 tackles, with one and with three tackles for loss (minus 12 yards), two and one-half of which are quarterback one-half tackles for loss (minus 1 yard) . . . Has intercepted seven passes (86 yards in sacks (minus 10 yards). returns, 12.3 yards per return) and recorded eight pass defl ections as a Bulldog . . . Has 2006: Named the Most Improved Defensive Player during the four-week spring practice been credited with three caused fumbles and one recovery . . . Was a highly recruited session after denominating his offensive line counterparts during the off-season workout defensive back in the state of Georgia following his high school career. . . . Made seven tackles during the three spring scrimmages, including four for loss, one 2006: Outstanding spring only added to his resume as the team’s starting free safety . . . of which was a quarterback sack . . . Moved to the top of the depth chart at nose tackle Made 10 tackles and had a pass defl ection during the team’s fi rst two spring scrimmages with that outstanding performance. . . . Held out of the Maroon and White game for precautionary reasons. 2005: Played in all 11 games during his junior season at Mississippi State, working as 2005: Named second-team, all-Southeastern Conference in the defensive backfi eld by the top reserve in the middle of the defensive line . . . Registered 15 tackles on the year, the Associated Press following his junior season . . . Tied for the league lead and fi nished including three for loss (minus 12 yards), two and one-half of which were quarterback 23rd nationally with four pass interceptions on the year . . . Started 10 games during his sacks (minus 10 yards) . . . Opened his Mississippi State career with a pair of tackles and junior campaign at free safety . . . Finished the ’05 season second on the club with 64 a half-quarterback sack in the team’s season-opening win over Murray State . . . Then tackles, best among all defensive backs . . . Obviously, he led the team in interceptions went four straight weeks making one tackle each outing . . . After making six tackles (four for 51 yards) . . . Was second on the team with seven pass defl ections and led the over the season’s fi rst six weeks, his production increased as the season came to a close team with a pair of forced fumbles . . . Was credited with a half tackle for loss and one . . . He had nine tackles over the campaign’s fi nal month . . . Had three hits, including a fumble recovery . . . Following an outstanding August practice session, continued that 2-yard quarterback sack, at Kentucky in Week 8 . . . Registered two tackles, both of which play to open his junior season . . . Made 55 of his 64 tackles in the season’s fi rst eight occurred behind the line of scrimmage (minus 10 yards), one being a quarterback sack weeks . . . Led the club with nine tackles in State’s 38-6 win over Murray State to open the (minus 8 yards) in MSU’s Week 9 game with Alabama . . . Made three tackles one week schedule . . . Also credited with one forced fumble and two pass defl ections in the win later at Arkansas . . . Finished his junior campaign with one tackle in the Bulldogs’ 35-14 over the Racers . . . Tied for third on the club with fi ve tackles at Auburn in Week 2 . . . victory over Ole Miss in the traditional season-ending Battle for the Golden Egg. Also credited with a game-best three pass defl ections against the Tigers in the Bulldogs’ JUNIOR COLLEGE: Named honorable mention all-America on the defensive line prior SEC opener . . . Tied for second on the team with eight tackles in State’s Week 3 win over to his sophomore season at Mississippi Delta Community College by the J.C. Grid-Wire Tulane . . . For the second time in four games, he led the club with nine tackles against Magazine and online recruiting service . . . Ranked No. 24 on the Jackson Clarion-Ledger Georgia one week later . . . Made it three times at the top of the tackle chart in fi ve out- list of the top junior college prospects in the state of Mississippi following that sopho- ings after registering eight tackles against LSU in Week 5 . . . Also credited with one pass more season . . . Ranked among the top 87 defensive linemen in the country, a group that defl ection against the Tigers . . . Tied for third on the club with six tackles at Florida in includes both high school and junior college prospects . . . Credited with running a 5.0 Week 6, a total that includes a half-tackle for loss . . . Posted four tackles against Houston in the 40-yard dash by the Rivals.com online recruiting service . . . Played for head coach in State’s homecoming contest the next time out . . . Finished second on the team with Jay Miller at the Moorhead, Miss., community college . . . Played in a rotation of fi ve de- six tackles at Kentucky in Week 8 . . . Credited with a fumble recovery at Lexington . . . fensive tackles during his junior college career . . . Made 20 tackles during his sophomore Despite making only nine tackles in the season’s fi nal three weeks, he registered all four season, with fi ve quarterback sacks and three forced fumbles . . . Joined the Mississippi of his interceptions during that span . . . Registered a pair of tackles during Week 9 action Delta program from Leland High School . . . Other top scholarship offer: Iowa State. against Alabama . . . Also had the fi rst interception of his junior season against the Crim- HIGH SCHOOL: Played for head coach Eugene Sanders at Leland . . . Did not play dur- son Tide, the fourth of his college career . . . Tied for fourth on the club with six tackles ing his senior campaign at Leland. at Arkansas in Week 10 . . . Was also credited with a forced fumble and a pass defl ection PERSONAL: Born Antonio Rico Johnson, 12-8-84, in Leland, Miss. . . . Son of Mr. and against the Razorbacks . . . Despite making just one tackle in the Bulldogs’ season-end- Mrs. Thomas Johnson . . . Majoring in teaching and coaching. ing 35-14 win over Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl, he quite possibly had the best game of his junior season . . . Recorded three pass interceptions (40 yards in returns) against the Rebels . . . His fi rst theft came just into the second quarter with the score tied at 7 . . . It came on a third-and-22 play from the Ole Miss 34 . . . His 40-yard interception return gave MSU the football on the UM 11 and set the stage for the touchdown that gave the Bulldogs a 14-7 advantage . . . His other two turnovers came in the fourth quarter after MSU had built a 28-14 advantage . . . The fi rst preceded State’s fi nal touchdown drive . . . The second ended Ole Miss’ fi nal possession of the game . . . It was the second multiple interception game of his career (two vs. Auburn, 2004) and the fi rst time a Bulldog had intercepted three pass in one game since Darren Williams had three thefts against Troy State in 2002 . . . Moved over from strong safety to free during the 2005 spring practice and exited those drills atop the depth chart at his new position . . . Recorded three tack- les during the Maroon and White fi nal scrimmage. 2004: Played in all 11 games during his sophomore campaign, earning three starting calls at the strong safety position . . . Registered 34 tackles on the year, including one for DT ANTONIO JOHNSON loss (minus 1 yard) . . . Was second on the club with three pass interceptions (35 yards in returns) . . . Opened his sophomore season as the top reserve at the strong safety posi- tion . . . Played, but recorded no statistics, in the Bulldogs’ season-opening 28-7 win over ANTONIO JOHNSON’S CAREER DEFENSIVE STATS Tulane . . . Following that outing, started the next three weeks for the Bulldog defense . . YEAR G/GS TT UT AT TFL-YDS SCK-YDS FF/FR PBU INT-YDS . Earned his fi rst start in Week 2 action against Auburn . . . Recorded four tackles against 2005 11/0 15 7 8 3.0-12 2.5-10 0/0 0 0-0 the Tigers . . . Had the best game of his career against Maine one week later . . . Inter- cepted the fi rst two passes of his MSU career against the Black Bears . . . He became the TOTALS 11/0 15 7 8 3.0-12 2.5-10 0/0 0 0-0 fi rst Bulldog to intercept two or more passes in a game since Korey Banks stole a pair of passes against Memphis in 2002 . . . Totaled four tackles during Week 4 game at LSU . .

70 PLAYER PROFILES

. Also ranked as the No. 21 player regardless of position in the state of Georgia by that recruiting service . . . Considered the No. 2 cornerback in the Southeast by The Insiders recruiting analyst Jamie Newburg . . . Named to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super Southern 100, a list of the top 100 players in the South . . . Was one of just 14 defensive backs mentioned on that prestigious team . . . The Atlanta paper also listed him among the top 50 players in the Peach State, one of just eight defensive backs . . . Named second-team, all-South by Fox Sports Net at one cornerback position . . . Rated the No. 21 player overall in the state of Georgia by SuperPrep in its season-ending, all-America issue, the second-rated cornerback . . . Rated with the top 50 defensive backs in the southeast by PrepStar magazine in its preseason issue . . . Credited with running a 4.45 in the 40-yard dash by that publication . . . Helped his high school team to an 8-2-1 re- cord during his senior season . . . Registered 50 tackles and four pass interceptions from his defensive backfi eld position . . . Also had more than 500 yards in punt returns and brought back two kickoffs for scores . . . Made 64 tackles and a state-leading nine pass interceptions during his junior season . . . A three-year starter for coach Rodney Cofi eld at Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta, he was a two-time all-district honoree . . . A solid student in the high school classroom. PERSONAL: Born Jeramie Jermaine Johnson, 10-7-84, in Atlanta, Ga. . . . Son of Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Johnson Sr. . . . Majoring in interdisciplinary studies.

JERAMIE JOHNSON’S CAREER DEFENSIVE STATS YEAR G/GS TT UT AT TFL-YDS SCK-YDS FF/FR PBU INT-YDS 2003 12/6 52 32 20 0.0-0 0.0-0 1/0 1 0-0 2004 11/3 34 23 11 1.0-1 0.0-0 0/0 0 3-35 2005 11/10 64 45 19 0.5-0 0.0-0 2/1 7 4-51 DB JERAMIE JOHNSON TOTALS 34/19 150 100 50 1.5-1 0.0-0 3/1 8 7-86

DATE OPPONENT TT UT AT PBU INT-YDS 8/31/03 OREGON 1 1 0 0 0-0 9/13/03 * at Tulane 6 5 1 0 0-0 . Returned to reserve status and added one hit a week later at Vanderbilt and in Week 6 9/20/03 * at Houston 5 2 3 0 0-0 work vs. UAB . . . Made just three tackles but turned in one of the outcome-producing plays in the Bulldogs’ Week 7 win over Florida . . . His pass interception, the team-leading 9/27/03 * LSU 6 5 1 0 0-0 third of the season at the time, came at the MSU 44 with just 2:03 left in the game and the 10/4/03 VANDERBILT 3 1 2 0 0-0 score tied at 31, and set up the Bulldogs’ game-winning touchdown drive . . . Registered 10/11/03 * MEMPHIS 4 2 2 1 0-0 four hits during the Bulldogs’ Week 8 win over Kentucky . . . Had a pair of tackles during 10/18/03 at Auburn 5 4 1 0 0-0 Week 9 work at Alabama . . . After making 19 tackles during the season’s fi rst nine weeks, 10/25/03 at Kentucky 0 0 0 0 0-0 he added 15 hits, one of which was a tackle for loss, over the fi nal two weeks of the year 11/8/03 ALABAMA 5 2 3 0 0-0 . . . Totaled a season-high eight tackles during the Bulldogs’ home-season ending game 11/15/03 at Tennessee 5 3 2 0 0-0 against Arkansas . . . Culminated his sophomore season with seven stops in the season 11/22/03 * at Arkansas 9 4 5 0 0-0 fi nale vs. Ole Miss, one of which occurred behind the line of scrimmage (minus 1 yard) . 11/27/03 * MISSISSIPPI 3 3 0 0 0-0 . . Productive spring workout kept him fi rst on the spring-ending depth chart at strong safety . . . Ranked among the spring’s tackle leaders with 13 hits, one of which was behind 9/4/04 TULANE 0 0 0 0 0-0 the line of scrimmage (minus 2 yards) . . . Also had one interception (1-yard return) and 9/11/04 * AUBURN 4 3 1 0 2-35 a pass defl ection. 9/18/04 * MAINE 0 0 0 0 0-0 2003: Played in all 12 games during his true freshman season for Mississippi State . . 9/25/04 * at LSU 4 1 3 0 0-0 . Earned six starting calls in the Bulldog secondary, opening games at either strong or 10/2/04 at Vanderbilt 1 1 0 0 0-0 free safety . . . Led all freshmen defenders with 52 tackles . . . Credited with one pass 10/9/04 UAB 1 1 0 0 0-0 defl ection and one caused fumble . . . Saw the fi rst action of his collegiate career in his 10/23/04 FLORIDA 3 1 2 0 1-0 fi rst collegiate game . . . Recorded one tackle against Oregon in the Bulldogs’ season 10/30/04 KENTUCKY 4 3 1 0 0-0 opener . . . Made the fi rst start of his collegiate career in just his second game . . . Subbed 11/6/04 at Alabama 2 1 1 0 0-0 for an injured Kevin Dockery during Week 2 work against Tulane in the New Orleans Su- perdome . . . Posted six tackles against the Green Wave . . . Played all but two snaps at 11/20/04 ARKANSAS 8 6 2 0 0-0 Houston one week later (76 of 78 plays) and registered fi ve tackles against the Cougars . . 11/27/04 at Mississippi 7 6 1 0 0-0 . Also credited with a forced fumble against UH . . . Made his third straight start at strong 9/3/05 * MURRAY STATE 9 7 2 2 0-0 safety and recorded six tackles against LSU in Week 4, playing all 60 Tiger offensive snaps 9/10/05 * at Auburn 5 4 1 3 0-0 in the game . . . Saw his playing time reduced to 22 plays with the return of Darren Wil- 9/17/05 * vs. Tulane 8 5 3 0 0-0 liams in Week 5 win over Vanderbilt . . . Recorded three hits against the Commodores . . . 9/24/05 * GEORGIA 9 4 5 0 0-0 Returned to the Bulldog starting lineup and made four tackles and had a pass defl ection 10/1/05 * LSU 8 5 3 1 0-0 one week later against Memphis . . . Made fi ve tackles during the 20 plays he was on the 10/8/05 * at Florida 6 3 3 0 0-0 fi eld at Auburn in Week 7 . . . Held without a tackle for the only time in his frosh campaign 10/22/05 * HOUSTON 4 3 1 0 0-0 at Kentucky one week later . . . Had fi ve tackles again in Week 9 (in 34 plays) against Alabama . . . Made fi ve hits again one week later at Tennessee . . . Started the fi nal two 10/29/05 * at Kentucky 6 5 1 0 0-0 games of his initial season at State at free safety . . . Had a season-best nine tackles in 53 11/05/05 * ALABAMA 2 2 0 0 1-11 plays at Arkansas in Week 11 . . . Recorded three tackles in his true freshman campaign- 11/19/05 * vs. Arkansas 6 6 0 1 0-0 closing game against Mississippi. 11/26/05 OLE MISS 1 1 0 0 3-40 HIGH SCHOOL: Ranked No. 21 on the Rivals.com list of the nation’s top cornerbacks . .

71 PLAYER PROFILES

Jeremy Anthony JONES LITTLEJOHN

Tight End Linebacker 6-2 • 265 • So. • SQ 6-1 • 223 • So. • 1L Harvey, La. 84 Jacksonville, Fla. 56 West Jefferson Englewood

CAREER: Has played in 8 of a possible 11 games during his still-infant Mississippi State CAREER: Has played in all 11 games of his still-infant Mississippi State playing career . . . career, earning one starting call at the tight end position . . . Has caught one pass (5 Earned eight starting calls at weakside linebacker during his fi rst season after redshirting yards) and made one special teams tackle . . . Late signee who sat out his fi rst season his true freshman campaign . . . Has registered 22 tackles during his tenure, a total that on campus while rehabilitating a high school knee injury . . . Came to MSU as a highly includes four and one-half tackles for loss (minus 13 yards), one and one-half of which regarded tight end prospect from the Louisiana prep ranks, he worked with the Bulldog were quarterback sacks (minus 6 yards) . . . Made more than 200 tackles during his fi nal defensive scout team in his fi rst year on campus. two seasons of high school football in Florida. 2006: Injury-free spring practice period kept him in the regular rotation of tight ends . . 2006: Continued his development in the linebacker rotation with an injury-free, pro- . Had three catches for 28 yards and a touchdown, with all of his statistics coming in the ductive spring practice . . . Made two tackles, including one for loss during three scrim- spring’s fi rst scrimmage. mages . . . Listed second on the pre- 2005: Played in nine games during his redshirt freshman campaign, earning one starting season depth chart at strong-side assignment at tight end . . . Saw action in every game but season-ending home contests linebacker. vs. Alabama and Ole Miss . . . Caught one pass on the season, a 5-yard reception in his 2005: Played in all 11 games during fi rst collegiate start, at Auburn in Week 2 . . . Recorded a special teams tackle at Arkansas his redshirt freshman season, earning in Week 10 . . . Sat out all of spring 2005 while rehabbing off-season knee surgery. eight starts at weakside linebacker . . 2004: Sat out the year as a true freshman redshirt. . Was the starter at the position the HIGH SCHOOL: One of the top tight end prospects in Louisiana following his senior fi rst eight weeks of the season . . . To- season for head coach Hank Tierney at West Jefferson High School in Harvey, La. . . . taled 22 tackles on the year, includ- Named to the New Orleans Times Picayune’s Top 20 Blue Chip list . . . Caught 23 passes ing four and one-half tackles for loss for fi ve touchdowns as a senior . . . Suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament toward the (minus 13 yards), one and a half of end of his senior season . . . Was credited with running a 4.8 in the 40-yard dash prior which were quarterback sacks (minus to that injury . . . Helped lead his high school team to a 10-1 record and to a Class 5A 6 yards) . . . Registered 13 of his tack- playoff appearance in 2003 . . . Did not play high school football until his senior year . . . les in the season’s fi rst fi ve weeks, A three-year letterman in basketball on the prep level. and the remaining nine in the year’s PERSONAL: Born Jeremy Timothy Jones, 11-19-85, in New Orleans, La. . . . Son of Ms. fi nal month . . . Opened the season Linda Rose . . . Majoring in criminal justice. as a starter at outside linebacker and responded with a solid showing in LB ANTHONY LITTLEJOHN the Bulldogs’ season-opening win Jarvis over Murray State . . . Registered four tackles, including one hit behind the KYLES line of scrimmage (minus 3 yards), in the victory over the Racers . . . Had a pair of hits one week later in the Bulldogs’ SEC Defensive Back opener at Auburn . . . Added another tackle in State’s Week 3 win over Tulane, an appear- 6-0 • 185 • RFr. • RS ance that was shortened by an ankle sprain incurred in the fi rst quarter . . . Rebounded from that setback to register four tackles against Georgia in Week 4 . . . Credited with Milledgeville, Ga. 20 one and one-half quarterback sacks (minus 6 yards) against the Bulldogs . . . Posted a Baldwin pair of hits against LSU in Week 5 . . . Returned to the stats sheet in Week 8 with a pair of tackles at Kentucky . . . Made four tackles, one of which was a tackle for loss (minus 2 yards), against Alabama in Week 9 . . . Had a pair of hits one week later at Arkansas . CAREER: Still awaiting his fi rst opportunity to help State on the game fi eld . . . Came to . . Finished his redshirt freshman campaign with a 2-yard tackle for loss in the Bulldogs’ the Bulldog program from the tradition-rich Georgia prep ranks. season-ending 35-14 win over Ole Miss in the Battle for the Golden Egg . . . A solid fi rst 2006: Continued his development in the Bulldog defensive backfi eld with a solid spring practice . . . Listed third at strong safety heading into August two-a-days. LITTLEJOHN’S CAREER DEFENSIVE STATS 2005: Redshirted his true freshman season at State. YEAR G/GS TT UT AT TFL-YDS SCK-YDS FF/FR PBU INT-YDS HIGH SCHOOL: Listed among the top 50 cornerbacks in the country by the Fab50 re- 2005 11/8 22 15 7 4.5-13 1.5-6 0/0 0 0-0 cruiting web site following his high school career . . . Rated the No. 40 prospect in the TOTALS 11/8 22 15 7 4.5-13 1.5-6 0/0 0 0-0 state of Georgia prior to his senior season by the Rivals.com recruiting web site . . . Credited with running a 4.6 in the 40-yard dash and with 13 repetitions of 185 pounds on the bench press at the Atlanta NIKE Training Camp which attracted more than 500 DATE OPPONENT TT UT AT PBU INT-YDS prospects . . . Has a 250-pound bench press max, according to Rivals.com . . . Played for 9/3/05 * MURRAY STATE 4 1 3 0 0-0 head coach Jesse Hicks at Baldwin High School in Milledgeville, Ga. . . . Helped his high 9/10/05 * at Auburn 2 2 0 0 0-0 school team to the postseason playoffs during his sophomore and senior seasons . . . 9/17/05 * vs. Tulane 1 1 0 0 0-0 Recorded 201 tackles during his high school career with 13 pass interceptions . . . Made 9/24/05 * GEORGIA 4 3 1 0 0-0 60 tackles during his senior season, and returned three of the fi ve interceptions he had 10/1/05 * LSU 2 1 1 0 0-0 for touchdowns, helping Baldwin to the second-round of the state playoffs . . . As a junior 10/8/05 * at Florida 0 0 0 0 0-0 defensive back for the Braves, he made 90 tackles with four pass interceptions and 14 10/22/05 * HOUSTON 0 0 0 0 0-0 pass defl ections . . . Made 40 tackles and four pass thefts during his sophomore season . . . Other top scholarship offers: Auburn, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia Tech 10/29/05 * at Kentucky 2 2 0 0 0-0 . . . Committed to MSU on his visit in January 2005. 11/05/05 ALABAMA 4 3 1 0 0-0 PERSONAL: Born Jarvis Kyles, 11-14-86, in Decatur, Ga. . . . Son of Mr. Alton Kyles and 11/19/05 vs. Arkansas 2 1 1 0 0-0 Ms. Kecia Taylor . . . Cousin Leroy Hill played football at Clemson University . . . Majoring 11/26/05 OLE MISS 1 1 0 0 0-0 in general business administration.

