OL Charles Cross Wins the 2021 Kent Hull Trophy
Mississippi State offensive lineman Charles Cross was named the recipient of the 2021 Kent Hull Trophy on Monday afternoon.
The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame presents the award to the best offensive lineman in the state of Mississippi. Any college or university can have a winner, but it always seems more fitting when a Bulldog wins: Kent Hull, the trophy's namesake, played at Mississippi State from 1979 to 1982. Hull appeared in four Super Bowls and three Pro Bowls as a center for the Buffalo Bills during his 11-year stint in the NFL. He passed away in 2011.
Cross is a redshirt sophomore from Laurel, Mississippi, who has made a huge impact on the team during his time at MSU. Over the past two years, he has appeared in 24 games on the offensive line. He was named to the Freshman All-SEC team last season and had high expectations heading into this year-- so high, in fact, that he is projected to be a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Cross has definitely lived up to the hopes that his coaches, teammates and fans had for him. He has the second-best pass blocking grade in the entire SEC at 86.2, and his 85.4 run-blocking grade is fifth in the conference.
Since the award was first presented in 2013, the Mississippi State football program has had five recipients including Cross. The other four Bulldogs who received the award in the past were Gabe Jackson (2013), Justin Senior (2016), Martinas Rankin (2017) and Elgton Jenkins (2018). All four of those players were drafted into the NFL, with Jackson and Jenkins still currently active.
Cross's last game in Davis Wade Stadium will likely be Thursday against Ole Miss. He may be leaving soon, but his impact on the team will be remembered for years to come. Cross will go on to do great things for whichever NFL team he finds himself on, just like he did for Mississippi State.
