100-Day Bulldog Countdown: 79 Days, Former No. 79 Derek Sherrod

Year two of the Jeff Lebby era has arrived and the Mississippi State coach is back to work.

After a disappointing first season, the coach and his staff are doing what they can to get things back on track in Starkville. The players on the field will be the difference for State this season if they are to make a return and we’re going to discuss every single one of them over the course of the next few months.

As we do every year, we’re counting down 100 days until State’s first game at Southern Miss in Hattiesburg on August 30. Over this period of time, we’ll breakdown every scholarship player on the roster, look back at great moments in MSU history and even talk about legends that have come before the current Bulldogs.

Today, we’re looking back at a great offensive tackle in State history.  

79 Days: Former No. 79, Derek Sherrod   

It’s been well over a decade since Sherrod last suited up for the Maroon and White, but he’s still one of the best tackles to come through Starkville.

Sherrod played his high school football just down the road from Starkville in Caledonia and emerged as a major prospect in the state midway through his time there.

The Bulldogs had a foot in the door with Sherrod with older brother Desmond already on campus and playing tight end. Still, signing the big 6’6, 300-pounder was going to be a challenge that head coach Sylvester Croom would have to work for in the summer of 2006.

Florida, Michigan, Notre Dame and Ole Miss were a few of the schools coming hard after the future NFL left tackle prior to his senior season, but Croom and his staff were able to shut the door on the recruitment just prior to the Bulldogs’ fall. He committed in early August and never looked back from there as he was set to follow in his brother’s footsteps.

The four-star was rated the nation’s No. 15 tackle and had a can’t-miss look to him on the field. He was big, strong and athletic, able to move around nicely for a player his size. For State, he was the future of their offensive line, and he was used accordingly in Starkville.

Sherrod didn’t start as a freshman but he got plenty of experience working in 11 games his first year on campus as the Bulldogs made their first bowl appearance in seven years with a Liberty Bowl victory over Central Florida. His first year as a starter in 2008 wasn’t pretty, however, as State struggled once again with a losing record and his offensive line finished the season with an embarrassing display against Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl.

That 45-0 loss to the Rebels prompted the firing of Croom and a new era with Dan Mullen at the helm. And the spread offense that Mullen brought to Starkville allowed Sherrod to branch out even more with his abilities.

Sherrod’s squad up front helped lead the SEC in rushing in year one and gave Anthony Dixon a single-season school record for rushing yards at 1,391 yards. While Sherrod looked the part of the NFL lineman he wanted to be, he wasn’t quite ready to make that jump and the Bulldogs got him for one more season.

As a senior, Sherrod was about as polished as he needed to be. He became a first-team All-SEC tackle and an All-American. He was a four-time SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week, a feat that still hasn’t been matched at MSU. Most importantly for him, he helped his team back to a bowl game with a 9-4 season capped by an Egg Bowl win and a dominating 52-14 victory over a Michigan team that he considered four years prior.

The bright days continued to Sherrod into NFL Draft time when he was selected as the 10th player in school history to be drafted in the first round. The Green Bay Packers took him 32nd overall as a future starter on their line with the potential of playing several different positions.

Health was an issue for Sherrod when he made it to the league. In his first season, he broke his leg around the end of the schedule and missed all of 2012 as a result. He didn’t make it back to the roster until nearly two full years later and was never able to fully get back on the field and compete at a high level.

Sherrod left football after three years and came back to school to earn his master’s degree in education from State. He is currently living in Atlanta, Ga., and is still a proud supporter of all things Maroon and White.