Joe Everyguy's Story of Making It in Division I-A Football (Chapter Two)

Starting his senior season of high school was both exhilarating and melancholy.

Joe knew what a great senior season could do to his chances of landing some top-flight offers, but looking at his buddies, many of whom he'd played ball with since since Pop Warner, he knew that after this season, he'd never play with any of them again.

Mill Creek was not exactly a hotbed of talent, and he doubted that any of his other teammates would play college ball, except for maybe a couple at some Division II schools. 

The prospect of playing 'big time' football, however, made the pain of leaving his buddies behind a little less sad.

Following his first game, he received an offer from Troy State and got his first 'in home' visit'.  The coach that came played up the fact that they often competed with SEC schools and had a program that was on the rise. 

He said his linebacker corps were junior- and senior-laden and that coming to Troy could not only mean a possible starting job quicker and significant playing time earlier than at most schools.

He and his parents listened as he talked about the school's academic program and the convenience of playing in-state, within easy driving distance for his parents.  The coach seemed warm and genuine and he enjoyed how the coach spoke to him as an adult.

He was offered an official visit during his high school's bye week in a few weeks.  He politely thanked the coach for the offer and said he was seriously considering his offer and the visit.

Following the coach's visit, Joe could almost imagine playing for the Trojans.  Many of the points the coach made were good ones, especially how Joe could fit into their plans for quickly developing him for significant playing time. 

He even looked at the roster over the Internet and could see that indeed within a year, he could indeed see himself in the mix for a starting job.  Not that he was conceited, but some of the other players Joe had seen in action, and he was less than impressed with the results.

His third game was a disaster for the team but a bonanza for him.  A couple of costly interceptions and an ill-timed fumble cost his team a win against a division rival. 

Joe, however, registered three sacks, a multitude of tackles, two stops behind the line and a fumble he scooped up and returned 36 yards for a TD to keep his team close in the fourth quarter. The local paper named him the county defensive player of the week.

It also brought him his first SEC offer as Coach Mullen of Mississippi State himself gave him a call and told him he was very interested in him coming to State and how impressed he was seeing the write up in the paper. 

He invited him to come next week to see that Bulldogs play Vanderbilt.

It was a chance to meet coach Mullen in person, meet some of the guys and see a game, coach Mullen explained. 

Mullen also told him that State was building a young team and that he could be part of getting them back into the mix in the SEC race.  Mullen told him that State had a solid reputation for great defenses that attracted pro scouts.  

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