72 PLAYER PROFILES

spring practice on the MSU campus ended with a successful Maroon and White game state during his sophomore and junior seasons . . . Caught three touchdown passes in the performance . . . Tallied four tackles for the White team against the No. 1 offense . . . state title game as a junior . . . Outstanding student in the high school classroom. Exited spring work second on the depth chart at weak linebacker. PERSONAL: Born Lance Christopher Long, 5-4-85, in Detroit, Mich. . . . Son of Mr. and 2004: Sat out his true freshman season as a redshirt. Mrs. Wayne Long . . . Majoring in management. HIGH SCHOOL: Ranked as one of the top 60 linebackers in the southeast by PrepStar magazine in both its pre-season and post-season editions . . . Credited with running a LONG’S CAREER RECEIVING STATS 4.52 in the 40-yard dash by the Insiders.com online recruiting website . . . Named honor- YEAR G/GS REC YARDS AVG TD LONG / OPP. able mention all-First Coast team . . . Recorded 110 tackles, four sacks, and four pass 2005 11/1 7 41 5.9 0 8 / Arkansas interceptions during his senior season at Englewood High School in Jacksonville, Fla. . . TOTAL 11/1 7 41 5.9 0 8 / Arkansas . Registered 97 tackles as a junior, including 12 for loss and seven quarterback sacks . . . Also had a pair of interceptions. PERSONAL: Born Anthony Charles Littlejohn, 9-20-85, in Jacksonville, Fla. . . . Son Ms. Paretha Littlejohn . . . Majoring in criminal justice. Blake Lance MCADAMS

LONG Punter 5-10 • 180 • So. • 1L Wide Receiver Ripley, Tenn. 5-11 • 186 • Jr. • 1L 43 Ripley Macomb, Mich. 86 Utica Eisenhower CAREER: Won the starting job at punter from the outset of his collegiate career as a true freshman at Mississippi State . . . Has started all 11 games at the position during his CAREER: Has played in all 11 games during his Mississippi State playing career after still-infant career . . . Has punted 69 times for a 41.9-yard average, with 14 of his punts transferring from Western Michigan University . . . Has earned one starting call in the being downed inside the 20-yard line and nine more going for touchback . . . Has aver- wide receiver rotation, while also contributing on Bulldog special teams . . . Has made aged better than 40 yards per punt in six of his 11 career games, and had 14 punts of 50 seven catches for 41 yards during his still-young career . . . Has also returned three kick- yards or more . . . Career-long 68-yard punt came against Alabama in 2005 . . . Came to offs for 48 yards and recovered one fumble . . . Came to MSU following a standout high Mississippi State following an all-around multi-sport all-star high school career. school career in Michigan and that one season in the Mid-American Conference. 2006: Punted twice for a 37.5-yard average during the team’s spring-ending Maroon 2006: Continued to show his ability to catch the ball in traffi c and led the club in receiv- and White game . . . Continues in his role as the team’s fi rst-unit punter, a job he won ing during the spring’s three scrimmages . . . Had 10 catches for 114 yards and one touch- last preseason ... The rising sophomore will press for added duties as the team’s primary down in game-like conditions . . . Remains a viable factor in the wide receiver rotation. holder for all kick placements. 2005: Played in all 11 games during his sophomore season, earning one starting as- 2005: Started all 11 games for Mississippi State at the punter position during his true signment at wide receiver . . . Caught seven passes for 41 yards, a 5.9-yard average . . freshman season . . . Punted 69 times for 2,891 yards, a 41.9-yard average . . . Finished . Opened the Tulane game in Week 3 following a solid week of practice leading up to third in the Southeastern Conference and 33rd nationally in punting average . . . He led the game . . . Also returned three kickoffs for 48 yards, a 16-yard average . . . Was also the league in punt attempts . . . Fourteen of his punts were 50 yards or longer and 14 credited with one fumble recovery on special teams . . . Made his fi rst collegiate recep- were downed inside the 20-yard line . . . Had nine touchbacks . . . Averaged better than tion during State’s Week 2 game at Auburn, a 5-yard catch . . . Added another reception 40 yards per punt in a game six times during the 11-game schedule . . . Had a season- (7 yards) and returned his fi rst kickoff for 17 yards in that only start vs. Tulane in Shreve- long 68-yard punt, the second-longest in the conference . . . Won the punting job during port . . . Made the biggest play in the game, however, with 7:52 remaining in the fourth August two-a-days and started the season opener vs. Murray State . . . Punted four times quarter when he fell on a Tulane fumbled punt while playing on special teams . . . The for a 42.2-yard average against the Racers, with a game-long 60-yard boot . . . Averaged Bulldogs scored the game-winning touchdown on the next offensive play . . . Hauled in 46.33 yards per punt on his fi nal three kicks of the game . . . Made it two straight weeks two passes for 12 yards and brought back one kickoff for 19 yards against Kentucky in with solid punting numbers at Auburn in the team’s SEC opener . . . Punted six times for Week 8 . . . Added two more pass receptions (11 yards) in Week 10 work at Arkansas . a 41.2 yard average against the Tigers, with one of his kicks being downed inside the . . Returned a kick 12 yards against 20-yard line . . . Had one of the truly exceptional punting days in Mississippi State history the Razorbacks as well . . . Culmi- during the Bulldogs’ Week 3 win over Tulane in Shreveport . . . Punted 10 times for a nated his sophomore season with 45.7-yard average against the Green Wave with six of his kicks downed inside the 20-yard a 6-yard pass reception in the Bull- line and another carrying to the end zone for a touchback . . . Averaged 53 yards per punt dogs’ 35-14 win over Ole Miss in during the second quarter and his lone sub-40-yarder on the night was the one that went the Egg Bowl. for touchback . . . His 45.7-yard average against Tulane nearly matched the MSU school 2004: Sat out the season to es- record for 10 or more punts in a game (47.5, Andy Russ vs. South Carolina, 1996) . . . Had tablish eligibility after transferring a career-fi rst, sub-40-yard punting day vs. Georgia in Week 4 . . . Punted seven times for to State from the University of To- a 39.3-yard average, with a game-long 51-yard boot and one kick inside the 20-yard line ledo. . . . Kicked seven times for a 39.6-yard average with a game-long 50-yard punt against 2003: Redshirted during his true LSU in Week 5 . . . Punted six times for a 46.7-yard average at Florida one week later . freshman season at the University . . Had a game-best, 55-yard boot and two of his kicks were downed inside the 20-yard of Toledo. line . . . Again punted six times in Week 7 game against Houston, averaging 46.2 yards HIGH SCHOOL: Helped lead Utica per boot . . . Had a game-long, 58-yard kick against the Cougars . . . Punted seven times Eisenhower High School in Shelby for a 39.1-yard average at Kentucky in Week 8 . . . Had the best statistical game of his Township, Mich., to a 33-6 record freshman season one week later against Alabama . . . Punted six times for a 48.3-yard during his three years of prep foot- average, with two fi nishing inside the 20-yard line . . . Had a season-long, 68-yard boot ball, starting the fi nal two seasons against the Criimson Tide . . . Kicked six times for a 31-yard average at Arkansas in Week as a wide receiver and free safety . . 10 . . . Finished his true freshman season with four punts for a 39.8-yard average, against . Was named second-team all-state Ole Miss . . . Two of those four punts were downed inside the 20-yard line and another for coach Bob Lantzy’s Eagles as a went for a touchback . . . Had a game-long, 49-yard kick. senior . . . Caught 45 passes for 980 HIGH SCHOOL: Superprep Magazine rated him No. 20 among the top prospects in the yards and eight touchdowns during WR LANCE LONG state in its pre-signing day all-America issue . . . A starter during his high school career his senior season . . . Also had seven at quarterback, safety, punter and place-kicker . . . Accumulated 4,241 yards passing pass interceptions in the secondary with 28 touchdowns, 1,751 yards rushing and 33 scores, and 264 tackles, 15 for loss, and . . . His team fi nished second in the eight interceptions on defense during his career . . . Averaged over 39 yards per punt

73 PLAYER PROFILES

Gabe OÊNEAL

Linebacker 6-1 • 220 • Jr. • 2L Columbus, Miss. 5 Columbus

CAREER: Pressed into immediate service by Mississippi State, serving from the outset of his true freshman season on Bulldog special teams but moving into a starter’s role at linebacker by mid-season that year . . . Has played in all but one game (21 of 22) during his still-young career, earning a starting call 10 times, fi ve each in his fi rst two seasons . . . Has made 63 tackles during his time at MSU, with three and one-half hits behind the line of scrimmage (minus 12 yards), one-half of which was a quarterback sack (minus 3 yards) . . . Has also returned a fumble 6 yards, and been credited with one forced fumble and a pass defl ection. P BLAKE MCADAMS 2006: Held his fi rst-unit status at strong-side linebacker with a solid spring . . . Made six tackles, one a quarterback sack, during three scrimmages. 2005: Played in all 11 games during his sophomore season, starting the fi nal fi ve games for his prep career . . . Also handled all kickoff duties on the high school level . . . Named at strongside linebacker . . . Registered 34 tackles on the season, including two and one- all-state in Tennessee following his senior season at defensive back playing for his dad, half for loss (minus 7 yards), one half of which was a quarterback sack (minus 3 yards) . . . John McAdams, the head coach at Ripley High School . . . Helped lead the Tigers to the Credited with one forced fumble and one pass defl ection . . . Rebounded from off-season postseason state playoffs . . . Selected to the Associated Press all-state team for all clas- surgery to see some reserve action at outside linebacker to begin his sophomore season sifi cations and for Class 3A, to the Tennessee Sports Writers Association for Class 3A, and . . . Made four tackles, including one for loss (minus 1 yard) in MSU’s season-opening win to two coaches’ all-state squads . . . Named all-state at punter by CoachT.com web site . . over Murray State . . . Added one tackle in the Bulldogs’ SEC opener at Auburn a week . Also chosen Player of the Year in Region 7 Class 3A for a second straight year, as well as later . . . Posted four tackles during the team’s Week 3 victory over Tulane, one hit coming the region’s top punter . . . Was chosen the West Tennessee Special Teams Player of the behind the line of scrimmage (minus 3 yards) . . . Recorded a pair of hits one week later Year . . . Averaged 43.4 yards a punt with better than a four-second hang time during his in the team’s game with Georgia and in Week 5 action vs. LSU . . . Totaled four tackles at senior season . . . Added more than 904 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns, and 781 yards Florida one week later . . . Made 17 tackles, exactly one half of his season total, over the passing with fi ve scores, and made 141 tackles during that senior campaign . . . Also had fi nal fi ve games of the year, a streak that coincided with his starting assignments . . . Also seven tackles for loss and three pass interceptions during his fi nal prep season . . . Also recorded his QB sack, forced fumble and pass defl ection during that stretch . . . Made chosen one of three fi nalists for the Mr. Football award for offensive and defensive backs two stops against Houston in Week 7, a total that includes one-half quarterback sack in the state’s Class 3A division . . . Passed for 1,553 yards and 11 touchdowns as a junior (minus 3 yards) . . . Tied for third on the team with fi ve tackles at Kentucky one week later quarterback, leading his team to a 10-2 overall record and into the state’s postseason . . . Made three stops in Week 9 action vs. Alabama . . . Registered three hits again a week playoffs . . . Averaged 38.2 yards per punt that season . . . Chosen to play in the Ten- later at Arkansas . . . Had possibly the best all-around game of his sophomore campaign nessee-Kentucky all-star football game . . . Credited with a 4.6 in the 40-yard dash and in the team’s season-ending 35-14 win over Ole Miss in the Battle for the Golden Egg . a 275-pound bench press max by Rivals.com . . . Also a standout baseball player on the . . Matched his season high with four tackles against the Rebels . . . Also had his forced prep level, earning all-state recognition as a junior . . . Batted .442 with 10 home runs and fumble and pass defl ection in the win . . . Worked at linebacker through the fi rst three 56 runs batted in while playing shortstop as a junior . . . Also was 8-1 on the mound that weeks of spring ball before a nagging knee ailment forced him to the sidelines for the year . . . Led his 2003 baseball team to the state title by hitting .402 with four home runs fi nal week of practice and the Maroon and White game . . . Despite missing that fi nal few and 46 runs batted in . . . Also went 4-1 with a 2.40 earned run average . . . Outstanding practices, he remained at the head of the competitors on the strong side. high school student who carried a 3.76 grade point average . . . Committed to MSU in 2004: Played in all but the season opener of his college career, recording fi ve starts at December 2004. strong linebacker from mid-season on . . . Registered 29 tackles on the season, including PERSONAL: Born Johnathan Blake McAdams, 2-7-87, in Lexington, Tenn. . . . Son of Mr. one for loss (minus 5 yards) . . . Also recovered one fumble, returning it 6 yards . . . Did not and Mrs. John McAdams . . . His father played football at Tennessee . . . An uncle, William see action in the season opener vs. Tulane and played, but recorded no statistics, in the McAdams, played football at Middle Tennessee State . . . Majoring in kinesiology. Bulldogs’ Week 2 and 3 games of the season . . . After registering no hits in the fi rst three weeks, he averaged 3.6 tackles per game from that point on . . .Had the breakthrough

MCADAMS’ CAREER PUNTING STATS YEAR G/GS PUNTS YDS AVG IN20 LONG / OPP. 2005 11/11 69 2,891 41.9 14 68 / Alabama TOTALS 11/11 69 2,891 41.9 14 68 / ALABAMA

DATE OPPONENT PUNTS YDS AVG LONG 9/3/05 * MURRAY STATE 4 169 42.2 60 9/10/05 * at Auburn 6 247 41.2 51 9/17/05 * vs. Tulane 10 457 45.7 57 9/24/05 * GEORGIA 7 275 39.3 51 10/1/05 * LSU 7 277 39.6 50 10/8/05 * at Florida 6 280 46.7 55 10/22/05 * HOUSTON 6 277 46.2 58 10/29/05 * at Kentucky 7 274 39.1 49 11/05/05 * ALABAMA 6 290 48.3 68 11/19/05 * vs. Arkansas 6 186 31.0 39 LB GABE O’NEAL 11/26/05 * OLE MISS 4 159 39.8 49

74 PLAYER PROFILES

game of his freshman season at LSU in Week 4 . . . Tallied six tackles and returned one fumble recovery 6 yards against the Tigers . . . Added a hit one week later at Vanderbilt and in State’s Week 6 game vs. UAB . . . After registering eight tackles in the season’s fi rst Derek six weeks (1.3 per game) as a back-up and special teams player, he made 21 in the year’s fi nal fi ve games (4.2 per game) as a starter . . . Earned his fi rst career start one week later PEGUES in the club’s win over Florida . . . Recorded four tackles against the Gators . . .Tallied three hits in the Bulldogs’ Week 8 win over Kentucky . . . Registered four tackles at Alabama Cornerback one week later, making one hit behind the line of scrimmage (minus 5 yards) . . . Totaled 5-10 • 192 • So. • 1L a season-best eight tackles against Arkansas in the team’s home-season ending game . . . Had a pair of hits in the season fi nale against Ole Miss. Batesville, Miss. 3 HIGH SCHOOL: Named to the Jackson Clarion-Ledger Dandy Dozen prior to his senior South Panola season as one of the state of Mississippi’s top 12 senior football players . . . Ranked as the #11 player overall in the state of Mississippi by Superprep magazine in its year-end- CAREER: Earned immediate playing time for Mississippi State during his true fresh- ing All-America Issue . . . Ranked with the top 25 recruits in the state of Mississippi by man season as a valuable special teams member and a reserve in the secondary . . . Has the Clarion-Ledger following his senior season at Columbus High School. . . . Named played in all 11 games of his infant Bulldog playing career . . . Has registered 14 total honorable mention all-state by the Mississippi Association of Coaches . . . Credited with tackles and one pass interception (3-yard return) . . . Has also been credited with a forced running a 4.6 in the 40-yard dash by the Insiders.com online recruiting website . . . Se- fumble and two pass defl ections . . . Has returned 28 kickoffs for 559 yards, a 19.9-yard lected to play in the Mississippi-Alabama High School all-star game . . . Helped lead per return, and one punt (2 yards) . . . Came to State following an all-America-type high Columbus High School to a 7-4 senior year record . . . Made more than 100 tackes during school career. the 2003 season and rushed for over 900 yards from the tailback position on offense . . 2006: Solid spring practice was shortened when he missed the fi nal week of workouts .Registered 53 tackles and a pair of interceptions during his junior campaign . . . Helped due to an off-fi eld incident . . . Made seven tackles in the session’s fi rst two scrimmages, Columbus High School to a 10-3 record as a sophomore . . . A solid (3.0 gpa) student in one of which was for loss . . . That production was enough to hold the fi rst-unit designa- high school. tion at left cornerback entering pre-season practice. PERSONAL: Born Gabriel Wyshun O’Neal, 12-10-85, in Columbus, Miss. . . . Parents are 2005: Played in all 11 games during his true freshman season for Mississippi State . . . Mr. and Mrs. Joe Lee Ross . . . His cousin, James Johnson, played at Mississippi State in Contributing both on special teams and as a valuable reserve in the secondary, he totaled 1997 and 1998 . . . Majoring in fi tness management. 14 tackles on the season . . . Recorded his fi rst collegiate interception (3-yard return) and was credited with one forced fumble and two pass defl ections . . . Returned 28 kickoffs O’NEAL’S CAREER DEFENSIVE STATS for 559 yards, nearly a 20-yard per return average . . . Brought back one punt (2 yards) . YEAR G/GS TT UT AT TFL-YDS SCK-YDS FF/FR PD INT-YDS . . Saw action as a true freshman for the Bulldogs from the beginning of the ’05 season 2004 10/5 29 15 14 1.0-5 0.0-0 0/1 0 0-0 . . . Played as a reserve at cornerback and returned one kickoff 19 yards against Murray 2005 11/5 34 23 11 2.5-7 0.5-3 1/0 1 0-0 State in the opener . . . Began to open eyes with his play in Week 2 at Auburn in the TOTALS 21/10 63 38 25 3.5-12 0.5-3 1/1 1 0-0 team’s SEC opener . . . Returned three kickoffs for 100 yards against the Tigers, including a season-best 51-yard run back in the fi rst quarter . . . It was the most kick return yards in a DATE OPPONENT TT UT AT TFL-YDS SCK-YDS single game by a Bulldog since teammate Jonathan Lowe had 100 yards in kickoff returns against Florida in 2004 . . . The 51-yard return was the longest by a State player since 9/11/04 AUBURN 0 0 0 0.0-0 0.0-0 Fred Reid carried one kickoff 100 yards against Memphis in 2003 . . . Also added one pass 9/18/04 MAINE 0 0 0 0.0-0 0.0-0 defl ection in reserve work at cornerback against Auburn . . . Made two tackles and a pass 9/25/04 at LSU 6 1 5 0.0-0 0.0-0 defl ection vs. Tulane in Week 3 . . . Credited with one tackle one week later vs. Georgia . 10/2/04 at Vanderbilt 1 1 0 0.0-0 0.0-0 . . Returned fi ve kickoffs for 93 yards against the Bulldogs . . .Added a pair of hits and six 10/9/04 UAB 1 0 1 0.0-0 0.0-0 kickoff returns for 91 yards vs. LSU in Week 5 work . . . Again had two tackles a week later 10/23/04 * FLORIDA 4 2 2 0.0-0 0.0-0 at Florida, but added the fi rst pass interception of his career against the Gators (3-yard 10/30/04 * KENTUCKY 3 2 1 0.0-0 0.0-0 run back) . . . Had four kick returns for 79 yards at UF . . . Brought back the lone punt 11/6/04 * at Alabama 4 3 1 1.0-5 0.0-0 of his season against Houston (2-yard return) . . . Returned to the defensive stats sheet 11/20/04 * ARKANSAS 8 5 3 0.0-0 0.0-0 during Week 8 work at Kentucky . . . Tallied a season-best four hits against the Wildcats and was credited with a forced fumble . . . Also returned two kickoffs for 49 yards against 11/27/04 * at Ole Miss 2 1 1 0.0-0 0.0-0 UK . . . Had a pair of tackles and two kickoff returns (32 yards) against Alabama in Week 9/3/05 MURRAY STATE 4 3 1 1.0-1 0.0-0 9 . . . Recorded one tackle at Arkansas in Week 10 . . . Also had fi ve kickoffs for 96 yards 9/10/05 at Auburn 1 1 0 0.0-0 0.0-0 9/17/05 vs. Tulane 4 2 2 1.0-3 0.0-0 9/24/05 GEORGIA 2 1 1 0.0-0 0.0-0 10/1/05 LSU 2 2 0 0.0-0 0.0-0 10/8/05 at Florida 4 3 1 0.0-0 0.0-0 10/22/05 * HOUSTON 2 1 1 0.5-3 0.5-3 10/29/05 * at Kentucky 5 4 1 0.0-0 0.0-0 11/05/05 * ALABAMA 3 3 0 0.0-0 0.0-0 11/19/05 * vs. Arkansas 3 1 2 0.0-0 0.0-0 11/26/05 * OLE MISS 4 3 1 0.0-0 0.0-0

