100-Day Bulldog Countdown: Looking back at Bulldog great Eric Moulds

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 at the greatest wide receiver in Bulldog history.

93 Days: Looking back at Bulldog great WR Eric Moulds

29 years. It’s been 29 years since the last time the Bulldogs had a wide receiver drafted into the NFL. The last man holding that banner is Moulds, who is now years beyond his playing career, but his legacy still stands.

The scope of Moulds’ impact at MSU goes beyond his stats and his work on the field. There’s the legendary stories of his pickup basketball games and some fun moments of him as a teammate, and one could only imagine what he would do in a modern offense in Starkville.

When Moulds arrived, a passing game at MSU was minimal. The Bulldogs had a few wide receivers prior to his time that had put together some good careers, but MSU was known for its running game. Jackie Sherrill innovated things a bit when he came along and Moulds was one of his first superstar players he picked up back in 1993.

As a sophomore, Moulds began to make some serious noise in the SEC. During Moulds’ time at MSU, future NFL head coachBruce Arians was his offensive coordinator, and the Bulldogs would throw it around to the talented playmaker. Unfortunately, the team didn’t enjoy a whole lot of success.

After Moulds’ team went 3-6-2 in 1993, the Bulldogs did have an exciting 1994. State went 8-4 that year with a huge win over Tennessee at Scott Field highlighting things when a young Peyton Manning came into the game for the Volunteers after an injury to starting quarterback Todd Helton and would take over UT and college football the rest of the way. State won that matchup, however, in a 24-21 classic.

Moulds helped lead the team to the Peach Bowl that season and had an All-American and All-SEC season. His 21.67 yards per catch that year still stands as the sixth best season in MSU history and his seven touchdowns were a school record at the time.

In 1995, the Bulldogs struggled to a three-win season and a last place finish in the SEC West, but Moulds was one of the bright spots with cornerback Walt Harris. Against Tennessee, he broke the school record for catches in a game when he hauled in 15 in the game for 183 yards. That record stood until Kylin Hill equaled it in 2020, but it’s still the most receptions by a wide receiver in school history. He followed that up two weeks later with a 10-catch performance in a loss against Auburn. That season, he finished First-Team All-SEC and his 62 catches were fourth in school history.

By the time that third year ended, Moulds had become one of the greatest to ever wear the Maroon and White. To this day, he’s fifth in school history with 2,022 yards and ninth with 118 catches. His 17 touchdowns are fourth in the MSU record books.

The work that Moulds put in made him one of the most attractive wide outs in the NFL Draft in 1996. The Buffalo Bills would pull the trigger on him at the No. 24 pick overall and he joined teammate Harris as a first round pick. Little did he know he would end up being a legend in Buffalo.

From 1996-2005, Moulds was a three-time Pro Bowler with the Bills and was named second-team All-Pro in 1998 and 2002 as well as being named to the All-Rookie team in the NFL in 1996. Moulds left the team in 2005 as arguably the greatest wide receiver in franchise history. He finished second in catches with 675, receiving yards at 9,096 and touchdowns with 48. In June, he’ll be inducted into the Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame and was also on the Bills’ 50^th Anniversary All-Time team.

He played his final two seasons in 2006 and 07 at Houston and Tennessee and corralled 89 catches and nearly 1,000 yards with a touchdown finishing his career with 764 catches, 9,995 yards and 49 scores in 186 games.

Moulds left his legacy on the game of football and on MSU sports. He was named to the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 2022 and was inducted into MSU’s M Club Hall of Fame in 2015. There’s been a push for him to get his name on the stadium in the Ring of Honor and he’s certainly made his case.