PRESS RELEASE: Accepting applications for the 2011 Brian Darden Award

[TR.sixpack]

The Brian Darden Award is given out annually to a deserving high school senior who not only achieves on the football gridiron, but in turn breaks the heart of Mississippi State football fans by flirting with the Bulldogs yet ultimately signing with another university. The Brian Darden Award Foundation (BDAF) selects the winner from a list of nominated candidates based upon athletic ability on the football field, as well as the drama, disbelief and/or delusion the candidate's recruitment causes within the Mississippi State fanbase.

Following the example of the award's namesake, with notable exceptions, Brian Darden Award winners languish on the depth chart at their chosen school (not Mississippi State), get into off-the-field problems before finally ended up at a Junior College or Division II program. Past winners of the Brian Darden Award include:

Jarious Jackson 1994 (Notre Dame)
Brian Darden 1996 (Tennessee)
Doug Buckles 2000 (Ole Miss)
Jimmy Johns 2005 (Alabama)
Kenny Ashley 2006 (USC)
Alonzo Lawrence 2008 (Alabama)
Pat Patterson 2009 (Ole Miss)
Cameron Newton 2010 (Auburn)

Please submit worthy candidates in this space. The 2011 Brian Darden Award Winner will be announced after National Signing Day.

 

[anon1751035439]

Please explain.

 

[Goat Holder II]

He didn't do **** at Florida. And Zo Lawrence was 2008.

I think Tobias Manning may be locking up this year's award early.

 

[Goat Holder II]

nm

 

[bulldogcountry1]

Went to high school with him. I could have been a message board hero back then. Atually, I would have been constantly attacked. I always knew he wasn't going to state. He was just your typical local idol who wanted to go to a big name, and he really struggled with algebra.

 

[EAVdog]

He got the super star treatment his Senior year too. Iremember hearing thatMrs Johnson wrote his term papers to help him pass Senior English so he could graduate.

 

[TR.sixpack]

ruffled a lot of feathers in the MSU fanbase. Many fans couldn't believe he'd sign w/ Ole Miss. Hell, people still talk about it.

 

[DawgatAuburn]

Buckles, Newton*, and Jackson were never troublemakers at their schools. They played and played well. I know you said with notable exceptions, but three of the eight you have listed are now exceptions.

 

[TR.sixpack]

how a lot of the guys MSU lose the most sleep over tend to wash out after signing day.

 

[TR.sixpack]

he certainly didn't pan out.

 

[SolidDog]

From what I remember he wanted to play Baseball and Football and we only wanted him for Football...

 

[captaindawg]

should on the list of past winners. I remember that sports talk radio was big back then and after his visit MSU fans just knew we had him only to hear on the radio that he was no longer considering MSU. I don't think he got in trouble but I don't remember him tearing it up at Oklahoma either.