DB DEREK PEGUES

75 PLAYER PROFILES

against the Razorbacks. HIGH SCHOOL: Rated the No. 4 cornerback prospect and the No. 35 player, regardless of position, in the country by the Rivals.com recruiting web site . . . Another recruit- Andrew ing site, Scout.com, ranked him as the No. 5 cornerback in the nation . . . Superprep Magazine ranked him the No. 4 defensive back in the country and the No. 1 prospect in POWELL the state of Mississippi . . . Rated the No. 54 prospect in the Southeast, the fourth-best cornerback, by Scout.com prior to his senior season . . . Named Mississippi’s Gatorade Defensive Tackle Player of the Year . . . Rivals also rates him the No. 2 prospect in the state of Mississippi . 6-1 • 306 • Sr. • 3L . . BulldogBlitz.com ranked him as the No. 3 prospect in its Fab 15 listing . . . Dawgs’ Bite Magazine listed him No. 4 in the state . . . Picked to the Jackson Clarion-Ledger Dandy Clewiston, Fla. 94 Dozen prior to his senior season, symbolic of being among the top 12 players in the state Clewiston . . . Ranked No. 1 on that newspaper’s postseason list of the state’s most wanted play- ers . . . Selected to the West team for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, CAREER: Saw immediate action at Mississippi State in his fi rst season of collegiate eligi- Texas, and was named the defensive player of the game . . . Had one pass interception bility and has developed into one of the team’s mainstays on the defensive line . . . Has while playing cornerback in the all-star game, and also rushed once for a fi rst down on a played in 27 games during his career, earning 21 starts on the defensive line, nine straight fake-punt situation . . . Credited with running a 4.4 in the 40-yard dash and with a 350- to culminate the 2004 season and all 11 in ‘05 . . . Has made 83 tackles, including eight for pound bench press max by the Rivals.com recruiting website . . . Selected to play in the loss (minus 27 yards), two and one half of which were quarterback sacks (minus 8 yards) . Mississippi-Alabama High School all-star game following his senior season . . . Led head . . Also has recorded one pass interception (2-yard return). . . Two-sport standout during coach Ricky Woods’ South Panola team to back-to-back state titles, undefeated seasons, his high school career in the state of Florida. and USA Today national top-10 fi nishes by starring on both sides of the ball . . . Rushed 2006: Another solid spring has him in the regular rotation of defensive linemen . . . Can for 4,104 yards and scored 86 touchdowns in his high school career . . . In the state play either nose guard or defensive tackle . . . Made fi ve tackles during three spring championship game to end his senior campaign, he rushed for 244 yards and a state- scrimmages, including two and one-half for loss, two of which were quarterback sacks. record fi ve touchdowns . . . Was named all-state both seasons as a defensive back and an all-purpose athlete . . . Named fi rst-team, Class 5A all-state following his senior season by the Mississippi Association of Coaches . . . Earned fi rst-team, all-state recognition at an all-purpose designation by the Clarion-Ledger . . . During his senior season, he rushed for 1,659 yards and 26 touchdowns . . . Also passed for 637 yards and six scores . . . On defense, he had 51 tackles and fi ve interceptions . . . As a junior, he completed 59-of-102 passes for 1,160 yards, 13 touchdowns and just four interceptions . . . Also rushed 138 times for 1,460 yards, a 10.5-yard average, and 28 touchdowns . . . Added 1,084 in punt and kickoff return yards . . . Also caught fi ve passes that season for another score . . . On defense, he totaled 45 tackles with seven interceptions, 15 pass defl ections, and two fumble recoveries . . . In leading his high school to a 44-1 record during his fi nal three seasons, he helped lead South Panola to the state championship game as a sophomore, losing the title game for their only loss of the season . . . Other top scholarship offers: Michigan, LSU, Tennessee, Auburn and Alabama. PERSONAL: Born Derek Alan Pegues, 9-14-86, in Batesville, Miss. . . . Son of Mr. Ezell Pegues and Mrs. Candace Fondren . . . His cousin, Dwayne Rudd, played football at the University of Alabama and in the National Football League . . . Majoring in general busi- ness administration. DT ANDREW POWELL PEGUES’ CAREER DEFENSIVE STATS YEAR G/GS TT UT AT TFL-YDS SCK-YDS FF/FR PD INT-YDS 2005 11/0 14 10 4 0.0-0 0.0-0 1/0 3 1-2 TOTALS 11/0 14 10 4 0.0-0 0.0-0 1/0 3 1-2 2005: Started all 11 games for Mississippi State at nose tackle during his junior season . . . Registered 39 total tackles, including six for loss (minus 23 yards), one and one half of which were quarterback sacks (minus 5 yards) . . . Had one pass interception (2 yards) PEGUES’ CAREER KICK RETURN STATS . . . Duplicated his spring practice work ethic with summer excellence in scrimmage situ- YEAR G/GS RET YDS AVG TD LONG / OPP. ations and appeared primed for a solid junior season . . . Tied for third on the club with 2005 11/0 28 559 20.0 0 51 / Auburn fi ve tackles in MState’s season opener with Murray State . . . Added a pair of tackles for TOTALS 11/0 28 559 20.0 0 51 / Auburn loss (minus 6 yards) against the Racers . . . Tied for third on the team again one week later with fi ve hits at Auburn in the team’s SEC opener . . . Despite playing with a broken DATE OPPONENT RET YDS AVG LONG hand, an injury that occurred in the Auburn game, he tallied four tackles against Tulane 9/3/05 MURRAY STATE 1 19 19.0 19 in Week 3 . . . One of his hits came behind the line of scrimmage (minus 1 yard) . . . Had a pair of tackles one week later vs. Georgia . . . Again made two tackles in Week 5 action 9/10/05 at Auburn 3 100 33.3 51 vs. LSU, with one of the hits being a quarterback sack (minus 5 yards) . . . After making 9/17/05 vs. Tulane 0 0 — — 18 tackles in the season’s fi rst six games (three tackles per game), he made 21 hits over 9/24/05 GEORGIA 5 93 18.6 25 the year’s fi nal fi ve contests (4.2 per game) . . . Returned to the stats sheet in Week 7 vs. 10/1/05 LSU 6 91 15.2 22 Houston . . . Made four tackles against the Cougars, including a tackle for loss (minus 3 10/8/05 at Florida 4 79 19.8 23 yards) . . . Again had four hits a week later at Kentucky . . . Registered two tackles against 10/22/05 HOUSTON 0 0 — — Alabama in Week 9 . . . Had possibly his career-best all-around game at Arkansas in Week 10/29/05 at Kentucky 2 49 24.5 31 10 . . . Tied for the team lead with a season-best seven tackles against the Razorbacks, 11/05/05 ALABAMA 2 32 16.0 22 with one of his tackles occurring behind the line of scrimmage (minus 6 yards) . . . Also 11/19/05 vs. Arkansas 5 96 19.2 35 credited with a half-quarterback sack and made the fi rst pass interception of his career (2-yard return) in Little Rock . . . Registered four tackles with one-half hit behind the line 11/26/05 OLE MISS 0 0 — — of scrimmage (minus 2 yards) against Ole Miss in the Bulldogs’ season-ending 35-14 vic- tory over the Rebels . . . Another defender who was consistently called out for his play during the spring . . . Had a pair of tackles, including one-half quarterback sack (minus 1 yard) in the Maroon and White spring game . . . Ended the four weeks of work fi rst on the depth chart at nose tackle. 2004: Played in 11 games during his sophomore season, earning nine straight starts to fi nish the ’04 campaign at either nose tackle or defensive tackle . . . Totaled 40 tackles

76 PLAYER PROFILES

on the year, including two for loss (minus 4 yards), one of which was a quarterback sack HIGH SCHOOL: Ranked with the top 75 offensive and defensive linemen in the South- (minus 3 yards) . . . Also credited with one quarterback hurry . . . Served as a reserve in east in the G&W preseason recruiting magazine . . . Credited with a 380-pound bench the middle of the defensive line from the outset of his sophomore season . . . Made one press and a 4.9 time in the 40-yard dash by G&W . . . Ranked No. 61 on the list of the tackle in Mississippi State’s season-opening 28-7 win over Tulane . . . Added two tackles top 100 prospects in the state of Florida, regardless of position, by the Orlando Sentinel a week later vs. Auburn . . . Grabbed a starting slot following those two games and was newspaper . . . Named most valuable defensive lineman for Southwest Florida . . . Three- a consistent performer the remainder of the year . . . Recorded between three and six year starter for head coaches Al Morrell and Pete Walker at Clewiston (Fla.) High School tackles during each of those nine starts . . . Earned a start at defensive tackle, the second . . . Led his team to a three-year mark of 28-13, including a second-place showing in the of his career, in Week 3 vs. Maine . . . Recorded six tackles against the Black Bears, includ- state during his junior year . . . Played on both the offensive and defensive lines in high ing one hit behind the line of scrimmage (3-yard quarterback sack) . . . Also credited with school . . . Two-time, all-league and all-district selection . . . Registered 74 tackles, includ- a pass pressure in the game . . . Moved from tackle to nose tackle and opened the Bull- ing eight for lost yardage during his junior campaign . . . Also a standout in track, fi nishing dogs’ Week 4 game at LSU at that spot . . . Playing against Tiger all-America center Ben second in the state in the shot put competition during his junior year. Wilkerson, he made fi ve tackles in Baton Rouge . . . Added three tackles in four straight PERSONAL: Born Andrew Lorenzo Powell, 11-18-83, in Pahokee, Fla. . . . Son of Mr. Ulric weeks -- during Week 5 work at Vanderbilt, one week later against UAB, in the team’s Connelly and Ms. Barbara Powell . . . Majoring in interdisciplinary studies. Week 7 win over Florida and in State’s 22-7 victory over Kentucky one week later . . . Concluded the season playing his best football of the season . . . Made 14 tackles during the season’s fi nal three weeks . . . Totaled fi ve hits at Alabama in Week 9 . . . Made it two Will straight weeks with fi ve tackles in the Bulldogs’ home-season concluding game vs. Arkan- sas . . . Had one hit behind the line of scrimmage (minus 1 yard) against the Razorbacks PROSSER . . . Recorded four tackles vs. Ole Miss in the season fi nale . . . Solid four-week spring workouts had him second on the depth chart at defensive tackle . . . Tied for second on Wide Receiver the club with 14 tackles during three spring scrimmages, a total that includes four tackles 6-3 • 205 • Sr. • 3L for loss (minus 30 yards), three of which were quarterback sacks (minus 24 yards). 2003: Played in fi ve games during his true freshman season, earning one start on the Starkville, Miss. 11 defensive line . . . Recorded four tackles during the ’03 campaign . . . Saw the fi rst ac- Starkville Academy tion of his collegiate career during Week 2 work at New Orleans against Tulane . . . Registered his fi rst collegiate tackle against the Green Wave . . . Added one hit a week later at Houston . . . Was back in the stats column with one tackle during Mississippi CAREER: Has played in all 34 games of his Mississippi State career, earning 16 starts at State’s Week 6 win over Memphis . . . Earned the fi rst start of his collegiate career one wide receiver during his sophomore and junior seasons . . . Has made 53 catches for 626 week later at Auburn . . . Made one hit against the Tigers . . . After playing in fi ve of the yards, an 11.8-yard per catch average, during his career . . . Has also served on Bulldog fi rst seven games of his true freshman season, he did not see action during the fi nal fi ve special teams during his playing career, making three tackles as well . . . Originally signed weeks of the year. with Mississippi State in February 2001, but did not enroll in school full-time until the spring of ’02, and redshirted his fi rst season of eligibility. 2006: Held out of all contact work during spring practice while recuperating from off- POWELL’S CAREER DEFENSIVE STATS season hip surgery . . . Aims to re-enter the regular wide receiver rotation in August. YEAR G/GS TT UT AT TFL-YDS SCK-YDS FF/FR PD INT-YDS 2005: Played in all 11 games during his junior season, earning a starting call eight times 2003 5/1 4 0 4 0.0-0 0.0-0 0/0 0 0-0 in the wide receiver group for Mississippi State . . . Despite seeing action in every game 2004 11/9 40 24 16 2.0-4 1.0-3 0/0 0 0-0 and gaining a half dozen starts, he still was plagued by injury throughout the year . . . 2005 11/11 39 27 12 6.0-23 1.5-5 0/0 0 1-2 For the second straight year, he led the club with 28 catches for 286 yards, a 10.2-yard TOTALS 27/21 83 51 32 8.0-27 2.5-8 0/0 0 1-2 per catch average . . . Rebounded from a pair of off-season surgeries to return for the opening of his junior season . . . Tied for the team lead and set his career high with fi ve catches against Murray State in the opener . . . Gained 52 yards on the catches vs. the DATE OPPONENT TT UT AT TFL-YDS SCK-YDS Racers . . . Added two catches for 31 yards in State’s SEC opener at Auburn in Week 2 . 9/13/03 at Tulane 1 0 1 0.0-0 0.0-0 . . Paced the club and matched his season high with fi ve pass receptions for 38 yards in 9/20/03 at Houston 1 0 1 0.0-0 0.0-0 MSU’s win over Tulane one week later . . . Tied for the team lead with four catches for 37 9/27/03 LSU 0 0 0 0.0-0 0.0-0 yards during State’s Week 4 game with Georgia . . . For the fourth time in fi ve weeks, he 10/4/03 VANDERBILT 0 0 0 0.0-0 0.0-0 either led or tied for the team lead in receiving against LSU . . . Had two pass receptions 10/11/03 MEMPHIS 1 0 1 0.0-0 0.0-0 against the Tigers (7 yards) . 10/18/03 * at Auburn 1 0 1 0.0-0 0.0-0 . . Added two more recep- 9/4/04 TULANE 1 0 1 0.0-0 0.0-0 tions (18 yards) at Florida in Week 6 . . . Made three 9/11/04 AUBURN 2 1 1 0.0-0 0.0-0 catches for 25 yards one 9/18/04 * MAINE 6 5 1 1.0-3 1.0-3 game later against Houston 9/25/04 * at LSU 5 2 3 0.0-0 0.0-0 . . . Led all pass catchers and 10/2/04 * at Vanderbilt 3 2 1 0.0-0 0.0-0 again tied for a career high 10/9/04 * UAB 3 1 2 0.0-0 0.0-0 with fi ve receptions for 78 10/23/04 * FLORIDA 3 3 0 0.0-0 0.0-0 yards at Kentucky in Week 10/30/04 * KENTUCKY 3 1 2 0.0-0 0.0-0 8 . . . Made all 28 of his 11/6/04 * at Alabama 5 2 3 0.0-0 0.0-0 receptions in the season’s 11/20/04 * ARKANSAS 5 4 1 1.0-1 0.0-0 fi rst eight games, after which nagging injury issues 11/27/04 * at Ole Miss 4 3 1 0.0-0 0.0-0 severely limited his playing 9/3/05 * MURRAY STATE 5 4 1 2.0-6 0.0-0 time . . . Shared the team’s 9/10/05 * at Auburn 5 4 1 0.0-0 0.0-0 Most Improved Offensive 9/17/05 * vs. Tulane 4 1 3 0.5-1 0.0-0 Player Award with tight end 9/24/05 * GEORGIA 2 2 0 0.0-0 0.0-0 Jason Husband, a citation 10/1/05 * LSU 2 1 1 1.0-5 1.0-5 given by the coaching staff 10/8/05 * at Florida 0 0 0 0.0-0 0.0-0 following spring practice . . 10/22/05 * HOUSTON 4 3 1 1.0-3 0.0-0 . Led all receivers with two 10/29/05 * at Kentucky 4 3 1 0.0-0 0.0-0 catches for 81 yards in the spring game to remain at 11/05/05 * ALABAMA 2 2 0 0.0-0 0.0-0 WR WILL PROSSER the top of the depth chart 11/19/05 * vs. Arkansas 7 6 1 1.0-6 0.5-0 at one wide receiver posi- 11/26/05 * OLE MISS 4 1 3 0.5-2 0.0-0 tion.

