Pro Day gives former Bulldogs chance for a family farewell
Kylin Hill’s Mississippi State career didn’t end in storybook fashion. With an early-season opt-out this past year, the talented running back’s time as a Bulldog essentially just faded away.
Hill was gone from the team, but he wasn’t forgotten. And as he came back to MSU’s football complex to get ready for Wednesday’s Pro Day in front of NFL scouts, Hill said he felt right at home.
“Basically, it’s family,” Hill said. “Walking into the building, it’d been a little while for me, so just everybody sees me and they’re smiling and I’m smiling right back. We’re just hugging and laughing and asking each other how life has been. Everything dealing with Mississippi State is family – no matter what sports, students, janitors – it don’t matter what it is. Everybody treats you like family and that’s what you want. Like I always tell recruits, the number one thing with Mississippi State is family. If you want family, come here. Everybody gets treated equal. That’s what I love the most about this program.”
Family.
It’s a word that has been thrown around in Starkville frequently in recent years, especially since former Bulldog quarterback and current Dallas Cowboy Dak Prescott put such a focus on the term during his time in town.
But here’s the thing about family. Like Prescott and many others have, family members sometimes have to go their separate ways. And on Wednesday as Hill and many of his former teammates gathered together in Starkville to show off in front of watchful eyes on Pro Day, it was all done with the understanding that this was essentially one last hurrah for a bunch of guys that have been together through all the trials and tribulations college football brings these past few years.
“It definitely is very bittersweet,” linebacker Erroll Thompson said. “Just when we got in (Tuesday), just going over the things we’d be doing (Wednesday), just chopping it up with the guys, talking about how practices used to go and just memories – it’s definitely been bittersweet though. Seeing those guys out there and just cheering on my teammates, former teammates of course, it has been very bittersweet.”
In all, 18 former Bulldogs took part in the school’s Pro Day on Wednesday. There were 11 from this past year’s team, along with seven others whose MSU careers ended previously. Those participating included Hill and Thompson, along with long snapper Paul Blackwell, punter Reed Bowman, quarterback K.J. Costello, offensive lineman Greg Eiland, defensive lineman Kobe Jones, wide receiver Osirus Mitchell, safety Marcus Murphy, offensive lineman Dareuan Parker, defensive lineman Marquiss Spencer, defensive lineman Fletcher Adams, running back Nick Gibson, safety Jaquarius Landrews, safety Mark McLaurin, cornerback Maurice Smitherman, wide receiver Deddrick Thomas and linebacker Tim Washington.
All those guys for possibly – perhaps probably – the final time took part in football drills on the Mississippi State campus as each eyes a professional future. But even as they all move on, most if not all of them will always be holding onto a piece of their maroon and white past.
“Mississippi State means a lot to me,” Spencer said. “It helped build a man out of me.”
And when it comes to thinking back on his days as a Bulldog, Spencer said it’s not so much about anything he did as the people he did it with.
“Looking back at my teams and how we came together as one unit, that’s what I look back to,” Spencer said.
Spencer has plenty of company in putting a tremendous value on the relationships built as a Bulldog.
Yes, every player that took part in Wednesday’s events has an NFL dream and is seeking success on Sundays. But as they pursue that goal, they do so with the support of the same teammates that have had their backs on Saturdays the last four or five years.
Yes, in that time, there have been ups. There have been downs. But here they all were side by side on Wednesday together as one.
Teammates one last time maybe. But seemingly family forever.
“I’m gonna miss those guys man,” Thompson said. “I really love those guys a lot.”
From left to right, Erroll Thompson, Greg Eiland, Kobe Jones, Marquiss Spencer, Kylin Hill, Dareuan Parker and Marcus Murphy of Mississippi State – along with Derrick Beckom, Jr. of Harding University – all took part in MSU's Pro Day on Wednesday. (Photo courtesy of MSU Director of Player Personnel Brittany Thackery)
(NOTE: Watch Kylin Hill’s full Pro Day press conference with the video at the top of this page. Below, you’ll find Pro Day press conferences with Erroll Thompson and Marquiss Spencer.)
Linebacker Erroll Thompson
Defensive lineman Marquiss Spencer
Running back Kylin Hill
(At top of this page)
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