Who's the most over-achieving State football player of your lifetime?

Pookieray

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Oct 14, 2012
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Coach at Hernando around that time said the only reason State signed him was to help get Deljuan. Dockery played in the nfl.
absolute truth, even told Coach Sherrill he could play offensive or defensive line if thats what he needed.
 

Villagedawg

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Nov 16, 2005
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I have two:
(1) Donald Lee. Was like a 2-star from Eupora that went on to play in the NFL. Due was a monster.
(2) Titus Brown. How that guy escaped the black-hole pull from Tuscaloosa is amazing. Wish he could have played on better teams. Also went on to the NFL. We beat out the mighty Alabama A&M for his services.
Good choices. Small nitpick. Donald Lee is from Maben.
 

Wesson Bulldog

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Nov 3, 2015
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I always thought Wes Leasey because he was a little undersized yet played much bigger and faster.
 

Leeshouldveflanked

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Nov 12, 2016
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Kent Hull would be a good one. Relatively unknown player out of Greenwood HS

-4 year letterman at MSU
-3 year starter for Trumps New Jersey Generals and blocker for Hershel Walker who broke single season rushing record one of those years.
-All USFL Player
-He was a first year starter immediately at Buffalo for rookie QB Jim Kelly and rookie coach Marv Levy
-2x 1st team NFL All Pro
-2x 2nd team NFL All Pro
-3x Pro Bowler
-Started in 4 consecutive Super Bowls
-MSU Hall of Fame
-MS Sports Hall of Fame
-MSU Ring of Honor Member
-Kent Hull Trophy named in Honor of Him for the Most Valuable OL in MS each year

QB Jim Kelly: "I know one thing, I'm in the Pro Football Hall of Fame because of #67 Kent Hull
I think Kent weighed around 200 lbs his Freshman season. His offseason conditioning plan when he got to the NFL was taking his truck out into the pasture, taking it out of gear and pushing the truck around the pasture.
 
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Dawgzilla2

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Oct 9, 2022
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Meh, Urban had a concept, but Mullen was calling the plays. Florida offense went downhill in 2009 and 2010 after Urban left. Mullen was forced to develop it even more at MSU, and ultimately looked like a fish out of water when he had a passing QB. Similar to if Leach ever had a running QB.

All coaches are ultimately done in by a lack of recruiting.
I've posted this many times before. Meyer's Utah playbook is available online. Every play Mullen ever ran at State is in that playbook. Even the trick play(s). When Russell was QB Mullen ran more pass plays, but they were still from the same playbook.

I didn't watch UF that much under Mullen, but I dont see why he would run new plays there. He could just call different plays because he had different talent.

This isn't a knock on Mullen, I just dont think he failed at UF due to offensive scheme.
 

Leeshouldveflanked

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Nov 12, 2016
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Ed Smith, Elgton Jenkins, James “38 Special” Williams, Kent Hull, Dak, Don Smith, Ralf, Daniel Boyd, David Stewart, Kevin Prentiss, Tim Nelson, Kenwoynne Smith(230lb nose guard), Nicky Fitz
 

karlchilders.sixpack

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Jun 5, 2008
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I'll throw one out.... Daniel Boyd, seemed not to have all the physical capabilities of many, but he used what he had, to the fullest extent.
Two time all SEC. Not flashy, but got the job done.

( I see Leeshouldhaveflanked, put him in his long list.)
 
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NTDawg

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Mar 2, 2012
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What Bobbie and Norwood were able to do in those offenses
 

OopsICroomedmypants

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Sep 29, 2022
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Relf is probably the best example. No talent at QB according to most everyone and Mullen turned him into a winner. I also thought of the Stomper Dillon Day who I believe was at one time unrated, then a two star, then played in the NFL for a good while.
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thatsbaseball

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May 29, 2007
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I think Kent weighed around 200 lbs his Freshman season. His offseason conditioning plan when he got to the NFL was taking his truck out into the pasture, taking it out of gear and pushing the truck around the pasture.
Good pick. Kent looked like a skinny tight end when he got here. If I remember right our starting center got hurt Kent's freshman year and Kent went in the game weighing 200 lbs soaking wet. Played well and more than held his own. Coach Bellard said after the game “You watch, that boy is going to be a great player.”
 