77 PLAYER PROFILES

2004: Played in all 11 games during his sophomore season, earning eight starts at one him in the hunt for playing time in the wide receiver rotation . . . Caught one pass for 28 wide receiver position . . . Tied for the club lead with 24 pass receptions for 328 yards, yards during spring scrimmage situations. a 13.7-yard average . . . Had at least one catch in all but one game during the season . 2003: Played in all 12 games of his redshirt freshman season, seeing most of his work on . . Earned the starter’s job at fl anker with a workmanlike preseason camp . . . Proved to special teams, but working as well in the wide receiver rotation . . . Made one catch on be a dependable receiver in the West Coast Offense installed by the coaching staff . . . the year (12 yards) and recorded one tackle on special teams . . . Saw his fi rst collegiate Had two catches for 25 yards in the Bulldogs’ season-opening 28-7 win over Tulane . . . game action in the Bulldogs’ season opener with Oregon, but recorded no statistics . . . After not starting the Tulane game when the team opted to open in a multiple tight end Made his fi rst career catch (12 yards) in MSU’s season-ending game with Mississippi . . . formation, he started eight of the next nine weeks (missing a start only against Alabama) Scintillating spring practice kept him in the hunt for playing time at the fl anker position . . . . . Tied for the team lead with three pass receptions for 26 yards during the team’s . Matched Justin Jenkins and Aaron Lumpkin for a spring-best 10 catches (143 yards) . . . Week 2 game against Auburn . . . Had the best game of his young career one week later Had seven catches for 84 yards in the spring-ending Maroon and White game. against Maine . . . Hauled in a career-best four passes for 117 yards, a 29.2-yard average, 2002: Redshirted his true freshman season . . . Solid spring practice period showed with a career-long 63-yard pass reception in that game . . . He became the fi rst Bulldog promise for the future . . . Ranked with the reserves in a deep stable of receivers . . . to total more than 100 receiving yards in a game since Justin Jenkins broke the 100-yard Caught two passes for 45 yards during three spring scrimmages. receiving mark against Auburn in 2003 . . . Despite missing most of the week’s practice 2001: Sat out the season, but retained the year of eligibility by not enrolling full-time time prior to the Week 4 LSU game, he remained in the starting lineup in Baton Rouge . at State. . . Had one catch (7 yards) against the Tigers . . . Tied for the team lead with three pass HIGH SCHOOL: Named the Male Athlete of the Year in North AAAA among all private receptions for 16 yards at Vanderbilt in Week 5 . . . Again tied for the team lead with four schools following his prep career at Starkville (Miss.) Academy . . . Was the most valu- pass receptions for 68 yards (17.0-yard average) against UAB in Week 6 . . . Held without able player in football, basketball and baseball among North AAAA schools and played a catch for the fi rst time in the 2004 season during State’s Week 7 win over Florida . . . in each of those three sports’ Mississippi Private School Association all-star game . . . Returned to the stats sheet with an 11-yard reception in State’s 22-7 victory over Ken- Named to the Columbus Commercial Dispatch all-area football team . . . Outstanding tucky one week later . . . Made a 14-yard pass reception in the Bulldogs’ Week 9 game at three-sport athlete at Starkville (Miss.) Academy for head football coach Steve Morgan Alabama . . . Had two catches for 4 yards in the team’s home-season ending game with . . . Starred in both basketball and baseball, as well as playing both ways in football . Arkansas . . . Despite not starting, he tied for the team lead with three pass receptions . . Started at quarterback during his senior season at Starkville Academy, leading his for 40 yards against Ole Miss in the season fi nale . . . Solid spring practice session kept 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 fi rst-team, PROSSER’S CAREER RECEIVING STATS 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 YEAR G/GS REC. YARDS AVG. TD LONG / OPP. Association All-Star Game, he made a splash at wide receiver . . . Caught seven passes 2003 12/0 1 12 12.0 0 12 / Ole Miss for 126 yards in the all-star tilt . . . Suffered a broken leg late in his sophomore season at 2004 11/8 24 328 13.7 0 63 / Maine Starkville Academy and did not play his junior football season . . . As a sophomore, he 2005 11/8 28 286 10.2 0 25 / LSU completed 85-of-147 passes for 1,024 yards and nine touchdowns, and rushed for 243 TOTALS 34/16 53 626 11.8 0 63/MAINE yards and fi ve 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 DATE OPPONENT REC YARDS AVG TD LONG student in the classroom and in the community. 8/31/03 OREGON 0 0 — 0 — PERSONAL: 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) 9/13/03 at Tulane 0 0 — 0 — played football at MSU . . . Majoring in sport administration. 9/20/03 at Houston 0 0 — 0 — 9/27/03 LSU 0 0 — 0 — 10/4/03 VANDERBILT 0 0 — 0 — 10/11/03 MEMPHIS 0 0 — 0 — Carlton 10/18/03 at Auburn 0 0 — 0 — RICE 10/25/03 at Kentucky 0 0 — 0 — 11/8/03 ALABAMA 0 0 — 0 — 11/15/03 at Tennessee 0 0 — 0 — Linebacker 11/22/03 vs. Arkansas 0 0 — 0 — 6-0 • 224 • Jr. • 2L 11/29/03 OLE MISS 1 12 12.0 0 12 Huntsville, Ala. 32 9/4/04 TULANE 2 25 12.5 0 15 J.O. Johnson 9/11/04 * AUBURN 3 26 8.7 0 12 9/18/04 * MAINE 4 117 29.2 0 63 9/25/04 * at LSU 1 7 7.0 0 7 CAREER: Has seen action in all 22 games of his Mississippi State career, working almost 10/2/04 * at Vanderbilt 3 16 5.3 0 9 entirely with the Bulldog special teams, but seeing some back-up work at linebacker as 10/9/04 * UAB 4 68 17.0 0 25 well . . . Has made 10 tackles . . . Redshirted his fi rst season on campus . . . Considered 10/23/04 * FLORIDA 0 0 — 0 — one of the top linebackers in the state of Alabama coming out of high school. 2006: Workmanlike spring kept him in the picture for playing time at both linebacker 10/30/04 * KENTUCKY 1 11 11.0 0 11 and on special teams . . . Registered six tackles during three scrimmages, including a 11/6/04 at Alabama 1 14 14.0 0 14 White team-leading four hits in the spring-ending game, including one tackle for loss . . . 11/20/04 * ARKANSAS 2 4 2.0 0 5 Listed second at weak-side linebacker coming out of those drills. 11/27/04 at Mississippi 3 40 13.3 0 24 2005: Played in all 11 games during his sophomore season, contributing primarily on 9/3/05 * MURRAY STATE 5 52 10.4 0 15 special teams but seeing some work with the Bulldog linebackers . . . Made seven tackles 9/10/05 at Auburn 2 31 15.5 0 18 on the season . . . Registered one tackle during Mississippi State’s Week 4 game with 9/17/05 * vs. Tulane 5 38 7.6 0 11 Georgia . . . Registered a career-high three tackles against LSU in Week 5 . . . Added one 9/24/05 * GEORGIA 4 37 9.3 0 25 tackle a week later at Florida . . . Returned to the stats sheet with a pair of tackles against 10/1/05 * LSU 2 7 3.5 0 5 Alabama in Week 9 . . . Moved to second on the depth chart following a productive sum- mer practice session . . . Made a pre-spring move back to the defensive side of the ball 10/8/05 * at Florida 2 18 9.0 0 13 . . . Made one tackle during the Maroon and White spring game and exited those drills 10/22/05 * HOUSTON 3 25 8.3 0 9 third at weak linebacker. 10/29/05 at Kentucky 5 78 15.6 0 23 2004: Played in all 11 games during his initial season of competition . . . Worked as a 11/05/05 * ALABAMA 0 0 — 0 — reserve at the fullback position and on special teams during his redshirt freshman season 11/19/05 * vs. Arkansas 0 0 — 0 — . . . Had three special teams’ tackles . . . Registered one hit each vs. LSU, Vanderbilt, and 11/26/05 OLE MISS 0 0 — 0 — in the team’s win over Florida . . . One of the real bright spots during spring practice . . . Made a pre-spring move from outside linebacker on the defensive side of the ball

78 PLAYER PROFILES

to halfback with the offense . . . Provided some inside power from the primary rushing in the fi nal spring scrimmage, a total that included one quarterback sack (minus 9 yards) position in State’s offense . . . Rushed 29 times for 64 yards, a 2.2-yard average, and one . . . Listed fi rst at defensive tackle on the spring-ending depth chart. touchdown, and caught one pass for 10 yards . . . Listed third at halfback coming out of 2004: Played in all 11 games during his sophomore season, earning four starting calls the spring. on the defensive line . . . Made 23 tackles, including two and a half for loss (minus 16 2003: Sat out his true freshman season as a redshirt. yards), one of which was a quarterback sack (minus 12 yards) . . . Hurried the quarterback HIGH SCHOOL: Considered one of the top three linebacker prospects in the state of twice . . . Maintained his fi rst-unit berth at defensive end for the fi rst two games of his Alabama prior to his senior season by The G&W Recruiting Report . . . Credited with sophomore season . . . Made three tackles in the season-opening 28-7 win over Tulane . . running a 4.6 in the 40-yard dash by that publication . . . Concluded his career with 3,056 . Made three tackles again one week later against Auburn, adding a pass pressure to his yards and 39 career touchdowns, and 176 total tackles . . . Made 85 tackles and had three defensive statistics . . . Served as a reserve the following two games, and had one hit, a pass interceptions as a two-way standout for head coach Harold Wells at J.O. Johnson 3-yard tackle for loss, in the Bulldogs’ Week 3 game against Maine . . . Made four tackles High School in Huntsville, Ala. . . . Also rushed for 1,440 yards on 168 carries (8.6 yards at LSU in Week 4 . . . Returned to the starting lineup and turned in one of the top games per rush) and scored 17 touchdowns while on offense . . . Named all-state following his of his sophomore season at Vanderbilt in Week 5 . . . Registered fi ve tackles, including fi nal season . . . Had 91 tackles, three quarterback sacks and two interceptions during a quarterback sack (minus 12 yards), against the Commodores . . . Also credited with a his junior campaign when he earned honorable mention all-state recognition . . . Also quarterback hurry in Nashville . . . Despite making his fourth start of the year, he was held rushed for 976 yards on 103 carries (9.5 yards per attempt), scoring 12 touchdowns, and without a tackle one week later vs. UAB . . . Had a pair of tackles during the team’s Week had another 330 receiving yards . . . Rushed 80 times for 640 yards (8.0 average) and 10 7 win over Florida . . . Held without a tackle one week later in the team’s win over Ken- TDs as a sophomore . . . Bench-pressed 185 pounds 15 times prior to his senior season, tucky . . . Had a pair of hits at Alabama in Week 9, including one-half tackle for loss (minus according to PrepStar recruiting magazine. 1 yard) . . . Made three tackles in State’s season-ending game at Ole Miss . . . Turned in PERSONAL: Born Carlton Amon Rice, 7-19-85, in Huntsville, Ala. . . . Son of Mr. and a solid showing during State’s spring practice and grabbed the fi rst unit berth at one of Mrs. Marvin Rice . . . Cousin Tyson Eason played football at UAB, while cousin Jamal Rice the defensive end positions . . . Tallied six tackles during three spring scrimmages, a total plays basketball at UA-Huntsville . . . National Honor Society student in the classroom . . that includes four quarterback sacks (minus 27 yards). . Majoring fi tness management. 2003: Immediately made his presence felt with Mississippi State following a one-year health rehabilitation . . . Played in 11 games with fi ve starting calls to his credit on the RICE’S CAREER DEFENSIVE STATS defensive line . . . Made 18 tackles, including two for loss (minus 7 yards) . . . Also credited YEAR G/GS TT UT AT TFL-YDS SCK-YDS FF/FR PD INT-YDS with one fumble recovery . . . Worked as a reserve on the defensive line in the Bulldogs’ 2004 11/0 3 2 1 0.0-0 0.0-0 0/0 0 0-0 season opener with Oregon . . . Posted two hits against the Ducks . . . Earned his fi rst 2005 11/0 7 4 3 0.0-0 0.0-0 0/0 0 0-0 ROBINSON’S CAREER DEFENSIVE STATS TOTALS 22/0 10 6 4 0.0-0 0.0-0 0/0 0 0-0 YEAR G/GS TT UT AT TFL-YDS SCK-YDS FF/FR PD INT-YDS 2003 11/5 18 12 6 2.0-7 0.0-0 0/1 0 0-0 2004 11/4 23 12 11 2.5-16 1.0-12 0/0 0 0-0 Deljuan 2005 11/11 29 21 8 1.0-5 0.0-0 0/0 1 0-0 ROBINSON TOTALS 33/20 70 45 25 5.5-28 1.0-12 0/1 1 0-0 DATE OPPONENT TT UT AT TFL-YDS SCK-YDS Defensive Tackle 8/31/03 OREGON 2 1 1 0.0-0 0.0-0 6-3 • 296 • Sr. • 3L 9/13/03 * at Tulane 1 1 0 0.0-0 0.0-0 9/20/03 at Houston 0 0 0 0.0-0 0.0-0 Hernando, Miss. 98 9/27/03 LSU 0 0 0 0.0-0 0.0-0 Hernando 10/4/03 VANDERBILT 0 0 0 0.0-0 0.0-0 10/11/03 * MEMPHIS 1 1 0 0.0-0 0.0-0 10/18/03 at Auburn 1 0 1 0.0-0 0.0-0 CAREER: Has played in 33 of a possible 34 games during his MSU career, missing just one outing due to family emergency . . . Has started 20 times during his fi rst three years 11/8/03 * ALABAMA 1 0 1 0.0-0 0.0-0 on campus, including 18 straight from early in his sophomore season on . . . Has recorded 11/15/03 at Tennessee 2 2 0 0.0-0 0.0-0 70 tackles, including fi ve and one-half for loss (minus 28 yards), one of which was a quar- 11/22/03 * at Arkansas 4 3 1 0.0-0 0.0-0 terback sack (minus 12 yards) . . . Has one fumble recovery and a pass defl ection to his 11/27/03 * OLE MISS 6 4 2 2.0-7 0.0-0 credit during his career . . . Saw action from the outset of his true freshman season . . . 9/4/04 * TULANE 3 2 1 0.0-0 0.0-0 Came to Mississippi State as a highly recruited linebacker/defensive line candidate from 9/11/04 * AUBURN 3 1 2 0.0-0 0.0-0 the Mississippi high school ranks. 9/18/04 MAINE 1 1 0 1.0-3 0.0-0 2006: Huge spring kept him at the top of the depth chart at defensive tackle . . . Totaled 9/25/04 at LSU 4 1 3 0.0-0 0.0-0 12 tackles in three spring scrimmages, including fi ve tackles for loss, three of which were 10/2/04 * at Vanderbilt 5 3 2 1.0-12 1.0-12 quarterback sacks . . . Also had a fumble recovery and three passes batted down at the line of scrimmage. 10/9/04 * UAB 0 0 0 0.0-0 0.0-0 2005: Started all 11 games during his junior year at Mississippi State at defensive tackle . 10/23/04 FLORIDA 2 0 2 0.0-0 0.0-0 . . Recorded 29 total tackles, including one for loss (minus 5 yards) . . . Also credited with 10/30/04 KENTUCKY 0 0 0 0.0-0 0.0-0 a pass defl ection . . . One of the real standouts of preseason practice, he was constantly 11/6/04 at Alabama 2 1 1 0.5-1 0.0-0 lauded for his play during August scrimmages . . . Posted one tackle in his junior year 11/20/04 ARKANSAS 0 0 0 0.0-0 0.0-0 opener against Murray State . . . Added a pair of tackles in State’s SEC opener at Auburn 11/27/04 at Ole Miss 3 3 0 0.0-0 0.0-0 in Week 2 . . . After making three tackles in the season’s fi rst three weeks, he recorded 13 9/3/05 * MURRAY STATE 1 1 0 0.0-0 0.0-0 hits over the next four weeks (3.3 per game) . . . Returned to the stats sheet against Geor- 9/10/05 * at Auburn 2 2 0 0.0-0 0.0-0 gia in Week 4 . . . Made three tackles against the Eastern Division Bulldogs . . . Added 9/17/05 * vs. Tulane 0 0 0 0.0-0 0.0-0 three more tackles in Week 5 work vs. LSU . . . Had a pair of tackles and knocked down one pass at the line of scrimmage one week later at Florida . . . Recorded a season-best 9/24/05 * GEORGIA 3 2 1 0.0-0 0.0-0 fi ve tackles against Houston in Week 7 . . . Added one tackle a week later at Kentucky . . 10/1/05 * LSU 3 1 2 0.0-0 0.0-0 . Culminated the season with 12 tackles in the year’s fi nal three weeks (four per game) . . 10/8/05 * at Florida 2 2 0 0.0-0 0.0-0 . Registered three tackles during Week 9 action vs. Alabama . . . Matched his season high 10/22/05 * HOUSTON 5 3 2 0.0-0 0.0-0 with fi ve tackles at Arkansas one week later . . . Credited with one tackle behind the line 10/29/05 * at Kentucky 1 1 0 0.0-0 0.0-0 of scrimmage (minus 5 yards) . . . Concluded the season with four tackles in the Bulldogs’ 11/05/05 * ALABAMA 3 2 1 0.0-0 0.0-0 season-ending 35-14 victory over Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl . . . Made a pre-spring move 11/19/05 * vs. Arkansas 5 5 0 1.0-5 0.0-0 from defensive end inside to tackle and immediately showed that his quickness might be 11/26/05 * OLE MISS 4 2 2 0.0-0 0.0-0 diffi cult to handle in the middle of the defense . . . Led the Maroon team with fi ve tackles

79 PLAYER PROFILES

Casey ROGERS

Fullback 6-1 • 223 • Sr. • 1L Henagar, Ala. 31 Cumberland (Tenn.) University

CAREER: Has played in all 11 games of his Mississippi State career, working both on special teams and as a reserve fullback, after his transfer from Cumberland University . . . Has caught two passes for 32 yards out of the backfi eld . . . Has also had eight tackles and a forced fumble while on special teams . . . Came to MSU following two seasons at the Division II level and a high school career in the state of Alabama. DT DELJUAN ROBINSON 2006: Maintained his role as the top reserve at fullback with a solid spring practice pe- riod . . . Rushed twice for 4 yards and added three pass receptions out of the backfi eld for 53 yards and a touchdown in three spring scrimmages. 2005: Played in all 11 games for the Bulldogs, working both as a reserve at the fullback collegiate start during Week 2 work in the Superdome against Tulane . . . Registered position and on special teams . . . Caught two passes for 32 yards during the year . . . one hit against the Green Wave . . . Recovered the fi rst fumble of his collegiate career in Also a solid contributor on special teams, he made eight tackles during the season and Week 4 work against LSU . . . Was on the fi eld for 37 plays against Vanderbilt one week was credited with a forced fumble . . . Had a pass reception each against LSU (27 yards) later . . . Made one tackle in the team’s Week 6 win over Memphis, working 23 plays . and Ole Miss (5 yards) . . . Registered a season-best three tackles each against Kentucky . . Added another hit in 19 plays at Auburn in Week 7 . . . Missed practice prior to the and Alabama in back-to-back weeks (Weeks 8-9) . . . Added one tackle at Florida and in Bulldogs’ game one week later at Kentucky due to the death of his brother Jerrell . . . Did State’s season-ending 35-14 win over Ole Miss in the Battle for the Golden Egg. not make the trip to UK . . . Returned to the starting line-up (at defensive tackle) against CUMBERLAND: Started for head coach Hershel Moore in 2002 and ’03 at Cumber- Alabama in Week 9 . . . Made one tackle during his 27 plays against the Crimson Tide . . land College, playing tight end and wide receiver as a freshman and running back as a . Recorded a pair of tackles one week later vs. Tennessee . . . Had four hits at Arkansas in sophomore . . . Earned honorable mention all-Mid-South Conference recognition as a Week 11 . . . Made a season-best six tackles, two of which were for loss (minus 7 yards), freshman. in the season-ending game vs. Mississippi. HIGH SCHOOL: Played three seasons of high school football for head coach Brian Mash- 2002: Did not enroll at Mississippi State while recuperating from August ‘02 open heart burn at Sylvania (Ala.) High School . . . Started all three years at running back, earning surgery . . . Had a leaky heart valve repaired during the surgery at LeBonheur Children’s all-state recognition following his senior season . . . Selected to play in the Alabama Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. North-South All-Star game that year . . . Outstanding student on the high school level, HIGH SCHOOL: Named fi rst-team, all-America by The G&W Recruiting Report at line- graduating second in his class. backer in its postseason publication . . . Ranked No. 13 on that recruiting newsletter’s PERSONAL: Born Casey Thomas Rogers, 6-25-84, in Winchester, Tenn. . . . Son of Mr. list of the top 25 players in the Southeast, regardless of position . . . Listed as the 19th- and Mrs. Carl Rogers . . . Majoring in mathematics. best defensive prospect in the nation by G&W . . . Ranked as the No. 21 prospect in the ROGERS’ CAREER RECEIVING STATS country, regardless of position, on Bobby Burton’s list of the nation’s top 100 players for thesportingnews.com . . . He was the fourth-ranked defensive lineman in Burton’s YEAR G/GS REC. YARDS AVG. TD LONG / OPP. listing . . . Ranked as the No. 55 prospect in the country, regardless of position, on Tom 2005 11/0 2 32 16.0 0 27 / LSU Lemming’s list of the nation’s top 100 players for ESPN.com . . . Ranked with the top TOTALS 11/0 2 32 16.0 0 27 / LSU fi ve defensive end prospects in the country by Max Emfi nger in his postseason national bluechips newsletter . . . Earned an honorable mention berth on the postseason Orlando ROGERS’ CAREER DEFENSIVE STATS Sentinel all-Southern team, an all-star unit selected from 12 southern states . . . Named YEAR G/GS TT UT AT TFL-YDS SCK-YDS FF/FR PD INT-YDS fi rst-team, all-state at tight end by the Jackson Clarion-Ledger . . . Listed No. 4 among linebackers in the southeast by PrepStar magazine/CBS Sportsline.com . . . Credited 2005 11/0 8 6 2 0.0-0 0.0-0 1/0 0 0-0 with running a 4.6 in the 40-yard dash by that publication . . . Called possibly “the best TOTALS 11/0 8 6 2 0.0-0 0.0-0 1/0 0 0-0 defensive end/linebacker” in the South by PrepStar . . . Also credited with a 315-pound bench press by PrepStar . . . Ranked No. 5 on the Clarion-Ledger’s list of the state’s top 10 recruits . . . Also named to the Clarion-Ledger’s preseason Dandy Dozen, symbolic of being one of top 12 players in the state of Mississippi . . . Earned “Defensive Player of Tray the Year” and fi rst-team all-state at linebacker on the Mississippi Association of Coaches’ Class 4A season-ending team . . . Also named Most Valuable Defensive Player in Region RUTLAND 1-4A in a vote of region coaches . . . Ranked No. 7 on Superprep’s list of the top players in Mississippi following his senior season, the top-ranked linebacker in the state . . . He was Quarterback ranked No. 29 on Superprep’s list of the nation’s top linebackers . . . Named the Memphis 6-1 • 221 • RFr. • RS Touchdown Club Player of the Year following his standout senior season . . . Made 139 tackles, including 96 solo stops with 10 quarterback sacks, while playing linebacker dur- Decatur, Ga. 17 ing his senior season for head coach Anthony Jenkins at Hernando (Miss.) High School . Tri-Cities . . Helped lead his team to an 8-3 record in 2000 . . . Selected to play in the Mississippi- Alabama High School All-Star game . . . Registered 127 tackles as a junior, including 10 quarterback sacks and two pass interceptions. CAREER: Still awaiting his fi rst chance to help Mississippi State on the game fi eld. PERSONAL: Born Deljuan Cortez Robinson, 7-1-84, in Memphis, Tenn . . . Son of Mr. and 2006: Made progress at the quarterback position during the fi rst three weeks of spring Mrs. Joe Bell . . . Majoring in fi tness management. ball before missing the fi nal three practices due to an off-the-fi eld incident . . . Com- pleted 14-of-27 passes (.519) for 151 yards, no touchdowns but no interceptions, during the fi rst two spring scrimmages. 2005: Sat out his true freshman season as a redshirt. HIGH SCHOOL: Ranked the No. 31 prospect in the state of Georgia prior to his senior season by the Rivals.com recruiting web site . . . Rated the No. 72 player, regardless of position, in the state of Georgia prior to his senior season by recruiting web site Scout. com . . . Credited with running a 4.6 in the 40-yard dash at the Atlanta NIKE Training

