MSU shakes things up for spring game
By By Danny P. Smith/special to The Star
April 12, 2003
STARKVILLE It worked before so Mississippi State head football coach Jackie Sherrill is trying it again.
The experience of using a basketball player on the football field turned out to be good for the Bulldogs last season.
Michael Gholar, a former hoop standout for coach Rick Stansbury, used his one-year of eligibility in football and was very productive at Mississippi State last season.
Gholar finished ranked third on the team in total tackles with 66 at safety, led the Bulldogs with three sacks and had an interception against Memphis.
Now, the football program has looked to one of the big men in the post for some help at tight end.
Junior center Lincoln Smith has been participating in spring football practice at Mississippi State. He won't be hard to miss at 6-9, 265 pounds during Saturday's Maroon-White Spring Game which begins at noon.
Sherrill called Stansbury and asked permission to test Smith's football skills.
Smith was chosen All-District and voted the most valuable offensive lineman in football at Hollandale-Simmons High School during his junior season, but hasn't played football since then.
Smith has been one of several tight ends in the mix for new offensive coordinator Morris Watts. He caught one pass for 10 yards in second spring scrimmage.
Smith saw limited action during the basketball season by playing 131 total minutes. He appeared in 20 games and made five starts, all early in the season, scored 32 total points and pulled down 26 rebounds.
No matter what happens in his football experience, Smith intends to return to the court for the Bulldogs.
Smith wants to help the football team improve so it can make up for only winning three games in two consecutive seasons.
With five new coaches on staff, Sherrill says the players are just now getting used to the new way of doing things at the close of spring drills.
Along with Smith at tight end, there have been two huge developments on the offensive line that has pleased Sherrill and those have been redshirt freshman guard Otis Riddley (6-1, 350) and junior center Manuel Dickson (6-4, 286).
Sherrill likes the talent in the backfield and some of the potential of the group showed in the last scrimmage.
Fred Reid, Jerious Norwood and Nick Turner combined for 41 carries, 222 yards and three touchdowns. Reid had 82 yards on his own.
Norwood suffered a leg bruise and high ankle sprain in the scrimmage and did not practice Wednesday.
Sherrill believes things are falling into place defensively for new coordinator Ron Cooper.
The status of quarterback Kevin Fant remains unclear. Fant has not practiced since straining an abdominal muscle in the first scrimmage two weeks ago.
According to Sherrill, Fant has also been taking some time to concentrate on academics, but hopes to have the signal caller on the field Saturday.