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The Peeper

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Feb 26, 2008
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I think Kent weighed around 200 lbs his Freshman season. His offseason conditioning plan when he got to the NFL was taking his truck out into the pasture, taking it out of gear and pushing the truck around the pasture.
My old high school coach used the same training plan. After we finished on the practice field we would go to the parking lot and push pickups around while one of the coaches steered. Man I hated that but you know it weeded the weaklings out fast. You could tell if your partners were pushing or not and leadership suddenly reared it's ugly head and you either got them to pushing or they quit. Win win formula.....
 
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BrunswickDawg

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Aug 22, 2012
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Nick Fitz. Kid had not even started a HS game at QB when Mullen offered. Threw less than 100 passes his SR year in HS. It's crazy he was even on our roster let alone starting as a RS- Sophomore.
 
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kired

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Aug 22, 2008
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You guys are just naming a lot of under the radar recruits that had plenty of talent. Relf definitely qualifies as an overachiever. I think a guy like Corey Broomfield would too. Clearly not as talented as Banks or Slay but played a ton over 4 years. Ben Beckwith was a walkon who worked his way into starting on the 2014 team.
 

Bhamdawg1725

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Broomfield sticks out. That guy shouldn’t not have been as good as he was. Unreal tackler for his size. Just not tall enough to cover Alshon Jeffrey.

Preston Smith stands out to me. Lightly recruited. And had a final year of dominance in the same conversation as Fletch and Big Jeff. Back to back to back SEC DL of the week if I remember right.

Cameron Young. Teveze also sticks out. And AJ Jefferson. All 3 were signing day adds. That became incredible players for us.
AJ Jefferson, Cory Thomas, and Braxton Hoyett would have been a godsend last year.
 

KentuckyDawg13

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Aug 15, 2006
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DD Lewis. Bear Bryant even called him the best Linebacker in the country.
(I was technically alive when he played, although just a baby)
 
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MagnoliaHunter

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Jan 23, 2007
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Kent Hull would be a good one. Relatively unknown player out of Greenwood HS

-4 year letterman at MSU
-3 year starter for Trumps New Jersey Generals and blocker for Hershel Walker who broke single season rushing record one of those years.
-All USFL Player
-He was a first year starter immediately at Buffalo for rookie QB Jim Kelly and rookie coach Marv Levy
-2x 1st team NFL All Pro
-2x 2nd team NFL All Pro
-3x Pro Bowler
-Started in 4 consecutive Super Bowls
-MSU Hall of Fame
-MS Sports Hall of Fame
-MSU Ring of Honor Member
-Kent Hull Trophy named in Honor of Him for the Most Valuable OL in MS each year

QB Jim Kelly: "I know one thing, I'm in the Pro Football Hall of Fame because of #67 Kent Hull

I saw an interview with Jim Kelly where he said when he came out of the USFL to the NFL, He said whoever signed him had to sign Kent.
 

theoriginalSALTYdog

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Sponsored by @Bobby Ricigliano

For me, it's Chris Relf.
I'm going with Reggie Kelly. Reggie was a two star QB coming out of HS in Aberdeen. He became a heck'uva good tight end and played 12 years in the NFL. That same year Ole Miss signed a 5 star TE (Rufus French) from across the county (Amory) who went on to have a good career at Ole Miss but never played a single snap in the NFL.
 
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Badon

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Jun 12, 2006
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A little different speed, literally: Dicenzo Miller. I think he had one of the slowest 40 times for a RB in the combine in history. Even against college defenses, he didn't look fast. He just had great vision and was hard to bring down and managed two 1,000+ yard seasons.
This was the first one that came to mind.
 

3-2 Dawg

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JT Gray - dude was an undersized hybrid LB/DB at State that just ran and played hard and has turned that into a pretty long career with the Saints where he has been All Pro and made a Pro Bowl just by working his *** off on special teams.
 

RopeDawg

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Feb 24, 2023
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2007 QB Wesley Carrol. How we went 7-5 and won a bowl with him at QB and Croom as coach should go down as one of the biggest flukes in world history. He was awful and Croom even worse.
 

She Mate Me

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Dec 7, 2008
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There are better choices here, but Jett Johnson came immediately to mind. He had the size and was great in HS, but I'm not sure he ran under a 6 in the 40. All heart and instincts and smarts.

Can't count the numbers number of times I went back to figure out how he made a play and saw he was moving towards where the runner was gonna be well before the snap.