80 PLAYER PROFILES

Camp . . . His 32-inch vertical leap at that camp was the fi fth best among all quarterbacks . . . Also participated in the Atlanta Elite 11 Passing Camp prior to his season campaign . . SANDERS’ CAREER RECEIVING STATS . Rushed for 1,210 yards and 10 touchdowns and added 2,639 yards passing and 21 more YEAR G/GS REC. YARDS AVG. TD LONG / OPP. TDs during his fi nal two prep seasons . . . Only played in four games during his senior 2004 9/0 6 90 15.0 0 34 / Florida season for head coach Robert Dendy at Tri-Cities High School in East Point, Ga., due to 2005 10/4 7 137 19.6 1 66 / LSU injury . . . Still managed to complete 43-of-62 passes (.694) for 712 yards and fi ve touch- TOTALS 19/4 13 227 17.2 1 66 / LSU downs, and rush for 483 in limited time for the Bulldogs . . . Despite the reduced amount of time, he still was named honorable mention all-city at quarterback by the Atlanta Jour- DATE OPPONENT REC YARDS AVG TD LONG nal Constitution for all classifi cations . . . Passed for 1,927 yards with 16 touchdowns and rushed for 727 yards and six scores during his junior season . . . Passed for 924 yards and 9/4/04 TULANE 2 19 9.5 0 10 eight touchdowns with 629 yards rushing and fi ve TDs during his sophomore campaign . 9/11/04 AUBURN 1 16 16.0 0 16 . . Also a standout high school baseball player who pitches and plays centerfi eld . . . Also 9/25/04 at LSU 0 0 — 0 — competed in basketball at Tri-Cities . . . Committed to MSU on his offi cial visit in January 10/2/04 at Vanderbilt 2 21 10.5 0 12 2005 after early scholarship offers from Ohio State, Auburn, Tennessee, Alabama, Ken- 10/9/04 UAB 0 0 — 0 — tucky, Clemson and North Carolina State prior to his senior season. 10/23/04 FLORIDA 1 34 34.0 0 34 PERSONAL: Born Quintavious Dwight Rutland, 12-28-86, in East Point, Ga.. . . . Son of 10/30/04 KENTUCKY 0 0 — 0 — Mr. and Mrs. Dwight Rutland . . . Majoring in sport communication. 11/6/04 at Alabama 0 0 — 0 — 11/20/04 ARKANSAS 0 0 — 0 — Joey 9/3/05 MURRAY STATE 0 0 — 0 — 9/10/05 at Auburn 1 4 4.0 0 4 SANDERS 9/17/05 vs. Tulane 2 26 13.0 0 18 9/24/05 GEORGIA 1 30 30.0 0 30 Wide Receiver 10/1/05 * LSU 1 66 66.0 1 66 6-0 • 209 • Jr. • 2L 10/8/05 * at Florida 0 0 — 0 — Macon, Miss. 10/22/05 * HOUSTON 2 11 5.5 0 6 83 10/29/05 * at Kentucky 0 0 — 0 — Noxubee County 11/19/05 vs. Arkansas 0 0 — 0 — 11/26/05 OLE MISS 0 0 — 0 — CAREER: Has battled injury throughout the early stages of his Mississippi State playing and sat out State’s Week 3 outing against Maine . . . Returned to the stats sheet with two career . . . Has played in 19 games, including 10 during his sophomore year, but his time catches for 21 yards at Vanderbilt in Week 5 . . . Added one catch, a 34-yard reception has been reduced by injury . . . Has earned four starting calls in the wide receiver rotation from Omarr Conner during the Bulldogs’ 38-31 win over Florida in Week 7 . . . Standout . . . Has caught 13 passes for 227 yards, a 17.5-yard average per catch, and one touch- spring practice with the new offense catapulted him to the top of the depth chart at one down . . . Also has made one tackle . . . Redshirted his true freshman season . . . Came to wide receiver position . . . Caught two passes (2 yards) in scrimmage work. the Bulldog program as a standout receiver at nearby Noxubee County High School. 2003: Sat out the season as a true freshman redshirt. 2006: Injury-plagued career continued into spring 2006 when he was limited to basic HIGH SCHOOL: Named fi rst-team, all-state by the Jackson Clarion-Ledger at wide re- drills by a torn tendon in his fi nger . . . The ailment precluded catching the football and he ceiver following a standout senior season for head coach M.C. Miller at Noxubee County did not scrimmage . . . Will rejoin the battle for playing time in the wide receiver rotation High School . . . Ranked with the top 25 recruits in the state of Mississippi by the Clarion- when two-a-days open. Ledger . . . Named fi rst-team, all-state at one wide receiver position by the Mississippi 2005: Played in 10 games during his sophomore campaign for the Bulldogs, missing Association of Coaches in the Class 4A division . . . Named the Region 2-4A Offensive only the Week 9 Alabama game due to injury . . . Received four straight starting assign- Most Valuable Player by the region’s coaches . . . Caught 67 passes for 1,609 yards, a ments on the year, Weeks 5-8 (LSU, at Florida, Houston and at Kentucky) . . . Caught sev- 24.0-yard per catch average, and 19 touchdowns during his fi nal season at Noxubee en passes for 137 yards, a 19.6-yard average, and one touchdown . . . Opened the year in County . . . Led the state’s Class 4A pass catchers in receptions . . . Also a standout the rotation of wide receivers after a produc- basketball player on the prep level . . . Selected to play in the Mississippi-Alabama High tive preseason practice . . . Made the fi rst School all-star game. catch of his sophomore season at Auburn in PERSONAL: Born Joey Kinard Sanders, 3-29-85, in Columbus, Miss. . . . Son of Joseph Week 2, gaining 4 yards on the reception . and Bessie Sanders . . . Majoring in fi tness management. . . Added two catches for 26 yards a week later in the Bulldogs’ 21-14 win over Tulane . . . Had a 30-yard pass reception in State’s Dezmond Week 4 game with Georgia . . . Caught just one pass in Week 5 action vs. LSU, but his SHERROD 66-yard pass-and-run play from Omarr Con- ner gave the Bulldogs an early 7-0 lead after the team’s initial offensive possession . . . Tight End It marked his fi rst career touchdown catch, 6-3 • 245 • Jr. • 2L and was the longest scoring pass by the Caledonia, Miss. 48 Bulldogs since a 70-yard TD pass from Kevin Fant to Justin Jenkins against Tulane in 2003 Caledonia . . . Made two catches for 11 yards against Houston in Week 7 . . . Sat out State’s Week WR JOEY SANDERS CAREER: Has played in all 22 games of his Mississippi State career, earning four starts 9 game with Alabama due to a groin injury . . at a tight end position . . . Has caught fi ve passes for 26 yards, a 5.2-yard average, and . Listed second at one wide receiver position proven to be a strong blocker from his receiver position . . . Has also made three tackles following spring practice 2005. on special teams . . . Sat out his initial season on campus as a true freshman redshirt . 2004: Played in nine games during his red- . . Came to MSU as an outstanding high school student-athlete from nearby Caledonia shirt freshman campaign, though his time was limited due to sporadic bouts with injury . High School. . . Saw action in all but the Maine game in Week 3 and the season-ender with Ole Miss . . 2006: Another solid spring kept him in the fi ght for playing time at tight end . . . Caught . Caught six passes for 90 yards, a 15-yard average per catch . . . After battling hamstring two passes for 14 yards in scrimmage situations. injuries during preseason camp, he rebounded to remain in the wide receiver rotation 2005: Played in all 11 games during his sophomore season for the Bulldogs, earning from the outset of his redshirt freshman season . . . Made two catches for 19 yards in the two starts when the team opted to open the game in a multiple tight end formation Bulldogs’ season-opening 28-7 win over Tulane . . . Added another pass reception (16 . . . Opened Week 6 game at Florida and Week 9 contest vs. Alabama . . . Made one yards) one week later against Auburn . . . Suffered a shoulder injury in the game, however,

81 PLAYER PROFILES

catch for 5 yards against LSU in of Mississippi by Dawgs Bite Magazine in its preseason listing of the state’s top players Week 5 . . . Also credited with . . . Ranked the No. 28 prospect in the state of Mississippi prior to his senior season by one tackle against the Tigers recruiting web site Rivals.com, the No. 6-ranked offensive lineman . . . Credited with run- . . . Added another tackle in ning a 4.9 in the 40-yard dash and with a 375-pound bench press by Rivals . . . Selected to Week 10 contest at Arkansas . . play in the Mississippi-Alabama High School all-star game following his senior season . . . . Returned primarily to the tight Two-way lineman at Meridian for head coach Ed Stanley, seeing action at defensive end end position to open August and offensive tackle . . . Graded out in the high 80s for his performance on the offensive two-a-day drills, but maintained line . . . Helped lead Meridian to a 9-2 record and into the postseason playoffs as a senior a role as a possible H-back in . . . Named fi rst-team, all-state on the offensive line by both the Jackson Clarion-Ledger State’s offensive alignment . . . newspaper and the Mississippi Association of Coaches following his senior campaign . Was slowed during August by . . Ranked with the top 25 players in the state by that newspaper following his senior a groin injury that limited his season . . . Also named fi rst-team, all-state at offensive tackle by the MAC . . . Outstand- effectiveness once the season ing high school student with a 3.5 grade point average . . . Other top scholarship offer: began . . . Made a pre-spring West Virginia . . . Committed to MSU in July 2004 after receiving a scholarship offer two move from tight end to full- months prior. back, a transition that came off PERSONAL: Born Christopher Rashad Spencer, 12-4-86, in Meridian, Miss.. . . . Son of without a hitch . . . Ascended to Mrs. Kathrene Spencer Lewis . . . Major is undeclared. the top of the depth chart at his TE DEZMOND SHERROD new position due to his block- ing and pass-catching abilities Anthony out of the backfi eld. 2004: Played in all 11 games STRAUDER during his redshirt freshman season, earning two starting calls at a tight end position . . . Had four catches for 21 yards Offensive Guard on the year . . . Earned starting assignments when the team opted to open in multiple 6-3 • 298 • So. • 1L tight end formations against Kentucky and Ole Miss . . . Worked as a reserve in the tight end rotation to open his redshirt freshman season . . . Played, but did not record statis- Natchez, Miss. 53 tics, in the Bulldogs’ fi rst three games of the ’04 season . . . Made his fi rst collegiate catch Natchez (3-yard gain) in Week 5 work at Vanderbilt . . . Essentially split the tight end work during the Bulldogs’ Week 7 win over Florida . . . Caught one pass (5 yards) in the 38-31 victory . . . Had another 5-yard reception at Alabama in Week 9 . . . Culminated his fi rst season of CAREER: Has started all 11 games for Mississippi State at offensive guard after redshirt- activity with the Bulldogs with an 8-yard reception vs. Ole Miss . . . Took the opportunity ing his true freshman campaign . . . Has played every snap in seven of those 11 contests in his fi rst spring practice to move to second at the tight end position following that four- . . . Came to the Bulldog program as one of the state of Mississippi’s highest regarded week session . . . Caught four passes for 19 yards during three spring scrimmages. linemen. 2003: Sat out his true freshman season as a redshirt. 2006: Will open pre-season practice at the top of the depth chart at left offensive guard HIGH SCHOOL: Listed as the No. 47 tight end prospect in the country coming out of following a solid four-week practice session. high school by Rivals.com . . . He was listed No. 22 regardless of position among the top 2005: Started all 11 games at left offensive guard during his redshirt freshman season at 30 players in the state of Mississippi by that recruiting service . . . Credited with running MSU . . . Was on the fi eld for 42 of a possible 71 offensive snaps in the Bulldogs’ season- a 4.8 40-yard dash with a 35-inch vertical leap and a 270-pound bench press by Rivals . . . opening 38-6 win over Murray State . . . Scored a respectable 73 percent blocking grade Ranked with the top 25 recruits in the state of Mississippi by the Jackson Clarion-Ledger with a pair of knockdown blocks in his fi rst collegiate start . . . Earned his second career newspaper . . . Caught 11 passes for 134 yards, a 12.2-yard average, and four touch- start one week later in the Bulldogs’ SEC opener with Auburn. . . Was on the fi eld for 30 downs during his senior campaign . . . Also a starter for his prep team’s basketball squad of the 59 offensive snaps and registered two knockdown blocks against the Tigers ...... Had 24 catches for 425 yards, a 17.7-yard average, during his junior season. Did not miss a snap (60 plays) in the Bulldogs’ win over Tulane in Week 3 . . . Had four PERSONAL: Born Dezmond Allan Sherrod, 5-11-85, in Newport, R.I. . . . Son of Mr. and knockdown blocks against the Green Wave . . . Again went the entire way one week later Mrs. Louis Sherrod . . . National Honor Society high school student . . . Majoring in risk vs. Georgia . . . Had his best game of the early season against the Bulldogs, scoring a 78 management and insurance. percent blocking ratio with fi ve knockdown blocks . . . Did not come off the fi eld for a third-straight week against LSU in Week 5 . . . Had a team-best fi ve knockdown blocks in SHERROD’S CAREER RECEIVING STATS 56 snaps against the Tigers . . . Tallied a 76 percent blocking grade at Florida in Week 6 . YEAR G/GS REC. YARDS AVG. TD LONG / OPP. . . Was on the fi eld 2004 10/2 4 21 7.0 0 8 / Ole Miss for all but eight 2005 11/2 1 5 5.0 0 5 / LSU snaps (47 of 55) TOTAL 21/4 5 26 5.2 0 8 / OLE MISS against the Ga- tors, registering a team-best six knockdown blocks Chris . . . Scored a 75 percent block- SPENCER ing grade against Houston in State’s Offensive Lineman next outing . . . Was on the fi eld 6-3 • 304 • RFr. • RS for all 72 snaps Meridian, Miss. 63 against the Cou- Meridian gars, tying for the team high with nine knockdown CAREER: Awaiting his fi rst chance to help Mississippi State on the game fi eld. blocks . . . Again 2006: Stayed injury-free during his fi rst spring practice on the campus, giving him four was on the fi eld weeks of work along the offensive line . . . Enters August two-a-day practice as a reserve for every play (75 at left offensive guard. snaps) at Kentucky OG ANTHONY STRAUDER 2005: Sat out the season as a true freshman redshirt. in Week 8 . . . Tied HIGH SCHOOL: Superprep Magazine rated him No. 17 among the top prospects in the for the team lead state in its pre-signing day all-America issue . . . Rated the No. 20 prospect in the state with seven knock-

82 PLAYER PROFILES

down blocks against the Wildcats . . . Played all 57 snaps with fi ve knockdown blocks against Alabama a week later . . . Again played every snap (57 plays) at Arkansas in Week 10 . . . Helped MSU grind out 304 yards rushing and allow no sacks in a season-ending Brandon 35-14 win over Ole Miss in the Battle for the Golden Egg . . . After making the move from the defensive side of the ball to the offensive line during his true freshman season, THORNTON he landed at offensive guard for spring drills . . . Earned the fi rst unit designation on the right side with a solid spring. Running Back 2004: Sat out the season as a true freshman redshirt. 5-9 • 185 • So. • 1L HIGH SCHOOL: Named one of the top 48 defensive linemen in the southeast by Prep- Star recruiting magazine in its post-season edition . . . Ranked as the #12 player overall Birmingham, Ala. 27 in the state of Mississippi by Superprep magazine in its year-ending All-America Issue . . Homewood . Listed #22 on the state of Mississippi’s top prospects by Insiders.com online recruiting site . . . Ranked with the top 25 recruits in the state of Mississippi by the Jackson Clarion- CAREER: Has played in all 11 games of his Mississippi State career, serving as the top Ledger following his senior season at Natchez High School . . . Three-year starter on the reserve at halfback in his fi rst season of eligibility . . . Has rushed 47 times for 225 yards, defensive line at Natchez High School . . . Tallied 40 tackles and fi ve quarterback sacks a 4.8-yard average, and one touchdown . . . Has also caught six passes for 32 yards, a during his senior season, despite missing fi ve games with a broken leg . . . Selected to 5.3-yard average . . . Brought back one kickoff 14 yards . . . Redshirted his fi rst season at play in the Mississippi-Alabama High School all-star game . . . A four-year letterman for State . . . Helped his high school to a 40-4 overall record during his three seasons at the the football team, he was also a National Honor Roll student. prep level in the state of Alabama. PERSONAL: Born Anthony Levent Strauder, 4-23-86, in Natchez, Miss. . . . Son of Mr. 2006: Off-season shoulder surgery precluded any contact during spring practice, but he and Mrs. James Smith . . . Majoring in physical education . . . His uncle Herman Carroll still took part in all drills . . . Will enter the fall at the top of the depth chart at halfback. lettered for the MSU football team from 1990-93 and played in the NFL with the New 2005: Played in all 11 games as the top reserve to all-Southeastern Conference halfback Orleans Saints . . . Majoring in kinesiology. Jerious Norwood during his redshirt freshman season . . . Rushed 47 times for 225 yards, a 4.8-yard average, and one touchdown . . . Also caught six passes for 32 yards, a 5.3- Roland yard average . . . Brought back one kickoff for 14 yards . . . Rushed four times for 5 yards in his fi rst collegiate outing against Murray State to open his redshirt freshman campaign TERRY . . . Picked up 16 yards on six carries against Auburn in MState’s SEC opener one week later . . . Caught the coaching staff’s eye with his spirited play against LSU in Week 5 . . . Led the club with 46 yards rushing on four carries, an 11.5-yard average, against the Offensive Tackle Tigers . . . Again led the club, this time in receiving, during Week 6 action at Florida . . . 6-7 • 285 • So. • SQ Caught fi ve passes for 35 yards against the Gators . . . Added one rush (minus 2 yards) Meridian, Miss. at UF . . . After rushing 19 times for 77 yards, a 4-yard average, during the season’s fi rst 67 seven weeks, he gained 148 yards on 28 carries, a 5.3-yard average, and his lone touch- Lamar School down over the fi nal fi ve games . . . Rushed four times for 12 yards during Week 7 work against Houston . . . Had the best game of his redshirt freshman season to that point at Kentucky one week later . . . Rushed 10 times for 66 yards, including a 19-yard scoring CAREER: Has played in two games as a reserve on the offensive line . . . Redshirted his run, State’s lone touchdown of the game . . . Rushed twice for 4 yards against Alabama fi rst season on campus . . . Came to the Bulldog football program after working on both in Week 9 . . . Carried three times (minus 2 yards) at Arkansas in Week 10 . . . Culminated sides of the football during his high school career. his redshirt freshman season with his best outing of the year . . . Rushed 13 times for 80 2006: Moved to second on the depth chart at right offensive tackle with an injury-free yards, a 6.1-yard average, in the Bulldogs’ season-ending 35-14 win over Ole Miss . . . spring. Also caught one pass (minus 3 yards) . . . Solid spring practice session placed him second 2005: Played in two games during his redshirt freshman season, seeing back-up action on the depth chart behind Jerious Norwood at the halfback position . . . Led all rushers at offensive tackle . . . Made his fi rst career appearance in Mississippi State’s season- during the Maroon and White game with 49 yards on 11 rushes, scoring the game’s only opening 38-6 win over Murray State . . . Was on the fi eld for 19 offensive snaps against touchdown on a 1-yard bolt in the fi rst quarter. the Racers with one knockdown block . . . Also saw action during Week 10 work at 2004: Sat out the season as a true freshman redshirt. Arkansas . . . Continued his maturation along the offensive line during spring 2005 . . . HIGH SCHOOL: Ranked as one of the top 50 running backs in the southeast by PrepStar Saw increased work at offensive tackle and fi nished the four-week session second at left pre-season magazine prior to his senior season at Homewood High School in Birming- offensive tackle. 2004: Sat out the season as a true freshman redshirt. HIGH SCHOOL: Named one of the top 56 offensive tackles in the country by Max Emfi n- ger in his online national senior database . . . Ranked as one of the top 60 offensive line- men in the southeast by PrepStar magazine in its pre-season edition . . . Ranked as the #19 player overall in the state of Mississippi, the third-best offensive lineman, by Super- prep magazine in its year-ending All-America Issue . . . Ranked with the top 15 players in the state of Mississippi by the Forrest Davis Football Recruiting Annual, the second-best offensive lineman on the list . . . Credited with running 5.0 in the 40 by The Insiders’ re- cruiting site . . . Ranked with the top 40 recruits in the state of Mississippi by the Jackson Clarion-Ledger following his senior season at Lamar School in Meridian, Miss. . . . Played both offensive tackle and defensive end on the prep level . . . Played in the Mississippi Private Schools Associaton all-star game following his senior campaign . . . Led his prep team to an 11-2 overall record and to the Class AAA state championship during his senior season . . . Started for his high school team since the 9th grade. PERSONAL: Born Roland Franklin Terry, 1-13-86, in Meridian, Miss. . . . Son of Mr. and Mrs. Roland F. Terry . . . Majoring in construction management.

