Ron Caulfield, also known by Mississippi State University fans as the “Candy Man,” has passed out candy at MSU athletic events for 19 years. Now 65, the Candy Man is considering retirement.
With his 20th year coming up, Caulfield said he has pondered retiring his role as Candy Man. However, when he does decide to hang up the candy, he wants to do it in his own way: with a scavenger hunt. Caulfield’s original candy bag ripped, so he had to get a new one. Instead of throwing the old bag away, Caulfield has hidden the bag on MSU’s campus in hopes of passing the legacy of Candy Man to the next generation of fans.
Before the role is passed on, it is worth getting to know the original Candy Man.
Caulfield is a life-long MSU fan who grew up in Jackson. He now lives in Starkville with his sister and brother-in-law in a house with a maroon roof and a huge bulldog sign on the side of the house.
Caulfield graduated from MSU in 1975 and worked for the Mississippi Highway Patrol as a civilian, but is now retired.
He began passing out candy in 1999 at an MSU baseball game. Some friends brought bags of candy to the game and encouraged Caulfield to pass them out, however, he said he was apprehensive about it at first.
“They were like, ‘You need to just pass this out at the baseball game,’” Caulfield said. “I was like, ‘That sounds kind of dumb. I don’t think I really want to.’ Then I thought, ‘Well, they made the effort, they brought it,’ so I went up to the stands and during the game, I started passing it out a little bit.”
Caulfield described himself as a shy person when he was in college, one who would have never passed out those bags of candy. However, he kept bringing candy to baseball games after that first game, and decided he needed to expand his giving to other sports.
“Over the years, it started out with the baseball, then it progressed to football, and then I realized the lady sports are just as important,” Caulfield said. “They’re athletes, too, and they need the support, and so now I try to (go to) every event.”
What once started out as a simple gesture has now brought new people into Caulfield’s life whom he would never have met if had he not passed out candy.
“It’s given me not just contacts, but friendships,” Caulfield said. “Friendships that I would’ve never had. And I may not know your name because there’s so many people, but I will know your face.”
The friendships are important to Caulfield, but the people’s stories are what he enjoys most.
“The one thing that I’ve found in talking to everybody whether you’re a football player, a little kid growing up or a senior citizen, everybody has a story,” said Caulfield.
After 19 years of passing out candy, Caulfield said he now meets college students he gave candy to as children.
“What’s ironic now is I’ll be at a sporting event and somebody will walk up and they’ll be like a freshman and they go, ‘I remember when I was six years old and you gave me a piece of gum.’ And I’m like, ‘Oh God, I am old,’” Caulfield said.
Many people see Caulfield at games, but most only know him as the Candy Man. His sister, Becky Gallman, said there is way more to him than just his spreading of sweets.
“I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have him,” Gallman said. “He’s just a good guy, and I’m not just saying that. There’s not one soul that would tell you any different. And I’d pretty much bet my life on that.”
The Candy Man role does not stop at MSU’s athletics. Caulfield said he has been asked at church if he had his candy bag with him, and Gallman said it can be even more outlandish.
“I am not joking,” Gallman said. “We could go sign a book at a funeral home and somebody would ask, ‘Is the candy bag in your vehicle?’”
Known as an exuberant fan, Caulfield leads chants at basketball and baseball games while stomping on bleachers.
His sister attends games with him, and said she has never been ashamed of her brother’s antics in the stands, but she did have a colorful way of describing him.
“He’s out of control,” Gallman said, laughing. “Hopping around, screaming and hollering to the point of ridiculousness. I mean really, calm it down a notch, Ronnie. You’re not in college anymore.”
Caulfield knows his style of fandom is not for everyone, but said that is okay with him. He said he thinks it helps other people get out of their comfort zones.
“People realize that you can act a fool and people want to holler at games and get involved, but they don’t want to be the first one because they wonder what people are going to think,” Caulfield said. “So, it’s contagious.”
For the next Candy Man, Caulfield had one suggestion.
“My main thing is get out and have fun and enjoy yourself,” Caulfield said. “Make friends. Life is too short to worry about big things.”
Caulfield said he has thought about setting up a scholarship fund for the next Candy Man to help out with the costs of candy.
He said he does not know when his retirement will happen, and he plans to at least make it to 20 years. When he retires, Caulfield said he hopes the Candy Man role will not retire with him, but just have a new face.

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MSU 'Candy Man' looks back on his place in game day culture