After four years as a mainstay on the Mississppi State offensive line, Derek Sherrod will play his final game at Davis Wade Stadium Saturday.
A graduate of nearby Caledonia High School, Sherrod is closing one chapter of his playing career, but a promising future lies on the horizon.
“You never expect that day to come, but sure enough, here it is four years later,” Sherrod said.
When Sherrod takes the field on Saturday, it will be his 33rd consecutive start at left tackle, a streak that dates back to September 2008. He has racked up the on-field accolades this fall, being named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week three times this year, with more to come once postseason awards are given out.
However, Sherrod’s play has caught the attention of more than the people giving away trophies in December. With a massive 6’6″, 305-pound frame, Sherrod has the skills and size to be a first-round pick in next April’s NFL Draft, according to many projections.
He is the highest rated left tackle in CBSSports.com‘s position rankings, and Rob Rang of NFLDraftScout.comonly had one issue in his scouting report on Sherrod.
“I’ve spoken to scouts who would like to see Sherrod finish his blocks with a nastier demeanor,” Rand posted on Nov. 2. “Some of this issue might simply be due to the fact that the game appears to come easy to him.”
Offensive line coach John Hevesy, who cautions he is no NFL scout or general manager, believes Sherrod has the tools to make it in the NFL.
“He has the height, he’s got the stats, he’s got the speed, he’s got the power, he’s got the brains,” Hevesy said. “He’s got all the components to make an NFL player.”
While his on-field demeanor may be something he works on, Sherrod’s off-field demeanor has remained the same since coming to Mississippi State. A quiet person, Sherrod’s words are not likely to end up on bulletin boards across the SEC. In fact, members of the media have joked about his ability to side-step any question that might stir the pot for opposing teams.
His quiet demeanor has made him a leader by example according to J.C. Brignone, who has played alongside Sherrod for four years and will also be playing in his last home game Saturday.
“He puts his fair share in,” Brignone said. “But he’s not the type of guy that will just jump on somebody and chew down their throat; he does what he needs to do.”
Head coach Dan Mullen, who inherited Sherrod as part of the team Sylvester Croom left behind, has lauded Sherrod’s work ethic. With the praise and awards coming in, it would be easy for Sherrod to take a few deep breaths and relax, but that has not been the case as he nears the end of his Mississippi State career.
“Every day you watch him in practice and he’s working to get better,” Mullen said. “That shows a sign of maturity, a sign of leadership and also a sign of a great player. I would say Derek is probably the best player on our roster.”
The work ethic that drives Sherrod on the field also carries over to the classroom, where he holds a 3.53 GPA and is working on a master’s degree in business administration. Sherrod is a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, one of the top honors for student-athletes. Being one of the 16 winners of the NFF National-Scholar Athlete Award means an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship for Sherrod.
When Sherrod was coming out of high school in 2007, he was highly recruited but his family ties (brother Dezmond Sherrod played for the Bulldogs from 2003-2006) and liking of the campus atmosphere brought him to Starkville.
“I could’ve gone pretty much anywhere in the country, but I knew that this was basically my home,” Sherrod said. “I couldn’t see myself being anywhere else.”
With three games remaining on the schedule, Sherrod and the 21 other seniors on the Bulldog team now face the reality of their days in a Mississippi State uniform coming to an end.
While Saturday may be the last time some Mississippi State fans see Sherrod in person, it will not be the last time they hear of his success on or off the field. Just don’t expect Sherrod to be the one telling the news.