RB BRANDON THORNTON

83 PLAYER PROFILES

MSU’s game with Houston one week later and did not play the remainder of the year. THORNTON’S CAREER RUSHING STATS HIGH SCHOOL: Rated the No. 12 player overall in the state of Mississippi by SuperPrep YEAR G/GS ATT. YARDS AVG. TD LONG / OPP. in its season-ending, all-America issue, the top-rated wide receiver . . . Awarded Class 2005 11/0 47 225 4.8 1 28 / LSU 3A fi rst-team, all-state honors by the Mississippi Association of Coaches at punter fol- TOTAL 11/0 47 225 4.8 1 28 / LSU lowing the 2002 season . . . Named the co-Best Offensive Back in Region 5-3A by the region coaches . . . Ranked with the top 25 recruits in the state of Mississippi by the Jackson Clarion-Ledger . . . Named second-team, all-state punter by the Clarion-Ledger DATE OPPONENT RUSH YARDS AVG TD LONG following his senior season for head coach Marcus Woods at Philadelphia (Miss.) High 9/3/05 MURRAY STATE 4 5 1.3 0 5 School . . . Averaged 39.5 yards per kick on 37 punts with a season-long, 61-yarder . . . 9/10/05 at Auburn 6 16 2.3 0 4 Also made a 32-yard fi eld goal . . . Completed 38-of-80 passes (.475) for 576 yards and 9/17/05 vs. Tulane 0 0 — 0 0 nine touchdowns . . . Credited with running a 4.38 in the 40-yard dash by the Clarion- 9/24/05 GEORGIA 0 0 — 0 0 Ledger . . . Paced his high school team to an 8-3 mark during his senior season, scoring 10/1/05 LSU 4 46 — 0 28 25 touchdowns overall . . . Also rushed for 807 yards during his senior campaign . . . Led 10/8/05 at Florida 1 -2 -2.0 0 0 Philadelphia to a 7-5 mark during his junior campaign, scoring touchdowns on a state- 10/22/05 HOUSTON 4 12 3.0 0 13 record 99-yard run and a 98-yard kickoff return . . . In all, he tallied eight touchdowns of 10/29/05 at Kentucky 10 66 6.6 1 19 37 yards or more . . . Rushed for nearly 2,000 yards, scored more than 20 touchdowns and kicked six fi eld goals during his high school career . . . Named to the Bernard Blackwell 11/05/05 ALABAMA 2 4 2.0 0 2 All-Star classic, Mississippi’s North-South all-star game. 11/19/05 vs. Arkansas 3 -2 -0.6 0 1 PERSONAL: Born Tyler Burkes Threadgill, 12-26-85, in Atlanta, Ga. . . . Son of Mr. and 11/26/05 OLE MISS 13 80 6.2 0 21 Mrs. Bruce Threadgill . . . Father was a standout QB for the Bulldogs (1975-77), who played eight years of professional football . . . Majoring in communication. ham, Ala. . . . Ranked with the top 30 players in the state of Alabama, regardless of posi- tion, by the Forrest Davis Football Recruiting Annual . . . Credited with running a 4.62 in THREADGILL’S CAREER KICK RETURN STATS the 40-yard dash by the Insiders.com online website . . . He helped Homewood to a 40-4 YEAR G/GS RET YDS AVG TD LONG / OPP. three-year record during his playing career, rushing for 4,810 yards and 87 touchdowns . 2004 10/0 7 159 22.7 0 32 / UAB . . Named all-state during both his junior and senior seasons . . . Rushed for 1,978 yards TOTALS 11/0 7 159 22.7 0 32 / UAB and 33 touchdowns on 249 carries (7.8 yards per rush) as a senior . . . He led his high school team to a 12-2 overall record and a berth in the Class 5A state semifi nals in 2003 . . . Earned all-state recognition by rushing for 1,667 yards and 27 touchdowns during his junior season, helping Homewood to a state title . . . Was named the most valuable Quinton player in the state championship game . . . Also caught 21 passes for 282 yards and fi ve more scores . . . Gained 1,165 yards during his sophomore season . . . Also a state cham- WESLEY pion in track . . . Solid student (3.0 gpa) in the high school classroom. PERSONAL: Born Brandon De’Andre Thornton, 10-11-85, in Birmingham, Ala. . . . Son of Ms. Edwina M. Thornton . . . Majoring in fi tness management. Defensive Lineman 6-4 • 288 • RFr. • RS Tyler Atlanta, Ga. 99 THREADGILL Crim CAREER: Still awaiting his fi rst opportunity to help Mississippi State on the game fi eld. Wide Receiver 2006: Began to tap his unlimited potential with a solid spring practice session, one cut a 5-10 • 187 • Jr. • 1L week short due to an off-fi eld incident . . . Made six tackles, including a pair for loss, dur- Philadelphia, Miss. ing the initial two scrimmages . . . Ranked as the top back-up at defensive tackle heading 25 into August two-a-days. Philadelphia 2005: Sat out the season as a true freshman redshirt. HIGH SCHOOL: Rated the No. 20 weakside defensive end in the country by recruit- ing web site Rivals.com . . . Also listed the No. 37 prospect, regardless of position, in CAREER: Has played in 11 games during his Mississippi State career, 10 coming during the state of Georgia by Rivals . . . Started at defensive end for the North squad in the his sophomore season . . . Has contributed both on special teams and as a member of the Georgia North-South All-Star game . . . Rated the No. 31 prospect in the Peach State by receiving corps . . . Has caught one pass (22 yards) and returned seven kickoffs for 159 UGAsports.com . . . Ranked with the top 50 defensive linemen in the state of Georgia yards, a 22.7-yard average . . . Has also made one tackle on special teams . . . Was on the by Georgia Grapevine.com recruiting web site . . . He ran a 4.7 40-yard dash at the NIKE playing fi eld for just one play, a kickoff return, in his true freshman season . . . Came to Atlanta Clinic prior to his senior season . . . Credited with a 315-pound bench press max Mississippi State as a speedy, all-around prospect from the state’s high school ranks. by Rivals.com web site . . . Named fi rst-team all-state on the defensive line in the Class 2006: Showed signs of breaking through in the wide receiver pack with a solid spring 2A division by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution . . . Despite missing two and one-half practice . . . Consistent during individual drills, he caught a pair of touchdown passes games during his senior season, he still managed 140 tackles, 35 tackles for loss, 15 during the three spring scrimmages . . . Based on his spring work, will press for playing of which were quarterback sacks, 20 quarterback pressures, seven caused fumbles and time at wide out and on special teams. 12 pass defl ections . . . He helped lead head coach Darren Myles’ Eagles to the state 2005: Did not see any game action for the Bulldogs in 2005 . . . Continued to work in postseason playoffs in ’04 . . . Recorded 79 tackles, including 13 for loss, seven of which the wide receiver rotation during spring practice 2005 . . . Healthy four-week period kept were quarterback sacks, with four fumble recoveries during his junior season . . . Earned him second at wide receiver behind Will Prosser. second-team, all-city following that junior campaign . . . Also a standout at tight end at 2004: Played in all but the season-opening win over Tulane during his sophomore sea- Crim High School in Atlanta, Ga., he served as the team’s deep snapper as well . . . Also a son . . . Recorded a 22-yard pass reception in the Bulldogs’ Week 2 game with Auburn, standout power forward on the basketball team, he was a three-year starter in both foot- his fi rst activity of the ’04 season . . . Returned to the stats sheet with three kickoff returns ball and basketball on the prep level . . . Ran one leg of Crim’s 4x100 meter relay team . for a 25.0-yard average against UAB in Week 6 . . . Returned one kickoff for 16 yards at . . Solid student in the high school classroom . . . Other top scholarship offers: Alabama, Alabama in Week 9 . . . Added a 21-yard kickoff return in the Bulldogs’ home-season Ole Miss, Kentucky, Purdue, Michigan State, Illinois, Georgia Tech and North Carolina . . concluding contest with Arkansas . . . Brought back another kickoff (24 yards) in the . Committed to MSU in January 2005. season fi nale at Ole Miss . . . Productive spring practice kept him in the hunt for playing PERSONAL: Born Quinton Lamar Wesley, 1-28-87, in Atlanta, Ga. . . . Son of Mr. Melvin time in the wide receiver rotation . . . Hauled in three passes for 45 yards during three Wesley and Ms. Bobbie Whipple . . . Majoring in fi tness management. spring scrimmages. 2003: Played in just one game, seeing action on just one play, during his true freshman season . . . Saw his fi rst collegiate action on State’s “hands” team during the Bulldogs’ Week 2 game at Tulane . . . Suffererd a hyperextended knee during practice prior to

84 PLAYER PROFILES

Calvin Leron WILSON YARBROUGH

Offensive Tackle Defensive Back 6-6 • 349 • So. • 1L 6-0 • 172 • Sr. • 1L Hattiesburg, Miss. 79 Louisville, Miss. 28 Hattiesburg Louisville

CAREER: Overcame a knee injury and summer surgery prior to reporting to Mississippi CAREER: Has seen action in all 11 games during his Mississippi State career, seeing State to see action in eight games during his true freshman campaign . . . Has earned one most of his playing time on special teams but also serving as a reserve at cornerback . . . starting call at offensive tackle . . . Came to the Bulldog program as a highly regarded Has made four tackles . . . Walked on the MSU program as a non-scholarship performer offensive lineman in the Mississippi high school ranks. from nearby Louisville, Miss. 2006: Development continued during an injury-free spring and he enters the ’06 pre- 2006: Registered three tackles during three spring scrimmages and enters pre-season season workouts in the left offensive tackle picture. workouts as a reserve at cornerback and valuable special teams player. 2005: Played in eight games during his true freshman season at offensive tackle for the 2005: Played in all 11 games during his junior season at Mississippi State, working Bulldogs, earning one start . . . Missed the fi rst three games of the season as he tried primarily with Bulldog special teams but seeing some duty in the defensive backfield . to rebound from a summer all-star game knee injury and resulting surgery . . . Made his . . Made four tackles on the year, one each against Murray State in the season opener, fi rst appearance on the college football playing fi eld during Mississippi State’s Week 4 vs. Georgia in Week 4, at Florida two weeks later, and in the Bulldogs’ season-ending game with Georgia . . . Participated in 32 of the 59 offensive snaps against the Eastern 35-14 win over Ole Miss. Division Bulldogs, recording one knockdown block . . . Saw even more work one week JUNIOR COLLEGE: Played cornerback for two seasons under head coach Terry later against LSU . . . Was on the fi eld for 43 of a possible 56 snaps and had three knock- Underwood at East Central (Miss.) Community College . . . Earned second-team, all-state down blocks . . . Again saw the lion’s share of recognition for the Warriors following his sophomore season . . . Registered four pass the work at right tackle during Week 6 work interceptions during his junior college career. at Florida . . . Was on the fi eld for 34 of the HIGH SCHOOL: Started at cornerback for two seasons under head coach Bill Scott at 55 offensive snaps, recording three knockdown Sturgis (Miss.) High School and for his senior campaign under head coach Tony Stanford blocks, against the Gators . . . Registered four at Louisville (Miss.) High School . . . Helped lead the Wildcats to a 19-7 overall record knockdown blocks against Houston in Week 7, and to a pair of regional championships during this final two seasons . . . Invited to play seeing action on 32 of a possible 72 offensive in the state of Mississippi North-South All-Star game following his senior season, earning snaps . . . Earned his fi rst collegiate start one defensive most valuable player honors in the game . . . Named first-team, Region 2-4A in week later at Kentucky . . . Was on the fi eld for the defensive secondary . . . Had seven pass interceptions during his prep career, includ- 36 of the 75 offensive plays in the game and ing six at Louisville . . . Honor graduate in the high school classroom. had four knockdown blocks . . . Played just over PERSONAL: Born Eric Leron Yarbrough, 6-10-84, in Louisville, Miss. . . . Son of Mr. and half the game (30 of 57 snaps) at Arkansas in Mrs. Charles Yarbrough . . . Majoring in social work. Week 10 . . . Helped MSU grind out 304 yards rushing and allow no sacks in a season-ending OTHER VARSITY PLAYERS 35-14 win over Ole Miss. Robert Ambers QB 5-11 181 RFr. RS Venice, Calif. (Venice HS) OT CALVIN WILSON HIGH SCHOOL: Ranked the No. 11 offensive Anthony Bowles SN 5-10 200 So. SQ Grenada, Miss. (Grenada) tackle in the nation by Rivals.com . . . That web Gunner Boykin OL 6-2 281 So. TR Ridgeland, Miss. (Miss. GC CC) site also had him rated No. 5 among the state Mark Brown LB 5-11 216 RFr. RS Madison, Miss. (Madison Central) of Mississippi’s top prospects prior to his senior season . . . Also preseason No. 5 in the Magnolia State on the Bulldogblitz.com Fab 15 Marshall Brown RB 5-11 205 RFr. RS Soso, Miss. (Jones County CC) . . . Superprep Magazine rated him No. 7 among the top prospects in the state in its Anderson Ellard WR 5-10 173 RFr. RS Natchez, Miss. (Cathedral) pre-signing day all-America issue . . . Considered the No. 30 offensive line prospect in Steven Holley TE 6-2 225 RFr. RS Satsuma, Ala. (Satsuma) the country by collegefootballnews.com . . . Rated No. 23 on the Mobile Register Super Brett Hyatt QB 6-1 200 Jr. TR Soso, Miss. (Jones County CC) Southern 120 . . . Named honorable mention all-South (a 12-state region) by the Orlando Grailen Johnson DB 5-10 180 So. SQ Memphis, Tenn. (Ridgeway) Sentinel Star on the offensive line . . . Ranked with the top linemen in the southeast by G Daniel Kennedy OL 6-5 258 Jr. SQ Tupelo, Miss. (Ittawamba) & W Recruiting Report in its preseason edition . . . Selected to the Jackson Clarion-Led- Thomas McGee DB 5-9 181 RFr. RS Greenville, Miss. (Washington) ger Dandy Dozen prior to his senior season, symbolic of being one of the top 12 players Todd McGee K 6-1 203 Sr. SQ Memphis, Tenn. (Miss. Delta CC) in the Magnolia State, and No. 4 on its postseason ranking of the 10 most wanted play- Lance McKinney DB 5-8 155 So. SQ Jackson, Miss. (Murrah) ers in the state of Mississippi . . . Tied for eighth among all linemen at the Baton Rouge NIKE Training Camp in bench press competition with 13 repetitions of 185 pounds . . . Soloman Ona DL 6-1 277 So. SQ Scotlandville, La. (Baker) His vertical leap of nearly 26 inches was third best at the camp among linemen . . . Has a Anwar Phillips DL 5-10 279 Sr. SQ Atlanta, Ga. (Western Carolina) 350-pound bench press max, according to the Clarion-Ledger . . . Credited with running Ben Shelton WR 5-11 196 Jr. TR Vicksburg, Miss. (Hinds CC) a 5.0 in the 40-yard dash by recruiting web site Scout.com . . . He was ranked No. 78 on Alexander Smith DL 5-10 287 RFr. RS Chicago, Ill. (Bogan Technical H.S.) that web site’s Southeast Hot 100 prospects prior to his senior season . . . Selected to Jamayel Smith WR 6-0 183 So. SQ East Point, Ga. (Hargrave) play in the Mississippi-Alabama High School all-star game following his senior season . Rashad Smith WR 5-11 186 So. SQ East Point, Ga. (Hargrave) . . Primarily a defensive lineman during his fi rst three years at Hattiesburg (Miss.) High Major Sosebee WR 6-2 182 RFr. RS Warrior, Ala. (Sumiton Christian) School, starting his sophomore and junior seasons, he concentrated almost exclusively Braxton Stowe LB 5-11 225 RFr. RS Fayette, Ala. (Fayette) on offensive tackle as a senior for head coach Buddy Duke . . . Graded out at 87 percent Justin Walker LB 5-6 195 RFr. RS Madison, Miss. (Madison Central) with 58 pancake blocks, leading the Tigers to an 8-4 overall record and into the state postseason playoffs as a senior . . . He helped his high school team rush for over 3,000 Justin Williams RB 5-10 207 Jr. SQ Tallulah, La. (Grambling) yards as a senior, third most in the state . . . Still played on the defensive line on occasion Adrian Yelding DB 5-8 179 Jr. RS Daphne, Ala. (Daphne) during his fi nal prep campaign . . . Named fi rst-team, all-state at offensive tackle by the Taurus Young RB 5-8 216 So. SQ Winona, Miss. (Montgomery Cty.) Mississippi Association of Coaches and fi rst-team on the offensive line by the Clarion- Ledger . . . Named honorable mention all-state as a junior . . . Also a standout on the basketball fl oor . . . Solid student in the high school classroom . . . Other top scholarship offers: LSU, Auburn, Tennessee, Florida, Ole Miss and West Virginia. PERSONAL: Born Calvin Clarke Wilson, Jr., 1-16-87, in Hattiesburg, Miss. . . . Son of Mr. Calvin Wilson, Sr., and Mrs. Mildred Maddox . . . Major is criminal justice.

