Sylvester Croom made history five years ago when Mississippi State hired him as the Southeastern Conference’s first African-American head football coach.
The Bulldogs were at the bottom of the challenging SEC. The program was in shambles following NCAA probation. Now, Mississippi State is one of the top feel-good stories in college football.
Mississippi State defeated Alabama 17-12 last Saturday night to boost its record to 6-4, making the Bulldogs bowl-eligible for the first time since 2000. It was a joyous day for the people of Starkville, Miss., who had not seen a Mississippi State team win more than three games in the past six years.
Croom has the Bulldogs competing against elite SEC teams on a weekly basis. Along with defeating Alabama for the second consecutive year, the Bulldogs have also whipped nationally ranked Kentucky and Auburn this season.
What is most fitting about the entire scenario is that Mississippi State gained bowl eligibility at the expense of Alabama, the school that broke Croom’s heart when it bypassed him as a head-coaching candidate five years ago.
A native of Tuscaloosa, Ala., Croom was a high school star who stayed at home to play at Alabama for legendary coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. He was one of the first African-American stars to play at Alabama as the SEC become integrated on the football field. After his playing career, he stayed on as an assistant coach at Alabama for 10 years before moving on to the National Football League. Croom was a Crimson Tide man from the very beginning.
When the job opened five years ago, Croom yearned to return to his alma mater and hometown and bring back past glory. The Alabama Pooh-Bahs wanted to keep the job in the Alabama family, so it looked good for Croom, a favorite son of the program. But they chose the wrong family. Alabama tabbed Mike Shula; a former Alabama quarterback and son of Hall of Fame NFL coach Don Shula as its head coach. Instead of making history, Alabama got cold feet and made the safe choice.
Croom overcame his disappointment and became the new coach at Mississippi State in 2004, taking over one of the worst situations in major college football. The NCAA slapped the program hard with probation after the ill-fated Jackie Sherrill-era, where rules were broken on a regular basis. The talent level was bad and the morale was even worse.
The Bulldogs struggled mightily in the first four years under Croom, but he continued to get the support of Athletic Director Larry Templeton and MSU President Robert “Doc” Foglesong. A firesylvestercroom.com website was started.
As the wolves started to hover around Croom last season, both men came out strong in his defense and maintained that he was the right man to turn the program around.
In 2007, that patience has been rewarded with a potential winning season and a probable bowl game. After Saturday’s victory over Alabama, Croom could no longer hide his emotion. He carried one of his players, Larry Titus (also a Tuscaloosa native) on his shoulders, and hugged Templeton, the man who stuck with him through the tough times. Templeton presented Croom with the game ball after the victory. Croom might receive more than a game ball after this season. With several jobs sure to open, many people may be looking at someone of his quality and high character.
Congats to Chris Hicks
Christopher Hicks of St. Louis, a former All-American football player at Indiana State University, has been named to school’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
He will be formally inducted in February 2008.
Hicks was an outstanding offensive lineman for the Indiana State University football team from 1973-1975. He was named a First Team All-American in 1975.
He will be joining NBA and collegiate legend Larry Bird and Curt Thomas, a renowned gymnast, among other athletic greats in the Hall of Fame.