Changing The Mindset

By Staff
This is the first in a three-part series examining the spring football drills of Mississippi State, Ole Miss and the University of Southern Mississippi.
By Tony Krausz / assistant sports editor
April 19, 2004
STARKVILLE Sylvester Croom brought a lot of things to Mississippi State University when he was hired to take over the reigns of the football program after the departure of Jackie Sherrill in the fall.
The former Green Bay Packers assistant became the first African-American head football coach in Southeastern Conference history.
Croom introduced as much media exposure to MSU as when the team made its move to a top 10 team in the late '90s.
He brought in a new offensive system and a slew of new assistant coaches to the Bulldogs for the second time in as many years.
But possibly the most important thing MSU's latest football coach has brought to the team is a new sense of hope and a stern hand for discipline.
Croom's new rules quickly made their mark, as he dismissed Nick Turner, the team's leading rusher last season, and Chris McNeil from the program in the opening months as head coach.
Croom's stricter ways have not been met with opposition from the Bulldogs, who have lost 27 games in the last three seasons while only winning eight.
The new coach's philosophies have been embraced in part because of his charismatic charm, his playing history at Alabama under Paul "Bear" Bryant and his NFL pedigree.
MSU has gained a fresh start on the football with the hiring of Croom, and the squad and new coaching staff have quickly formed a bond on and off the field.
Strong relationships between players and coaches coupled with a new set of rules and standards will not equal a turn around for the Bulldogs, who have won just three conference games over the past three seasons, alone.
Croom is well aware that his team has a long way to go, and that MSU has only taken the first baby steps on the road back to football respectability at the end of spring drills on Saturday.
The offense is still struggling to learn the new West Coast offensive system Croom wants to have in place by the start of the year.
Neither Conner nor Aries Nelson have provided great production during spring scrimmages. The two combined for 72 yards on Saturday, and have thrown for 445 yards in three scrimmages.
MSU is also waiting to see where Kyle York, the team's most experienced quarterback entering the spring, will fit into the team's plans. York, who has started two games and appeared in 17 over the last two seasons, couldn't participate in throwing drills as he recovers from shoulder surgery.
The Bulldogs scored just six touchdowns, one by the defense off an interception, in their final spring scrimmage at Davis Wade Stadium, with three of the scores coming when the offense started three yards out of the end zone.
The defense will be taxed early in the upcoming season to keep the Bulldogs in games, as the offense fine tunes its new system.
It is a burden the unit seems to have embraced after three weeks of spring practices.
The defense held the offense to 584 yards in three scrimmages, while recording 28 sacks and seven interceptions.
Croom has instilled into the team that the coaching staff will not cheat the players.
He said the team accomplished a lot of the goals the staff set at the start of spring drills.
The Bulldogs have installed the core of their offense, defense and kicking systems, and the expectations of players on and off the field have been firmly established.