85 NEWCOMER PROFILES

2006 MISSISSIPPI STATE SIGNEES NAME POS. HT. WT. HOMETOWN LAST SCHOOL Timmy Bailey LB 6-3 241 Glen Allan, Miss. Riverside / Mississippi Delta CC J.C. Brignone DL 6-1 284 Pass Christian, Miss. St. Stanislaus Michael Brown OL 6-4 295 College Park, Ga. Westlake / Florida Tony Burks WR 6-4 219 Gulfport, Miss. Gulfport / Mississippi Gulf Coast CC Alex Carpenter WR 6-0 168 Rienzi, Miss. Biggersville Brandon Cooper DL 6-3 240 Missouri City, Texas Fort Bend Marshall Chasman Davis LB 5-11 209 Fort Pierce, Fla. St. Lucie West Centennial Alex Dekle DL 6-1 270 Statesboro, Ga. Statesboro Anthony Dixon RB 6-1 229 Jackson, Miss. Terry Christian Ducré RB 6-0 200 Mandeville, La. Fontainebleau / Tulane Aaron Feld SN 6-1 220 Homewood, Ala. Homewood J.D. Hamilton OL 6-4 300 Natchez, Miss. Natchez / Copiah-Lincoln [Miss.] CC Chris Herrera OL 6-3 275 Missouri City, Texas Fort Bend Marshall Jamon Hughes LB 6-0 221 Rolling Fork, Miss. Humphreys County Anthony Johnson DB 5-10 195 Jackson, Miss. Provine / Hargrave Military Academy Courtney Jones RB 5-11 212 Pensacola, Fla. Pensacola Brandon Jones - Henderson TE 6-1 228 Fayetteville, Ga. Fayette County Kyle Love DL 6-1 315 Fairburn, Ga. North Clayton Ryan Mason WR 6-5 215 Mobile, Ala. Shaw / Mississippi Delta CC Cortez McCraney DL 6-4 255 Southaven, Miss. Southaven / Memphis Mark Melichar OL 6-5 275 Birmingham, Ala. Oak Mountain Keith Mills WR 6-3 200 Alexandria, La. Alexandria Reggie Odom DL 6-0 290 Deland, Fla. Deland Rodney Prince DL 6-3 230 Irondale, Ala. Shades Valley Arnil Stallworth RB 5-10 190 Daphne, Ala. Daphne Anthony Summers DB 6-2 210 Olive Branch, Miss. Olive Branch Marcus Washington DB 5-10 175 Missouri City, Texas Fort Bend Marshall

*Incoming players Tony Burks and Anthony Johnson joined the team for spring practice, and their bios are included with on pages 51 and 69, respectively.

Timmy J.C. BAILEY BRIGNONE Linebacker Defensive Lineman 6-3 • 241 • So. • TR 6-1 • 284 • Fr. • HS Glen Allan, Miss. Pass Christian, Miss. Mississippi Delta CC St. Stanislaus

JUNIOR COLLEGE: Credited with running a 4.6 in the 40-yard dash by the Rivals.com HIGH SCHOOL: Selected to play in the Mississippi-Alabama High School All-Star game . recruiting website . . . Credited with a 41-inch vertical jump by Scout.com . . . Will have . . Rated with the top 70 defensive linemen in the Southeast by Prep Star Magazine in its four years to play three following his transfer to Mississippi State from Mississippi Delta season-ending issue . . . Credited with a 340-pound bench press max and a 5.0-second Community College . . . Did not play football the past two seasons (2004 and 2005), clocking in the 40-yard dash at the Rivals.com Louisiana Junior Day . . . Has benched serving an 18-month active duty assignment with the Mississippi National Guard in Iraq 185 pounds 35 times, with a 385-pound max, according to the Scout.com website ...... His unit was called to active duty in August 2004, he spent five months training at Considered one of the top seniors in the state of Mississippi prior to his senior season Camp Shelby, and was deployed to Iraq in December 2004 . . . Returned to the states by G&W Recruiting Report . . . Displaced by Hurricane Katrina for his senior year of high in December 2005 . . . Selected second-team Mississippi Community College all-state school, he finished his prep career at Lilburn (Ga.) Parkview High School . . . Helped and second-team, all-North Division in 2003 as a freshman linebacker . . . Helped lead Parkview to a 10-3 record during his senior campaign and into the state of Georgia Jay Miller’s Mississippi Delta Community College team to a 7-3 overall mark that season playoff quarterfinals . . . Was a two-way tackle for the Class 5A Panthers, a team which . . . Led the team with 95 tackles, adding three quarterback sacks during his only junior finished No. 6 in the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s season-ending final poll . . . Made 37 college campaign . . . Other top scholarship offers: Alabama, Ole Miss and Texas A&M tackles with four tackles for loss on the season, a campaign that was interrupted for him . . . Committed to Mississippi State in January 2006. at midseason by a broken left arm . . . Rebounded from that injury to earn first-team, all- HIGH SCHOOL: Named the Red Zone Mississippi Player of the Year following his senior Gwinnett County on the defensive line . . . Began his senior wrestling season at Parkview season for head coach Jeff Horn at Riverside High School in Avon, Miss. . . . Helped before returning to the state of Mississippi in January 2006 . . . Selected second-team, Riverside to a 7-3 record during his 2001 senior season, the school’s first winning record Class 4A all-state at offensive guard following his junior season at St. Stanislaus by the in almost two decades, leading the team with almost 900 yards receiving . . . Missed Mississippi Association of Coaches . . . Registered 62 tackles with six quarterback sacks most of his junior season at the prep level due to injuries . . . Played linebacker, tight end and three fumble recoveries during his junior campaign for head coach Casey Wittman and running back at Riverside. at St. Stanislaus . . . Helped lead his team to a 9-2 record during his junior year . . . Also PERSONAL: Born Timothy Bailey, 8-25-84, in Hollandale, Miss. . . . Son of Mr. and Mrs. an outstanding wrestler and power lifter on the high school level . . . A three-time USA Hezekiah Bailey . . . Majoring in criminal justice. wrestling champion for Louisiana/Alabama.Mississippi region, he finished sixth nation- ally . . . Won a state wrestling championship in Louisiana all three years . . . Finished fourth in the 308-pound weight class in the power lifting meet during his junior season, despite weighing just 275 at the time . . . An outstanding student at the prep level, he had a 3.0-plus grade point average . . . Owned his own pressure washing business in high school . . . Other top scholarship offer: Rice . . . Committed to Mississippi State in September 2005. PERSONAL: Born Julio Cesar Brignone IV, 2-16-88, in Atlanta, Ga. . . . Son of Mr. and Mrs. Julio Brignone . . . Major is undeclared.

86 NEWCOMER PROFILES

Michael Brandon BROWN COOPER Offensive Lineman Defensive Lineman 6-4 • 295 • So. • TR 6-3 • 240 • Fr. • HS College Park, Ga. Missouri City, Texas Florida Marshall

2005: Saw no game action as a reserve offensive lineman for the Florida Gators. HIGH SCHOOL: Rated with the top 35 defensive linemen in the Midlands by Prep Star 2004: Redshirted his true freshman season at Florida. Magazine in its season-ending issue . . . Named first-team, Class 20-5A all-district selec- HIGH SCHOOL: Signed with the University of Florida in 2004 after a standout career tion on the defensive line in suburban Houston, Texas, by Texas High School Football. at Westlake High School in Atlanta, Ga. . . . Played on both sides of the ball for head com . . . That recruiting website ranked him as the #11 defensive line prospect in the coach Dallas Allen at Westlake . . . Listed as the No. 22-rated defensive tackle in the state of Texas . . . Credited with running a 4.8 in the 40-yard dash and with a 275-pound nation, the ninth-best defensive tackle in the South by TheInsiders.com (now Scout. bench press max at the University of Houston combine run by the Rivals.com recruiting com) . . . A member of that web site’s Southern Hot 100, symbolic of being one of the website . . . Also listed with a 32-inch vertical jump by Rivals . . . Helped lead Fort Bend top 100 players in the south . . . Rated the ninth-best prospect in the state of Georgia Marshall to a 9-1 record during his senior season and a District 20 championship with a th in SuperPrep’s season-ending All-America issue . . . Ranked as the 15 -best defensive 7-0 mark in league play . . . The team’s only loss came in the first round of Class 5A title tackle in the nation by recruiting web site Rivals.com . . . Earned all-metro Atlanta honors play . . . Registered 52 tackles and a quarterback sack during his junior season for the following his senior season on the high school level . . . Credited with running a 4.9 in Buffalos . . . Played for head coach Dennis Brantley at Marshall, a school that has only the 40-yard dash by Rivals. been playing football the last three years . . . Solid high school student with a 3.0-plus PERSONAL: Born Michael Louvester Brown, 4-23-86, in Atlanta, Ga. . . . Son of Mrs. grade point average on the prep level . . . Other top scholarship offer: Iowa State . . . Gussie Pollard Jacobs . . . Major is undeclared. Committed to Mississippi State in June 2005. PERSONAL: Born Brandon Glen Cooper, 11-10-87, in Houston, Texas . . . Son of Mr. Alex Alton Cooper and Ms. Rhoda Cooper . . . Major is undeclared. CARPENTER Chasman Wide Receiver DAVIS 6-0 • 168 • Fr. • HS Rienzi, Miss. Linebacker Biggersville 5-11 • 209 • Fr. • HS Fort Pierce, Fla.

HIGH SCHOOL: Rated the No. 50 wide receiver prospect in the country and the No. 17 West Centennial (St. Lucie, Fla.) player in the state of Mississippi prior to his senior season by the Rivals.com recruiting website . . . Ranked with the top 30 wide receivers and tight ends in the SEC region by HIGH SCHOOL: Rated the No. 77 high school prospect, regardless of position, in the the G&W Recruiting Report prior to his senior season . . . Credited with running a 4.46 in country by ESPN.com . . . Rated as the No. 19 outside linebacker in the country by the the 40-yard dash and with a 32-inch vertical leap at the Oxford Nike Training Camp dur- Rivals.com recruiting website . . . Rated with the top 20 linebackers in the Southeast by ing the spring of 2005 . . . His 40 time was the seventh-fastest of all players at the camp, Prep Star Magazine in its season-ending issue . . . Also listed as the 19th-best prospect while his shuttle speed (4.43) was fifth fastest among running backs (his group) . . . His from the state of Florida and a national No. 70 prospect by that site following his senior vertical jump was the third longest among the backs . . . Recorded a 37-inch vertical jump season for head coach Jim O’Neal at St. Lucie West Centennial High School in Florida at the Starkville Scout.com summer clinic . . . Rated the No. 22 prospect in Mississippi . . . Clocked in 4.31 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the Miami Training Combine . . . before his senior campaign by SuperPrep Recruiting Magazine . . . Played quarterback, Pressed 185 pounds 28 times on the bench and jumped 34.9 inches in the vertical leap running back, receiver and defensive back during his high school career for head coach while at the NIKE Training Camp at Coral Gables . . . He was third among all linebackers Ronnie Lawson at Biggersville . . . Rushed for more than 4,000 yards during his prep in both the bench press competition and the vertical jump . . . Did not run the 40 or the career, he was named Class 1A, Division 8 most valuable player for all three years . . . shuttle at the camp after pulling his hamstring . . . Ranked No. 41 among the state of Rushed for more than 1,000 yards and over 20 touchdowns during his senior season, a Florida’s top prospects prior to his senior season by SuperPrep Magazine prior to his campaign in which he played multiple positions on both sides of the ball . . . Had 60 senior season . . . His high school coach credits him with a 460-pound bench press max tackles playing primarily at safety, but also worked some at cornerback and linebacker . . . . Was selected to play in the CaliFlorida Bowl, the postseason all-star game pitting . . As a junior, he rushed 118 times for 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns and passed for high school seniors from the state of Florida against those from California . . . Suffered 799 yards and eight more scores . . . Also a standout on the basketball court and in track a knee injury in that game which will require surgery . . . Capped an outstanding high and field, where he is the reigning Class 1A high jump champion, winning the title as a school career, in which he started all four years, by twice being named the Palm Beach junior with a 6-4 leap . . . Committed to Mississippi State in June 2005. Post Treasure Coast Defensive Player of the Year in 2004 and ‘05 . . . Played defensive PERSONAL: Born Alex D. Carpenter, 5-3-87, in Memphis, Tenn. . . . Son of Mr. and Mrs. end and middle linebacker on the high school level . . . Made 113 total tackles, includ- Dwight Carpenter . . . Major is undeclared. ing 25 for loss, of which five were quarterback sacks, during a standout senior campaign . . . During his hurricane-plagued junior season with the Fighting Eagles, he made 68 tackles in seven games played, with 21 tackles for loss and 10 QB sacks . . . Also ran track on the high school level, running an 11-second, 100 meters . . . From among more than 25 offers, his other top scholarship offers: Georgia, Auburn, Florida, West Virginia, Tennessee, Oklahoma, North Carolina and N.C. State . . . Committed to Mississippi State in January 2006. PERSONAL: Born Chasman D. Davis, 9-12-87, in Fort Pierce, Fla. . . . Son of Ms. Valery Davis . . . Major is undeclared.

87 NEWCOMER PROFILES

first-round of the state playoffs . . . Rushed for a career-high 321 yards vs. Jim Hill that Alex season . . . Started the first two games of his sophomore season before having the year come a premature end with an ankle injury and then a collarbone ailment . . . Also a DEKLE standout baseball player at the prep level . . . Other top scholarship offers: LSU, Florida, Alabama, Ole Miss, Florida State, Miami and Iowa State . . . Committed to Mississippi Defensive Line State in January 2006. 6-1 • 270 • Fr. • HS PERSONAL: Born Anthony Rishard Dixon, 9-24-87, in Jackson, Miss. . . . Son of Mr. Statesboro, Ga. Anthony Williams and Ms. Velma Dixon . . . Major is undeclared. Statesboro Christian HIGH SCHOOL: Was rated the No. 66 defensive tackle in the country and the No. 48 prospect available in the state of Georgia by the Rivals.com recruiting website follow- DUCRÉ ing his senior season for head coach Steve Pennington at Statesboro High School, the sixth-best defensive tackle . . . Rated with the top 70 defensive linemen in the Southeast Running Back by Prep Star Magazine in its season-ending issue . . . Ranked as the No. 45 prospect in 6-0 • 200 • RFr. • TR Georgia prior to his senior season by SuperPrep Magazine . . . Credited with running Mandeville, La. a 4.91 in the 40-yard dash and with a 345-pound bench press max at the Athens NIKE Training Camp . . . His 40-yard dash time was the third-best time among all defensive Tulane tackles at the camp . . . Pressed 225 pounds 21 times at that camp and jumped 28 inches 2005: Redshirted his true freshman season at Tulane University. in the vertical leap . . . His bench press repetitions tied for eighth best among all defen- HIGH SCHOOL: First-team, Class 5A all-state running back while leading Fontainebleau sive tackles, while his vertical jump was third best in his group . . . Ranked with the top High School in Mandeville, La. to the state semifinals in 2004 . . . Named to the Baton 50 offensive and defensive linemen in the SEC region by the G&W Recruiting Magazine Rouge Advocate “Super Dozen,” symbolic of being one of the top 12 players in the state . . . Two-time, first-team all-state player in Class 4A . . . Despite playing his senior season of Louisiana following his senior season . . . Was named the Class 5A District 5 Offensive with a broken finger suffered earlier in the year, he led head coach Steve Pennington’s Player of the Year . . . Rushed for 1,202 yards and scored 13 touchdowns during that Statesboro Blue Devils to a perfect 15-0 record and into the state of Georgia Class 4A senior campaign at Fontainebleau . . . Also caught 21 passes for 400 yards and three state title game where they defeated Northside-Warner Robins for the championship . more scores . . . Added a punt return for a touchdown . . . Rushed for 960 yards and 15 . . Registered 104 total tackles with four and one-half quarterback sacks and four other touchdowns, while also catching 20 passes for 430 more yards and four scores during his tackles for loss as a nose guard during his senior season . . . Made 92 tackles with four junior campaign . . . Also played baseball and ran track on the high school level quarterback sacks as a defensive tackle during his junior campaign . . . He helped the PERSONAL: Born Christian Ducré in New Orleans, La. . . . Son of Mr. and Mrs. Brad Blue Devils to a 14-1 record that year and into the state championship game . . . Other Ducré . . . His father played running back at Tulane, lettering from 1991-94 . . . Majoring top scholarship offers: Ohio State, Tennessee, Clemson and Ole Miss . . . Committed to in computer science. Mississippi State in January 2006. PERSONAL: Born Alexander Dekle, 4-7-88, in Statesboro, Ga. . . . Son of Mr. Alex Dekle and Ms. Gloria Mincey. Aaron Anthony FELD Snapper DIXON 6-1 • 220 • Fr. • HS Running Back Homewood, Ala. 6-1 • 229 • Fr. • HS Homewood Jackson, Miss. Terry HIGH SCHOOL: Tested with the defensive ends (his high school position) at the Oxford NIKE Training Camp, he placed in all four areas in his group . . . Finished second among all defensive ends with 22 repetitions of 225 pounds on the bench press, and second in HIGH SCHOOL: Selected to play in the Mississippi-Alabama High School All-Star game the vertical leap (32 inches) . . . Was timed in 5.01 seconds in the 40-yard dash and 4.72 . . . Rated the No. 19 running back in the country following his high school career by in the shuttle run, ninth and fifth, respectively among all defensive ends . . . Has a 320- Prep Star Magazine . . . Named a preseason all-America prior to his senior campaign by pound bench press max . . . A four-year starter, he set his high school’s single-season and SuperPrep Magazine, one of just five players so honored from the state of Mississippi all-time quarterback sack records while playing defensive end . . . Totaled 25 quarterback . . . That magazine had him rated as the No. 21 running back in the nation . . . Ranked sacks during his career . . . Named honorable mention all-state and all-metro Birmingham the No. 22 running back prospect in the country by the Rivals.com recruiting website . . following a standout senior season by the Birmingham News . . . Helped lead head coach . Listed with the top 28 running backs in the nation by the G&W Recruiting Report, the Bob Newton’s Homewood (Ala.) High School team to a 56-3 record and three state only runner from the state of Mississippi . . . Rivals also ranks him as the No. 3 player, championships during his four seasons of high school ball, a 15-0 mark in 2005 and a regardless of position, in the state of Mississippi, the top-ranked running back . . . second-straight state title . . . Made 92 tackles, including 18 quarterback sacks and 12 Rated as the No. 31 running back in the nation by the Scout.com recruiting website . . other tackles for loss during his senior season for head coach Bob Newton at Homewood . Credited with a 265-pound bench press and a 33-inch vertical jump by Scout . . . That (Ala.) High School . . . Caused six fumbles for the Patriot defense . . . Played fullback on website ranked him among the top 100 players in the South, and the third-best running the offensive side of the ball . . . Also wrestled at the high school level, finishing second back in Mississippi . . . Ran a 4.56 40-yard dash at the Oxford NIKE Training Camp com- in the state at the 225-pound weight class as a junior . . . Helped lead Homewood’s bine . . . Rated No. 60 in the Southeast region by Tom Lemming in his season-ending wrestling team to a state championship in 2003 . . . Outstanding student in the classroom Prep Football Report . . . Listed No. 4 on the Jackson Clarion-Ledger ranking of the . . . Committed to Mississippi State in December 2005. state’s top high school prospects in its postseason listing of the state’s 10 most wanted PERSONAL: Born Aaron Wesley Feld, 8-10-87, in Homewood, Ala. . . . Son of Mr. and prospects . . . That newspaper also had him among its Dandy Dozen players prior to Mrs. Jerry Feld . . . Majoring in general business administration. his senior season . . . Named first-team all-state following that record-breaking season by both the Clarion-Ledger and the Mississippi Association of Coaches . . . The Jackson newspaper also named him the metro player of the year . . . Capped an outstanding high school career for head coach Bill French at Terry (Miss.) High School by rushing 304 times for 2,683 yards, an 8.8-yard per rush average, and 31 touchdowns as a senior . . . Rushed for more than 150 yards in all but two games during the year, surpassing the 100-yard mark in all 13 games . . . Led Terry to an 11-2 overall record into the quarterfinal round of the Mississippi high school playoffs . . . Paced the team to the Region 6-4A crown . . . During his junior campaign, he rushed 246 times for 1,897 yards, a 7.7-yard per rush average, and 22 touchdowns, leading the Bulldogs to a 7-4 overall record and into the

88 NEWCOMER PROFILES

season opener vs. Yazoo City . . . Finished third in the state with 196 stops as a junior . J.D. . . Was named Class AAA District 4 defensive most valuable player following his junior campaign . . . Also scored five touchdowns while on offense . . . Started at linebacker for HAMILTON four seasons, spending his sophomore and freshman years at South Delta (Miss.) High School, where he helped lead coach Derrick Hooker’s team to a two-year 16-7 record . . Offensive Line . Committed to Mississippi State in December 2005. 6-4 • 300 • Jr. • TR PERSONAL: Born Jamon Dewayne Hughes, 12-30-87, in Greenwood, Miss . . . Son of Natchez, Miss. Mr. and Mrs. Cardell Hughes . . . His brother Carlos played football at Louisiana-Monroe (1998-2003) . . . Major is undeclared. Copiah-Lincoln [Miss.] CC

JUNIOR COLLEGE: Ranked the No. 67 junior college prospect coming out in 2006, Courtney regardless of position, by the Rivals.com recruiting website . . .Credited with running a 4.9-second 40-yard dash by Rivals . . . A J.C. Gridwire second-team, junior college JONES all-America offensive lineman for head coach Glenn Davis at Copiah-Lincoln (Miss.) Community College following his sophomore campaign . . . Rated No. 9 on the Jackson Running Back Clarion-Ledger list of the state’s top junior college recruits . . . Named first-team, all-state 6-0 • 212 • Fr. • HS by the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges . . . Earned pre-season Pensacola, Fla. all-America recognition from the National Junior College Athletic Association . . . Earned second-team, all-state recognition as a freshman for the Wolfpack . . . An avid rodeo Pensacola (former state champion calf and steer roper) enthusiast . . .Other top scholarship offers: HIGH SCHOOL: Rated the No. 30 running back prospect in the country by the Rivals. Ole Miss, West Virginia and Texas A&M. com recruiting website . . . Ranked with the top 30 running backs in the Southeastern HIGH SCHOOL: A two-way standout lineman for head coach James Denson at Natchez Conference region by the G&W Recruiting Magazine . . . Rated with the top 50 running (Miss.) High School, seeing most of his playing time at defensive end. backs in the Southeast by Prep Star Magazine in its season-ending issue . . . Ranked the PERSONAL: Born Johnathan Derrell Hamilton, 8-14-86, in Natchez, Miss. . . . Son of Mr. fourth-best running back prospect in the state of Florida following his senior season by and Mrs. Michael Hamilton . . . Majoring in fitness management. the Scout.com recruiting website . . . Considered the top rising senior running back in

the state of Florida following his junior season by state recruiting service floridakids. Chris us . . . Rated the No. 14 player, regardless of position, in Florida by that site after his 11th grade season . . . Credited with running a 4.45 in the 40-yard dash by Scout.com HERRERA and with a 315-pound bench press by the Rivals.com recruiting website . . . Rated No. 88 in the Southeast region by Tom Lemming in his season-ending Prep Football Offensive Line Report . . . Called the No. 1 running back prospect in the Florida Panhandle by that 6-3 • 275 • Fr. • HS recruiting publication . . . Ran a 4.5 in the 40 and went 36 inches in the vertical leap at the Tallahassee Nike Training Camp prior to his senior season . . . That 40 time tied for Missouri City, Texas fifth fastest among running backs at the camp, while the vertical jump tied for second Marshall best . . . Rated the No. 52 player in Florida, regardless of position, prior to his senior year by SuperPrep Recruiting Magazine . . . Suffered ankle and groin injuries during the third game of his senior season and lingered all year long . . . Managed to rush for over HIGH SCHOOL: Credited with running a 4.9 in the 40-yard dash and a 30-inch vertical 800 yards and eight touchdowns during his senior season for head coach Mike Bennett jump by the Rivals.com recruiting website . . . Played tight end on the prep level until his at Pensacola (Fla.) High School . . . Rushed for just over 300 yards vs. Pensacola Tate senior season when he made the move inside to offensive tackle . . . Helped Fort Bend before incurring his injury problems . . . Rushed 126 times for 1,427 yards, an 11.2-yard Marshall High School in suburban Houston, Texas, become the top-ranked offense in average, and 15 touchdowns during his junior season for head coach Mike Bennett . . . Class 20-5A, averaging 444.5 yards per game during his senior season . . . Helped head Also caught 20 passes for 203 yards . . . Led the Tigers to postseason play as a junior . coach Dennis Brantley’s Marshall team to a 9-1 record during his senior season and a . . Named third-team, all-state following that campaign . . . Started at linebacker during District 20 championship with a 7-0 mark in league play . . . The team’s only loss came in his sophomore season . . . Solid student in the high school classroom . . . Committed to the first round of Class 5A title play . . . Other top scholarship offers: Iowa, Iowa State, MSU in February, 2004. Houston, Baylor and Missouri . . . Committed to Mississippi State in June 2005. PERSONAL: Born Courtney Jones, 9-14-86, in Pensacola, Fla...... Son of Mr. and Mrs. PERSONAL: Born Christopher Anthony Herrera, 3-23-88, in Chicago, Ill. . . . Son of Mr. William Jones Sr. . . . Majoring in general business administration. and Mrs. Edward Heard . . . Major is undeclared. Jamon Brandon HUGHES JONES-HENDERSON Linebacker Tight End 6-0 • 221 • Fr. • HS 6-1 • 228 • Fr. • HS Rolling Fork, Miss. Fayeteville, Ga. Humphreys County Fayette County

HIGH SCHOOL: Ran a 4.87 40-yard dash at the Athens (Ga.) NIKE Training Camp prior HIGH SCHOOL: Rated the No. 34 inside linebacker prospect in the country by the to his senior season at Fayette County (Ga.) High School . . . His 4.31 time in the shuttle, Rivals.com recruiting website . . . Credited with a 330-pound bench press maximum by however, was the second-fastest among those players classified as “athletes” at the Rivals. . . Rated with the top 60 linebackers in the Southeast by Prep Star Magazine in its camp . . . Was also second in that group with 18 repetitions of 185 pounds in the bench season-ending issue . . . Ran a 4.84 in the 40-yard dash at the Oxford Nike Training Camp press . . . Finished fourth among those players with a 31-inch vertical leap . . . Played prior to his senior season . . . He tied for sixth among all inside linebackers at the camp both wide receiver and tight end during his high school career for head coach Tommy by pressing 185 pounds 21 times . . . Was tied for ninth with a 4.53-second shuttle run . Webb at Fayette County (Ga.) High School . . . Had 21 pass receptions during his senior . . Also had a 29-inch vertical leap at that summer session . . . Ran a 4.56 in the shuttle season for the Tigers, working as both a tight end and an h-back on a predominately at the Starkville Scout.com combine . . . Named first-team, all-state at linebacker by the running team . . . Made 18 catches with a pair of scores as a junior . . . Also saw action Jackson Clarion-Ledger following his senior season for head coach Kenneth Lawrence at defensive end . . . Committed to Mississippi State in November 2005. at Humphreys County High School . . . Named second-team, all-state by the Mississippi PERSONAL: Born Brandon Michael Henderson, 2-15-88, in Athens, Ga. . . . Son of Mr. Association of Coaches . . . A tackling machine on the high school level, he had 643 Keith Henderson and Ms. Carolyn Jones . . . His father played football at Georgia and tackles during his high school career, with 44 quarterback sacks and 28 forced fumbles lettered for the Bulldogs 1985-88, and later played professionally with the San Francisco . . . Registered 181 tackles with 12 quarterback sacks in nine games during his senior 49ers (1989-92) and Minnesota Vikings (1992) . . . Majoring in broadcasting. season . . . Also forced 14 fumbles as a prep senior . . . Registered 24 tackles in his senior

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Kyle Mark LOVE MELICHAR Defensive Lineman Offensive Lineman 6-1 • 315 • Fr. • HS 6-5 • 275 • Fr. • HS Fairburn, Ga. Birmingham, Ala. North Clayton Oak Mountain HIGH SCHOOL: Rated with the top 60 offensive linemen in the Southeast by Prep Star HIGH SCHOOL: Two-way lineman for head coach Donald Shockley at North Clayton Magazine in its season-ending issue . . . Named to the Birmingham News all-state and High School in College Park, Ga., an Atlanta suburb . . . Above a 3.0 grade point average all-metro teams following his senior season . . . Named honorable mention all-state by in the classroom . . . Committed to Mississippi State in January 2006. the Alabama Sports Writers Association . . . Named to the Birmingham News Super PERSONAL: Born Alexander Kyle Love, 11-18-86, in The Philippines.. . . . Son of Mr. Seniors team . . . Credited with a 325-pound bench press max and with running a 5.2 Anthony Love and Mrs. Miriam Love . . . Major is undeclared. in the 40-yard dash by the Rivals.com recruiting website . . . Two-year starter on the offensive line for head coach Jerry Hood at Oak Mountain High School in Birmingham, Ryan Ala. . . . Selected to play in the Mississippi-Alabama High School All-Star game and nominated for the Alabama North/South all-star game . . . Graded out at an 85 percent MASON clip during his junior and senior seasons for the Eagles . . . Had 112 pancake blocks as a senior, helping lead Oak Mountain to a 10-4 overall record . . . Named honorable Wide Receiver mention all-metro by the Birmingham News . . . Outstanding high school student with a 6-5 • 215 • Jr. • TR 3.3 grade point average . . . Other top scholarship offer: Vanderbilt . . . Committed to Mobile, Ala. Mississippi State in August 2005. PERSONAL: Born Mark William Melichar, 1-28-88, in Jackson, Miss. . . . Son off Mr. and Mississippi Delta CC Mrs. Randolph Melichar . . . Major is undeclared.

JUNIOR COLLEGE: Credited with running a 4.54 in the 40-yard dash by the Scout.com recruiting website . . . Ranked as the No. 60 junior college player in the country following Keith his sophomore season for head coach Jay Miller at Mississippi Delta Community College, the ninth-best JC receiver on the list, by that website . . . Was named first-team, all-North MILLS Division in the Mississippi junior college ranks in 2005 (no all-state team was announced) . . . Selected to play in the state’s junior college all-star game this past December, Wide Receiver he made two catches in the contest . . . Caught 10 passes for 390 yards during that 6-3 • 200 • Fr. • HS sophomore season . . . Other top scholarship offer: Oklahoma State . . . Committed to Alexandria, La. Mississippi State in December 2005. HIGH SCHOOL: Injured during the second game of his senior season at Shaw High Alexandria School in Mobile, Ala., he missed the remainder of the season with a back injury . . . Played his first two seasons at the prep level for former Mississippi State standout HIGH SCHOOL: Credited with running a 4.5-second 40-yard dash and with a 37-inch receiver Mardye McDole, who lettered for the Bulldogs from 1977-80. vertical jump by the Rivals.com recruiting website . . . Split time at quarterback and wide PERSONAL: Born Ryan Christopher Mason, 12-19-85, in Mobile, Ala. . . . Son of Rev. receiver during his senior campaign for head coach Butch Stoker at Alexandria (La.) High and Mrs. Sanders Mason III . . . Majoring in criminal justice. School . . . Made 21 pass receptions for 397 yards, an 18.9-yard per catch average, and six touchdowns while playing wide out for the Trojans . . . Had his six scoring receptions Cortez on his final 12 catches of the year, all coming in the final three games of the season, lead- C ing his team to co-district title . . . Also played cornerback on defense . . . Named first- M CRANEY team, District 3-4A and honorable mention all-state at wide receiver . . . Missed most of his junior season with a broken arm . . . Suffered a postseason, non-football related Defensive Lineman broken fibula . . . Also a standout basketball player and track athlete on the prep level . . 6-4 • 255 • So. • TR . Credited with a nationally recognized 47-11 in the triple jump . . . Also runs the sprints Southaven, Miss. and relays, helping Alexandria to the state championship as a junior . . . Committed to Mississippi State in January 2006. Memphis PERSONAL: Born Vernon Keith Mills Jr., 1-1-88, in Plaquemine, La. . . . Son of Mr. Vernon Mills and Ms. Lois Cooper . . . His father played football at Northeast Louisiana 2005: Played in 11 of a possible 12 games for the University of Memphis as a redshirt (now Louisiana-Monroe) when Bulldog assistant coach J.B. Grimes, who recruited Keith, freshman, serving as the top reserve at left defensive end . . . Credited with 10 tackles was on the staff there . . . Major is undeclared. on the year, including one-half tackle for loss. 2004: Redshirted his true freshman season at Memphis. HIGH SCHOOL: Did not begin playing football until his senior season at Southaven Reggie (Miss.) High School . . . Played safety and defensive end for Southaven . . . Despite arriv- ing on the high school playing field late in his prep career, he was named to the Jackson ODOM Clarion-Ledger Top 40 prospects following his senior campaign . . . Totaled 84 tackles during that senior year . . . Attended Whitehaven High School in Memphis, Tenn., before Defensive Lineman transferring to Southaven . . . Played high school basketball at Whitehaven. 6-0 • 290 • Fr. • HS PERSONAL: Born Cortez De’Angelo McCraney, 11-7-85, in Memphis, Tenn. . . . Son of Deland, Fla. Mr. Rodney McCraney and Ms. Lashonda Tate . . . Major is undeclared. Deland

HIGH SCHOOL: Rated the No. 77 high school prospect, regardless of position, in the country by ESPN.com . . . Selected to play in the CaliFlorida Bowl, the California vs. Florida All-Star game following his senior season . . . Helped lead the Florida team to a 20-0 win over the California squad with a pass interception behind the line of scrimmage . . . Rated the 37th-best defensive tackle in the nation by the Scout.com recruiting web- site . . . Ranked as the No. 65 defensive tackle in the country by the Rivals.com recruiting

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website following his senior season . . . Listed among the top 20 defensive linemen in the PERSONAL: Born Arnil E. Stallworth, 7-6-88, in Daphne, Ala. Son of Mr. Rodney Southeast by Prep Star in its postseason magazine . . . Rated the No. 34 player, regard- Johnson and Crystal Stallworth . . . Major is undeclared. less of position, in the state of Florida, the sixth-best defensive tackle by that website . . . Credited with a 320-pound bench press max by Rivals . . . Was ranked 26th nation- Anthony ally among defensive tackles prior to his senior campaign by that site . . . Ranked with the top 50 offensive and defensive linemen in the SEC region by the G&W Recruiting SUMMERS Magazine . . . The recruiting website floridakids.us ranked him the No. 20 prospect in Florida prior to his senior season, the second-best defensive line prospect on the list Defensive Back . . . Listed as the No. 54 prospect in the state of Florida prior to his senior season by 6-2 • 210 • Fr. • HS SuperPrep Magazine . . .Standout four-year starter for head coach Dean Fabrizio at Class 6A Deland (Fla.) High School . . . Helped lead the Bulldogs to a 7-3 record as a senior . Olive Branch, Miss. . . Recorded 78 total tackles, seven tackles for loss and three quarterback sacks . . . Also Olive Branch credited with two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries . . . Also selected to play in the Central Florida All-Star game . . . Made 50 tackles with eight quarterback sacks HIGH SCHOOL: Selected to play in the Mississippi-Alabama High School All-Star game and three fumble recoveries during an injury-reduced junior season . . . Outstanding . . . Rated the No. 8 athlete in the country following his high school career by Prep high school student with a 3.5-plus grade point average . . . Committed to Mississippi Star Magazine . . . Listed among the top 250 prospects in the country by the Rivals. State in January 2006. com recruiting website, the eighth-ranked “athlete” in the nation . . Rated No. 23 in PERSONAL: Born Reggie Maurice Odom, 10-6-87, in Pensacola, Fla. . . . Son of Mr. the Southeast region by Tom Lemming in his season-ending Prep Football Report, the Reginald Odom and Ms. Lawanda Odom . . . His father lettered in football at Southern national No. 101-ranked player . . . Rated No. 7 in the state of Mississippi on that web- Mississippi from 1974-77 . . . Major is undeclared. site’s preseason ranking of the top 30 players in the state, the top defensive back listed . . . Credited with running the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds by the Rivals . . . Ranked as the sixth-best prospect in Mississippi in SuperPrep’s Recruiting Magazine, the top rated Rodney defensive back . . . Listed No. 3 on the Memphis Commercial Appeal’s ranking of the Shelby County-metro area Most Wanted, the highest rated Mississippi player . . . That PRINCE newspaper also listed him on its Elite Football Team at quarterback . . . Named to the Jackson Clarion-Ledger Dandy Dozen, one of the top 12 players in the state heading into Defensive Lineman his senior season . . . Named first-team, all-state by that newspaper as an all-purpose 6-3 • 230 • Fr. • HS back following his senior season . . . Led the Conquistadors to the state playoffs in both Irondale, Ala. his junior and senior seasons, recording a 10-2 record as a junior and leading his team to the Class 5A semifinals as a senior . . . Named region most valuable player following his Shades Valley senior season by the Mississippi Association of Coaches . . . Rushed for 1,040 yards and 10 touchdowns and passed for 1,269 yards and 21 scores for head coach Jamie Mitchell HIGH SCHOOL: Rated the No. 26 weakside defensive end in the country by the Rivals. at Olive Branch (Miss.) High School . . . In addition to playing quarterback, also starred in com recruiting website . . . Rated with the top 70 defensive linemen in the Southeast by the secondary, making 20 tackles as a senior and 36 tackles as a freshman defensive back Prep Star Magazine in its season-ending issue . . . Was 23rd on that site’s list of the top 40 before making the move to offense full-time . . . Accounted for 30 touchdowns during his players in the state of Alabama, the third-best defensive end . . . Credited with running junior season at the high school level . . . Passed for 1,032 yards and rushed for 583 more a 4.6 in the 40-yard dash and a 300-pound bench press max at the Rivals.com Georgia during that breakout junior campaign . . . Other top scholarship offers: Texas, Oklahoma, junior day. . . Jumped 34 inches in the vertical leap, according to Rivals . . . Rated No. 25 LSU, Florida, Tennessee, Auburn, Alabama, Nebraska and Ole Miss . . . Committed to in the state of Alabama by AuburnSports.com . . . Ranked the No. 30 player in the state Mississippi State in January 2006. of Alabama by SuperPrep Recruiting Magazine in its preseason edition . . . Registered PERSONAL: Born Anthony C. Summers, 9-22-86, in Ingram’s Mill, Miss. . . . Son of Ms. 335 career tackles with 27 quarterback sacks during his prep career . . . Also managed 15 Ann Brown . . . Major is undeclared. pass deflections and nine fumble recoveries during his four seasons . . . Offensively, he had 22 pass receptions during his career as a tight end . . . Made more than 100 tackles Marcus with 12 quarterback sacks during his senior season for head coach Mark Rice at Shades Valley (Ala.) High School . . . Also credited with eight pass deflections and four fumble WASHINGTON recoveries . . . Tallied 120 total tackles with 10 quarterback sacks and three fumble recov- eries during his junior season for the Mounties . . .Other top scholarship offers: Arkansas Defensive Back and Clemson . . . Committed to Mississippi State in September 2005. 5-10 • 175 • Fr. • HS PERSONAL: Born Rodney Lamar Prince, 11-27-86, in Birmingham, Ala. . . . Son of Dr. and Mrs. Rodney Prince . . . Majoring in general business administration. Missouri City, Texas Arnil Marshall HIGH SCHOOL: Rated with the top 50 defensive backs in the Midlands by Prep Star STALLWORTH Magazine in its season-ending issue, calling him one of the top 20 defensive backs in the state of Texas . . . Made 25 tackles with one pass interception during his senior season for Running Back the Thurgood Marshall Buffaloes . . . Also credited with 10 pass deflections . . . Helped 5-10 • 190 • Fr. • HS Marshall to a district championship . . . Credited with running a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash Daphne, Ala. and with a 36-inch vertical jump by the Rivals.com recruiting website . . . Solid basketball player and track athlete at the prep level . . . Ran a 37.5 in the 300 meter hurdles, a 14.1 Daphne in the 110 meter hurdles, and ran a leg of the school’s nationally ranked 4 x 400 meter relay team . . . He was district champion in the 110 hurdles and second in the district in HIGH SCHOOL: Rushed for 2,018 yards and 21 touchdowns during his senior season the 300 meters as a junior . . . An outstanding student with a 3.4 grade point average for head coach Glenn Vickery at Daphne (Ala.) High School . . . Led the Trojans to the in the high school classroom . . . Completed an ROTC Leadership Camp while in high Alabama Class 6A state title game against nationally ranked Hoover High School . . . school . . . Other top scholarship offer: Northwestern and Air Force . . . Committed to Led all rushers with 102 yards on the ground in that championship game . . . Culminated Mississippi State in September 2005. his career by being named a finalist for the Class 6A Back of the Year and the state’s Mr. PERSONAL: Born Marcus James Washington, 8-13-88, in Houston, Texas . . . Son of Mr. Football Award . . . Named to the Alabama Sports Writer’s Association Super 12 team for and Mrs. Thomas Washington Jr. . . . Majoring in marketing. all classifications, one of just two running backs on the team . . . That organization also listed him first-team, Class 6A (largest classification) all-state at running back . . . Was also named the Mobile Register’s co-Offensive Player of the Year . . . Credited with running a 4.75 in the 40-yard dash and with an impressive 4.38-second timing in the shuttle run at the Auburn Scout.com combine . . . His breakthrough senior season came after scoring just two touchdowns offensively as a junior.

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